Frankenscript
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- Dec 21, 2017
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Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a private business to have the ability and right to refuse anyone. But I believe if they want to refuse me because I'm white, they should be able to. If they want to refuse based on gender, race, sexual orientation, whatever, they should have that right. If they still have a market left in which to make money after their discriminatory policies, good for them.
Welcome to 1935. You are OK with a store saying: "Get out, I don't serve blacks/jews/gays" etc. and not being held accountable for discrimination. Fine. Thanks for spelling out what making America great would mean to you. I rarely see people actually admit they support this. Clinton got a lot of flack for using the term "deplorable," but she was talking about people holding just such beliefs. You try to take the edge off of it by using the example of someone refusing you service because you are white, but it is very different to be in the majority versus the minority in the context of discrimination.
As long as businesses aren't actually private, and they aren't allowed to discriminate, and for as long as a baker can be sued because he doesn't want to contribute to a gay wedding because it's against his beliefs and values, can you really blame people for getting upset when suddenly they are suddenly being refused service?
Actually the baker won the case. See Masterpiece Cake Shop vs. Colorado Civil Rights commission. As I understand it, a store can't refuse to serve (blacks, gays, whatever) but can't be compelled to submit to forced speech, and artistic expression in custom cakes apparently qualifies. In other words, if a gay couple wanted to buy a generic cake off the shelf that the baker had, the baker couldn't refuse based on the customer's sexual preference (or race, religion, etc.). But creating a custom wedding cake counts as a form of art, protected free speech, which can't be compelled. Liberal as I am, and while I find the baker to be an abhorrent bigot, I think I agree with the ruling. I didn't understand the implications until the decision came down, but I understand it.
Anti-discrimination laws exist because they protect minority groups that could be left out in the cold in a free market. A store can survive just fine financially even if they discriminate against a group that represents 5%, 10%, or even 15% of the population.