"That's a ridiculous argument. Any country where some citizens are allowed to discriminate against other citizens in public facilities because of the color of their skin or ethnic background is not one I want to live in. Ending discrimination by race was a good thing...period! No wonder libertarians can't get more than one percent of the vote."
I tend to think it would have still happened, with the power of the free market. Might not have been as quick, but it would be more thorough. I think if the market were allowed to work and if we had supported the private property rights then the disparity between races would not exist today.
These are just my thoughts, and yes I can't even begin to imagine the pure, unadulterated racism that existed in that time. I agree that it is a blight on American history. But I tend to think the blight would be much forgotten if the solution was found in the market and left to the individual. The government is the absolute worst way to solve social problems.
Do you support adding sexual deviant behaviour to the civil rights legislation and forcing private property owners and private business owners to not be allowed to discriminate against certain sexual behaviours? If not, why not? No, I am not equating the race issue with behavioural choices. I am asking if one discrimination should be allowed and not another.
Bump to everything you've said. I don't believe in racism or sexism or even discrimination against gays personally--but I do believe that you should have a right to associate with who you want, and that government can't change folks' feelings about others, wrong or not. And we all know what government action has produced...a bunch of race-baiting hucksters like Sharpton and Jackson.