These articles really don't tackle big libertarian and atheist issues.... however Penn and Teller are very vocal about both in their lives, so I'm just going to assume all of you love them as much as I do and I'm going to give you links to two new articles about P&T.
Here's an interview with Kurt Loder
AND here is an interview of P&T interviewing each other. It's quite funny.
Does a private business have the right to demand to see a receipt for the products we just purchased or is that infringing upon the our 4th amendment rights? I've been known to refuse to show my receipt to those guys with the highlighter in electronic stores, especially during busy holiday shopping seasons, and I have never run into a problem. I have heard of horror stories about people being detained for refusing to comply with these practices of these stores.
I'm pretty much pro business all the way, however, this is a very touchy subject for me. Part of me believes that private organizations have every right in the world to conduct business any way they please, but part of me believes that a business transaction ends at the moment that money is exchanged for goods; at that moment, those goods become my property. It seems absolutely crazy that an organization would force me to prove to them that I really did just purchase those items.
I think this is where I stand on this subject. A private organization has the right, to search me upon entry, to make sure I am not bringing in harmful items or whatever else they would not want in the store. They even have the right to request that I let them see my receipt, however, I do not have to comply with this. The store then has a right to detain me for shoplifting and then police can be brought in to settle the dispute. If the store does not claim that I have shoplifted, I have full right to leave the store and not be hassled after that. After this, the store would have every right in the world to refuse me service on every single one of my future visits to the store if they wished, because I refused to comply with their policies and they have the right to refuse service to anyone, for whatever reason. I think the police officer in the story was 100% wrong and out of line when he arrested the man for refusing to show his drivers license.
As for the story I just posted, linked here again for your convince, I think the police officer in the story was 100% wrong and out of line when he arrested the man for refusing to show his drivers license.
Am I mistaken with this? Should a private organization have the right to force people to comply with whatever zany policies they have there, simply because they chose to shop there? Should a private organization have the right to detain someone for another reason besides shoplifting? Do the consumers have the right to shop at private organizations having to worry about having their rights infringed upon? What are your opinions?
