These commissions have no real enforcement powers-they shook this man down and gave the money to ethnic hoodlums masquerading as communiy service organizations.
They are not courts-if he had told them to go pound sand,they would've had to unless the AG took action.
I do not believe these commissions would find in favor of any Caucasian person who alleged they were discriminated against by a non white or non-english speaking business owner.
I am not supprting what Mr.Richardson did,but no one should have to be put before a lynch law kangaroo court simply because they said something offensive.
Every time Steven Brown opens his mouth I feel offended,but that's my problem.
If Mr.Richardson had refused service to the two men,that would have been a different story.
This isn't about Dave Richardson,per se-it is about anyone's 1st Amendment rights.
Mr.Richardson is a middle aged man who allegedly said something offensive to two younger men.He didn't have a weapon,he didn't threaten them-none of it.
The ACLU is engaged in trying to limit speech in collusion with racial,ethnic,and sexual special interest groups.

"Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don't allow our enemies to have guns, why should we allow them to have ideas?" - Josef Stalin

Richardson's "boorish behavior"

No he broke the LAW Title 11 Chapter 24
2
HELLO it is the LAW

If you do not like a law,you work to change it,
Signed,Ronald Reagan & Newman USPS

Overnight Mr Richardson became a Right Wing Hero
I heard that he received checks from every state in the nation

He won praise fron Glenn Beck,Lou Dobbs,Sean Hannity,Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh,Hellen Glover,Matt Alen,Dan Yorke,and the RI GOP

THAHK YOU MR RICHARDSON
SIGNED
THE "RIGHT" WING

To paraphrase the standard liberal response to conservatives / parents objecting to the lowbrow filth being broadcast over the airwaves ("If you don't like it change the channel"), if these two didn't like what this store owner had to say they could "just change to another store."

But then, in our new animal farm, some "free speech" is more equal than others, isn't it?

If you don't believe that these extra-judicial type bodies can lead to places you don't want to go, check out Mark Steyn's problems with Canada's Human Rights Commissions. Sadly, a history of Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence is no protection against the legislation of 21st century star chambers. Of course, it would also be interesting to hear the views of M. Jerzyk, JD, on this issue.

Justin,
Obviously your vocabulary outstrips your compassion and your ideas belie your concerns for freedom.

Ragin' Rhode Islander
"Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don't allow our enemies to have guns, why should we allow them to have ideas?" - Josef Stalin

I agree with your sentiment that the statement you attribute to Stalin is awful, but I fail to see what ideas that Richardson was expressing. Perhaps you can explain them for me?

joe bernstein,
It used to be color. Now it has morphed into language. My grandparents used to see signs that said, "Italians need not apply". Color, language - the attack was upon ethnicity, and that is illegal.
OldTimeLefty

"If you don't believe that these extra-judicial type bodies can lead to places you don't want to go, check out Mark Steyn's problems with Canada's Human Rights Commissions."

Absolutely frightening what they tried to do to Mark Steyn. What facilitated it in part, however, was that Canada has a more narrow definition of free speech than the US does. They have de-legalized "hate speech". What is illegal hate speech, you ask? Ah, it's all in the eyes of the beholder. And that's where the trouble starts.

OTL-If Mr.Genao and his comopanion that day(who never showed up-wonder why?)really felt they were intimidated by an elderly man they could have gone to the AG or District Court.they didn't because they had no case that would stand up in a regular court.They weren't denied service.
I am in principle against these non-judicial "human rights commissions"with the ability to punish citizens for failing the political correctness test.
They are staffed by appointees who do not get subjected to the extensive examination conducted on judicial selections.
The ACLU,represented by Steven Brown,together with the so-called "Hispanic Ministers Alliance"represented in part by a vile racist named Rivera from New Jersey are the groups which agitated for the piling-on attack on Mr.Richardson.
The ACLU,as I understand their mission,is supposed to defend ctizens against violations of the Constitution by GOVERNMENT.Mr.Richardson is hardly an arm of the government.The RI ACLU is in fact,a radical organization dedicated to enforcing politically correct speech and behavior in society.
I hate political coreectness and its promoters-it is tyranny.
I don't plan going to a Sox game with Mr.Richardson,and I didn't think he should've asked for anyone's SS#(if he did),but allowing this lynch law kangaroo court attack on him to succeed just emboldens the scumbags like Steven Brown and his minions on these "commissions"to stifle any free speech they deem "offensive".
Even REAL courts cannot limit or punish free speeh in any but very narrow circumstances.
If I were ever faced with dealing with such a "commission"I would ignore them and any order they issued because they have no legitimate authority.