How the West was lost

Certainly in the dusty cacophony of the Caliphate that spans northern Syria and Iraq, but also in a quiet little Vermont town:

In Winooski, Vermont, a small town northeast of Burlington, a restaurant was awarded a sign placement for its participation in a beautification project. Proud of its bacon (among other things, I’m sure), Sneakers Bistro chose a sign that said “Yield for Sneakers Bacon.”

A Muslim woman, fond of neither pork nor free speech, complained online, garnering a sufficient contingent of busybodies to pressure the restaurant to take down the sign.

The restaurant caved. The sign is gone. The restaurant and town officials sound very pleased at how this has all worked out.

They could not be more wrong. This story is horrible at every level. Let’s begin with our offended resident.

Religions may have whatever dietary restrictions they wish. Adherents may follow such limitations as strictly as they choose. But when a person of faith runs across a display indicative of the habits of others, there is no basis for objection.

Something truly bizarre has happened when someone sees imagery related to other people’s choices and hears an inner voice saying: “That is not my choice. But not only do I seek to make choices in my own life, I seek to inhibit the expression of those who choose differently.”

When the enemy gets here in sufficient numbers to take over, will the proprietors of Sneakers Bistro gladly strip to their underwear and be frog-marched to a place of mass execution?