By now, you’ve probably heard about what happened at a Camp Quest Oklahoma fundraiser at a BBQ joint in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Hemant nailed it, Brayton got constitutional on it, PZ and JT got angry and vengeful about it. Everyone is doing their bit, reacting exactly as we’ve come to expect. Not wanting to deviate from form, myself, I’m going to come in late to the game and ask everyone to calm down a bit and review a few facts that people have been consistently getting wrong in the comments.
- Oklahoma Joe’s of Tulsa / Broken Arrow is legally and financially distinct from the original Oklahoma Joe’s of Kansas City. Please stop attacking the KC joint.
- Oral contracts are legally binding in the U.S. If you agree to host a fundraiser at a fixed percentage of certain receipts, and take monetary consideration from a number of patrons, having represented to them that they are there in part for the sake of doing fundraising, you are legally obligated to follow through and pay up.
- Breach of contract is a legally distinct issue from the laws governing public accommodations mentioned earlier by Ed Brayton. Even if Oklahoma Joe’s were completely cleared of any and all violations of anti-discrimination laws (which I consider a strong possibility) they would nevertheless be in breach of contract for taking the patrons’ money on a promise that they didn’t keep.
- Online overreaction is a demonstrably effective way to generate more heat than light. Remember Gelatogate? Skepticon organizers had to live and work and continue building support within their (highly religious) local community after all that hullabaloo, and they were not particularly thrilled about some of the more over-the-top attacks from the keyboard warrior mob. “Fuck ’em to the ground!” isn’t the message we need to be sending here. Or anywhere. PZ and JT, I’m looking at you. Berserker rage isn’t always the answer.
- There is an obvious way to channel our anger and frustration into positive change in this situation, right now, without waiting to see whether a boycott backfires or a lawsuit pans out: DONATE TO CAMP QUEST OKLAHOMA.
I’m immensely grateful for the massive amounts of exhausting work that the Camp Quest organizers and volunteers put in to give children like mine a week where they get to think freely, without the pressure of discrimination from our pervasively dogmatic culture. Let’s not allow religious bigotry or reactionary rhetoric get in the way of our ultimate goals.
