[guest post by Dana]

This is a *real* rape:

A 22-year-old woman was raped by five men on a minibus in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, authorities said, in a case with chilling echoes of the fatal attack on a woman in New Delhi in 2012.

Police say the woman was waiting at a bus stop for a ride home after work on Thursday night when a minibus stopped in front of her and two men forced her aboard. They and three other men inside the bus took turns raping her for an hour and a half while the bus slowly drove around the Jamuna Future Park area in northeast Dhaka.

Five men assaulted a young woman for 90 minutes while the bus driver leisurely drove around town to accommodate the evil taking place behind him.

To make matters worse, the victim’s sister said they had to visit three police stations before an official agreed to take the report.

This is not a *real* rape. It’s a damn television show. Stop acting like it’s the same thing when it’s not.

Note:

[I]t always makes me snicker right cruelly whenever someone on the left declares himself offended by a work of art. Art should shock you! they say. Art should challenge you! they say. But by you they mean you, not them; they have no need or desire to be shocked or challenged out of their pristinely moral positions.

–Dana

[guest post by JVW]

Story here.

Imagine the novelty of legalizing gay marriage through the will of the people expressed by popular referendum and not by judicial fiat. Why, that would never fly over here.

– JVW

[guest post by Dana]

A Lesbian couple in Canada who patronized a local jeweler for their engagement rings are now demanding their money back – in spite of having nothing but good things to say about the business:

“They were great to work with. They seemed to have no issues. They knew the two of us were a same-sex couple,” White said.

“I referred some of my friends to them, just because I did get some good customer service and they had good prices.”

However, when a friend went to visit the shop, he saw a sign that read: “The sanctity of marriage is under attack. Let’s keep marriage between a man and a woman.”

Upon hearing about this, Nicole White and Pam Renouf went to demand their money back:

A worker at Today’s Jewellers in Mount Pearl told the couple that the sign is part of their beliefs, and that they can post whatever they want in their store.

“It was really upsetting. Really sad, because we already had money down on [the rings], and they’re displaying how much they are against gays, and how they think marriage should be between a man and a woman.”

Further:

“They just said that that’s their beliefs, and they think they can put up whatever they want. I just said it was very disrespectful, it’s very unprofessional and I wanted a refund,” White said.

“I have no issues with them believing in what they believe in. I think everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But I don’t think they should put their personal beliefs inside their business.”

White and Renouf hope to get a refund when the man who sold them the rings returns to town next month — but it’s not guaranteed.

White said the rings were meant to be a symbol of love, but now the bands seem tainted.

“I think every time I look at that ring, I’ll probably think of what we just went through,” White said.

Tainted bands!!!

Co-owner of the shop Esau Jardon claims he has been putting up signs representing his beliefs for 11 years without complaint. As an immigrant, one of the reasons the tolerant Jardon moved to the country was because of its “freedom of rights”, including freedom of religion and speech:

“I feel really bad that [White] feels that we would in any way try to hurt or discriminate against her, but we will not retract from what we believe. I cannot say, ‘Well because you feel bad, I will stop believing what I believe,'” he said.

“When I walk on Church Street in Toronto, where I am right now, and I see [LGBT rainbow flags], and I see a lot of signs and a lot of things on public property, I don’t have a problem with them. I accept it. I chose to come to Canada… and we accept the whole package… I don’t discriminate against that, nor do I come and tell them to take them down. For the same reason, I ask to have the same respect in return, especially when it’s in my own business.”

Jardon is refusing to apologize and refusing to bow to social pressure in spite of having to shut down his Facebook page:

When asked if he would offer a refund to the couple, Jardon said he won’t be bullied into apologizing for his beliefs or to work for free.

He said the finished rings are ready to be picked up; White and Renouf just have to pay the balance.

–Dana

UPDATE BY PATTERICO: I believe he ended up giving them a refund. You vill express der correct opinions.