Man of them are offensive, but as a t-shirt, it is the wearer's constitutional right to express his/her views in such a manner. I would prohibit none of the above. Personally, the only one I find crossed the excessively offensive line is "God hates gays."
We draw the line all the time, whether informally via social norms, customs etc. or formally via organizational policies, laws, etc. It strikes me as a silly kind of argument to suggest that since drawing lines is hard, we should therefore draw no lines.
Your statement assumes a fully function free market, that operates absent distortions, imperfections, etc. with totally free flow of capital, etc. etc. This is a fantasy.
Even so, our growing body of law, Constitutional and otherwise, is concluding that withhold public or private services (the latter as part of a public accommodation business) is unConstitutional or otherwise against the law. So, even in your 'perfect world' where anyone can discriminate against anyone else is but a theoretical abstraction (and a very, very bad one at that) that has no place in the reality of US law.
I am just very, very glad that people like you are not the ones making policy or law.
Please elaborate about the economic conditions that exist that prevent other bakers in Colorado from entering the market place and competing against this guy?
You falsely assume that because I believe in letting people choose what they want to say or print or whom they associate with that I am motivated by hatred, or divisiveness. Given your violent tendencies it is no surprise you project that on others, but Nothing could be further from the truth. I want to end violence, I want peace, I hope for harmony. For me, when I look back across history, I see that when ever a group is forced to do something that they react to that force by building walls of resentment and anger that can last for generations. On the other hand, when people of different cultures or beliefs have successfully integrated and reached some measure of harmony, it is economic motivations that first began to break down the divisions.
Returning to the Colorado cake example, if he were to say to the couple "I don't do those kinds of cakes" how long before word spreads that he is a jerk, and his business decreases? As his business dwindles as a the economic consequence of his conviction, He will come face to face with an internal delama: is it better to have money or a conviction? Who is really hurting by him holding to his conviction? I suppose in the extreme there are some who would hold onto their convitction and die poor and Un-influential. But I believe more people would find a way in themselves to justify their convictions with making profits and find a peaceful way to engage the marketplace again by his or her own free will.
On the other hand, say that business are not allowed to say no. In fact they hear that by saying no they will face huge court costs, and then be forced to do it anyway. What choice does the owner have? They can close the shop or comply. I believe it is human nature to rebel against compulsion, we hate being coerced or forced into doing thing, even if it is for our good. This is especially strong in American culture. We resent the policeman for encouraging us to drive at safe speeds, people are skeptical of mandatory vaccinations, people hate the building inspector. So the shop might be making cakes, but he hasn't changed his conviction, and every time he is compelled to do something the resentment builds inside him. What good has this done? There is no resolution of the original conflict, there is no harmony. But because he is complying on the surface, everyone purchases from him, so that even the group he hates is contributing to his prosperity.
As a consumer you are not able to make an informed choice about the kind of person/ shop you are dealing with.
As an aside, another unfortunate quirk of human nature is that people will often strike back against force when given a chance, so a cake maker leaves his court ordered cake in the oven 2 minutes longer, to dry it out a bit, or spits in the batter when no-one is looking. Again, how has the compulsion helped this human interaction, where is harmony?
I guess it depends on your desired outcomes. Do you want to win people's hearts or minds to a cause, or do you simply want to punish people because they don't think like you.
