(Well, pharmacists are licensed by the state, so there’s that).
Are notaries agents of the state? I think that would be the question. Sure they’re licensed by the state (but so are all sorts of people from pharmacists to barbers). I don’t think of a notary as providing a public service when the verify my signature; I think of them acting in much the same way I do as I go about my licensed and regulationed profession.
They’re not just licensed by the state (here, anyway.) They are appointed by the governor. Now, these appointments are entirely nominal and just about anyone can become a notary after taking a class and paying a fee, but they’re not cosmetologists. Besides, your licensed and regulated profession is distinguishable from just about every other one because of the unique relationship between attorney and client.
Curious. As I understand it here, a notary public just fills out a form, pays a fee, and takes an oath. I believe that they are “commissioned” by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, but I don’t know that we would draw an conceptual distinction between that and being licensed by the appropriate professional board. Although, I’m fairly certain that our notaries cannot perform marriages.
Well, that’s a fair point.
Obama. Clearly. No question about that.
… will be caused by Arizona’s religious freedom bill??
Or maybe Benghazi. Or Monica, that one’s making a comeback.
For years, I have heard “Don’t like gay marriage? Don’t get gay married.”
Now, it becomes “Don’t like gay marriage? Don’t be in any profession where gays can force you to participate in their marriage.”
Not settled yet, but it looks like Brewer stared into the abyssand drew back.
I should find a religion that has something against the telephone so that I don’t have to do the parts of my job that I don’t like.
Plus various large businesses including Apple, American Airlines (whose merger overtaker USAirways’ home and hub is at PHX!) and Marriott – that’s Marriott as in Book-of-Mormon-in-every-room Marriott.
You’re not suggesting that there aren’t, or shouldn’t be, ANY exemptions for religious objections or practices in the workplace, are you?
This discussion is limited to notaries, who are not really engaged in “a profession”. There is no legal mechanism under which a (say) religious officiant could be forced to conduct a gay wedding. Sure, you might have to bake somebody a cake.
We can add “It’s not the hate, it’s the stupidity” to the current motto “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”
What is included in the oath they take? This clearly distinguishes them from other licensed professionals such as hairdressers.
Or, as Jon Stewart replied to Josh Barro’s claim "If you work for a company, and that company has a policy against anti-gay discrimination, you’re still allowed to say, “Well I’m the bakery guy at the national chain supermarket, but I’m not going to make a cake for this gay couple’s wedding.” "
How are they gonna know? Two grooms on top of the cake? Well, hell, buy the damned cake and install the grooms on top at your leisure! Equality is too important an issue to get bogged down in trivialities.
I don’t actually know the content of the oath.
I’ve never given any thought to notaries public until today (except that most of the court reporters I know are notaries, becuase it allows them to do depositions since they can swear the witness).
If I had to guess, I would presume that the purpose of the notary taking an oath is, essentially, a chain of evidence feature. The notary’s oath plus the stamp is the equivalent of the notary coming in and testifying that the signing took place in their presence. (This is slightly different from the fact that the notary also has the ability to administer enforceable oaths; which might actually constitute a public office).
Here’s the one for MA:
Those stupid gays thinking that just because their government has made it legal for them to get married they’d be able to have a servant of said government marry them.
edit: I think they should sign a piece of paper that says “I object as a matter of religion.” and we’ll bury them with it so they can show Jesus at their eternal interview.