[quote name='depascal22']So what's your point? We should cut off our noses to spite our face just so we can be Constitutionally (and ideolgically) pure? Sure, business theoretically have the right to deny service but what real business does so just to make a point other than the Catholic Church and various other religious organizations?
This is about ideology trumping common human decency. Two people (not four or a guy and a dog) want to get married and have the same legal rights that any hetero couple has without qualifers, buts, or also known as, or any other legal crap that tends to get in the way of people going about their lives.
I'm just tired of the conservative line of thinking that you have to deny rights to a minority so you can mistakenly guarantee rights to the majority. What sense does that make? I've never heard one real way that marriage will be weakened because gays will partake in it. Will your marriage have less of a chance of making it? Are you doomed to get a divorce just because Bob and Tom got hitched in a nice quiet backyard ceremony and honeymooned in Maui? If the Bible is your reason for denying them, practice what Jesus preached and treat them with love. If God is really against two gay people living in a peaceful loving relationship, let Him make the decision at the Pearly Gates. We should just be working to bring peace and happiness to everyone on Earth instead of misery and shame.[/QUOTE]
I believe, if two consenting individuals of sound mind wish to enter a contractual agreement, the government should not be allowed to deny them this due to the genders of the two individuals who wish to enter into the agreement.
You'll get no argument out of me on that one.
As for private business - let's look at two different cases.
Let's pretend you're a member of a minority. For the sake of not offending anyone, I'm going to say you're a Green Martian. Now, there's a lot of hate toward you Martin folk. You're lazy. You take our jobs. You steal our women. You cause violence and use our social services without paying taxes. You spread disease. In all, you're a filthy, disgusting creature.
Now, you want to buy a game. You have the option from three different stores.
The first store has a sign on the door "Greenies stay out!". You try to walk in, but the guy behind the counter yells at you and kicks you out.
At the second store, the guy behind the counter hates you. It's quite obvious. But, he wants your money. He's "nice" - faked through his gritted teeth the entire time you're in there.
Then, there's a third store that is ran by other Martians and welcomes all people into the store. It used to be ran by Americans, but the Martians took our jobs.
So, do you really, really want to give your hard earned cash to the guy at the second store? He hates you and probably imagines several different ways of hanging you without getting caught.
In a world where our government takes away our right to associate, the first store and the second store are one and the same. The guy in the first store has to fake being nice for fear that his store could get into legal trouble. Do you really want to give him your money? Do you really want to support his business? Wouldn't it be much nicer to just know which stores are ran by ignorant people so you can stay away from them and not support them?