
In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission that a small business had a Constitutional right to refuse custom cake-decorating services for gay couples based on the religious beliefs of its owners. This ruling is one of many sent down by contemporary American judges that demonstrate a proclivity for defending the rights of private businesses to speak freely and/or assert religious expression with the same legal protections afforded to individuals. If judges can defend a business owner’s right to discriminate against customers based on their sexual orientation, then surely the same legal arguments should offer ample protection for allowing restaurant owners to protect customers by requiring vaccinations—not only to ward away the virus but to shield them from the carelessness of their fellow citizens.