after the civil rights act passed, blacks completing a high school degree have significantly gone down, out of wedlock births have skyrocketed, and the poverty rate among blacks has also skyrocketed compared to other races.
I completely agree with you that race should not be a factor in associating with an individual but that's lots of negatives, maph.

I agree-socially. Legally is an entirely different matter. wasn't the mexican restaurant owner a bigot? he refused to serve someone for political reasons. it is valid to you for subjective reasons

private business. PRIVATE. The bakers are not publicly traded, "lunch counters in the south."
This concept only worked with the local government as complicit. People were bullied to comply with such evil and the government did not enforce property rights. ex: I am a business owner in the south. I see an opportunity for business to catering to a group for whatever reason. My neighbors attempt to "chill" me from extending a profitable business concept in my local market, by vandalism or other means. The means are all force and law enforcement does not protect my rights. That is exactly what went on in the south. Private businesses turn down business everyday of the week. It's none of your business or mine why.

harm to their reputation in their political position of gays wanting to hijack (their interpretation) of marriage. You are happily willing to control my rights. I take that as a threat. Whether we agree on which rights are more important is beside the point. The Constitution laid out rights well and also were clear that other rights were not enumerated but valid, however, they did NOT advocate that force was mechanism for extending a right. You should not be allowed to force someone at the point of a gun to perform the task of making a cake for someone they do not wish to make a cake for. What kind of self esteem does a person have when they force a person to accept their contract unwillingly? A false sense of esteem. Courage here would be to find a cake maker that willingly contracts and use your first amendment right to make clear to all and sundry who wasn't willing to make you a cake. But that was not the path the couple chose. they chose a path that included ruining a business and bringing harmful threats and violence to the bakers. and they demanded compensation above and beyond what is reasonable. and they are smug and happy over their "victory" and extortion. sad day for everyone, if you ask me.

I see political harm in the govt telling me who to associate with. My perception is logical. You react to the Romney example. hmmm. you are very content with controlling others to keep you "happy." I am content with take your hand out of my pocket and leave me alone.

actually, Max brought up morality, but couched in the larger umbrella of "right." you want to trample on one's right to "protect" another's. the only rights which should be enforced are those which are applied to every individual. A group does not have rights.
I gave two possible harms as examples from the bakers' point of view. I pointed out in two other examples of where restaurants refused to accommodate a campaign for political reasons and you haven't commented on either.

Oh you don’t want to equate the Westboro Church to christians in general. I think you will find those nut jobs are really a calculated liberal offense. They show up to protest at Republican events. They rose to fame showing up at military funerals denouncing gays at the height of the push to allow gays into the military, during the final years of Bush’s presidency. Anybody can see they advocate open-hate policies, but what is truly difficult to process is the knowledge of what groups have truly benefitting the most from their protests. I would love for someone to do an audit of their books to find out who are their financial backers. I think the world would be shocked to learn they probably are getting their money from Progressives. Me? Not so much. Afterall, tarnishing christians or conservatives using plants is not a new method of propaganda. This time, liberals didn’t need to hire plants, they just promoted loons. I mean, isn’t that what you are doing? Trying the ole’ guilt-by-association spiel?