Chik-Fil-A, Gay Marriage, and Liberal Free Speech

Dan Cathy, president of Chik-Fil-A, declared that he was “guilty as charged” when it came to his support of traditional marriage. Where do we begin? Let’s start with an “e-card” that has been circulating on Facebook since this brouhaha started.

An e-card circulating on Facebook. (Are liberals going to boycott Facebook now?)

Think about it. Did the Cathy family ever hide their beliefs? Did anyone who has ever visited a mall on a Sunday afternoon not know that Chik-Fil-A was always closed? I didn’t think so. The one thing about liberal ideas of free speech is that they believe in free speech as long as you agree with them. The second you disagree with them is when your right to free speech ends.

As I had stated in a previous article, liberals responded with the expected name calling – Chik-Fil-A is hateful, Chik-Fil-A is bigoted, and on and on. They decided that they will launch a boycott to punish a company for the personal opinion and beliefs of one individual.

Freedom of Speech For All

Did the liberals forget that the first amendment applies to everyone? Did liberals forget in civil discourse that it is okay to disagree with others? If you don’t agree with him; then don’t eat at Chik-Fil-A was all they had to do. Instead, they chose to try and bully the company into changing their beliefs.

Fortunately, the reasonable people of this country decided that enough is enough. A counter-protest in support of Chik-Fil-A was called for and the word spread through social media such as Facebook.

That brings us to today. August 1^st was Support Chik-Fil-A Day and the people responded.

As for me, my wife and I decided that we would go to the only Chik-Fil-A close to us for breakfast and lunch. I took my kids and we had lunch in the restaurant. The line was all the way to the back of the store when we walked in. The amazing thing is that the staff at the restaurant was able to keep the line moving at a brisk pace. My kids and I were figuring we would have to wait — We got our food and were able to sit down to eat in what seemed to be only a matter of minutes.

We watched the line inside the store slowly shorten towards the front of the store and then more people came in and it went back, and it stayed that way the entire time we were there. The drive thru was backed completely up and out onto the main thoroughfare for the shopping center we were at as well. It was great!

After writing this article, I am going to go back to that restaurant and get something else (probably a dessert) to finish out the day.

Liberal politicians in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Philadelphia need to realize that they are punishing people without a job the chance to get a job. A new restaurant has to hire people in order to serve those who want to buy their food. That’s why they are in business. The unemployed in those cities need to remember that their elected leaders don’t care if they have a job, they don’t care if they are able to provide any semblance of a life for themselves.

They just want to vilify a solid business while unemployment in Boston is at 5.8%, Chicago is at 9.8%, San Francisco is at 8.5%, and Philadelphia is at 8.9%. Those unemployed people in each city need to remember that their leaders think gay marriage is more important than jobs. Which issue will actually put food on the table and a roof over their head?

This isn’t a gay marriage issue. It is a freedom of speech issue.

As Andrew Shepard said in The American President, “America is advanced citizenship.” If you think that people who disagree with you should be punished for what they believe; then you are un-American.

—————-

Felt the need to add to this. Was going to do it in the comments, but the system was locking up on me.

Update #1 –

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/582561/Bomb-threat-called-in-to-Chick-f—.html – Bomb Threat called into a Chik-Fil-A. Why am I not surprised?

Wonder what other kind of threats there will be tomorrow during the “kiss-in?”

Update #2 –

A man videotapes himself browbeating an employee – http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jg-jzlWcc0E. Who knew she was the CEO of Chik-Fil-A? All she wanted to do was her job.

She, and the many employees like her, would be the one who would be hurt by a boycott. Wonder if liberals ever thought about that?

labman57

An interesting contrast in ideologies can be seen in boycott petitions:

Conservatives call for boycotts against companies and broadcasts that promote compassion, whereas progressives champion boycotts against companies and broadcasts that espouse intolerance.

And of course, when conservatives boycott a business for supporting progressive causes, said boycott is a righteous act of patriotism.
When progressives carry out a boycott, it’s a socialistic act of cowardice and an unpatriotic attack on capitalism.

Furthermore, I always have to heave a sigh and roll my eyes whenever self-proclaimed Christians indignantly declare that gay marriage defies “the word of God”. This argument is both cowardly and disingenuous — using biased interpretations of cherry-picked biblical passages to justify their brand of social intolerance and religious self-righteousness.

In any case, I wouldn’t participate in the “Appreciation Day” even if it wasn’t designed to promote a business that advocates bigotry and intolerance. I’ve sworn off fat and cholesterol-laden fast food made from reprocessed chicken parts.

New Chick-fil-A ad campaign:
“Finger food to feed your inner homophobe.”
- David Webb
  
  Just to cite one example, Occupy Oakland is promoting compassion through acts of violence? Promoting the little guy by shutting down the shipping port which would put the little guy out of a job. Love the reasoning.
  As for the religious aspect…
  “This argument is both cowardly and disingenuous — using biased interpretations of cherry-picked biblical passages to justify their brand of social intolerance and religious self-righteousness.”
  This should be interesting. Which biblical passages are you talking about? How are they biased?
  “…a business that advocates bigotry and intolerance…”
  Cite examples of how the business has advocated bigotry and intolerance. Do they have heterosexuals only signs. “Do they have the no shoes, no shirts, no gays sign.”
  You have to realize that the individual, the family, and the foundation they started are all different from the business. I mean we can talk about the all of the things their foundation has started if you would like.
  - Eddie
    
    I can tell that you, David Webb, are very anti-gay. Although I support your right to say what you are saying, you are an ignorant, self-righteous prick.
    - David Webb
      
      Hmmm….did you actually read the article? I talked about the right to someone to voice an opinion you disagree with — not the lifestyle. That would have been an entirely different article.
David Webb

I saw online where there was a bomb threat called into a Chik-Fil-A in WV. Wonder if there is going to be more incidents like this one tomorrow?
http://twitter.com/sarahrwan Sarah Rasheed

i see your point, but I think it goes both ways. Both sides of the spectrum attack and manipulate comments to their favor. Freedom of speech does apply to everyone, even if it’s something you dont want to hear.
- David Webb
  
  It does cut both ways. Launching a boycott of a business where the owner (say Ben & Jerry’s) supports gay marriage is as wrong as this boycott of Chik-Fil-A. People are entitled to their opinions – whether you like it or not.
David Webb

The guy who bullied the employee in the video above was fired.
Jack

Good point. It’s like asking Hitler how he feels about Jews.
- David Webb
  
  Not quite.
ProblemSolvingTime

Chick-fil-a gave money to an organization that took action to promote/protect Uganda’s killing of gays. It’s not a “freedom of speech” issue – it’s a “thou shalt not kill” issue. An organization that hates and kills is anything BUT Christian.
- David Webb
  
  Care to source the funding and then the actions of the organization? Otherwise, you are making a statement without the requisite proof to substantiate it.
  - ProblemSolvingTime
    
    Yes, even Time magazine reported on this issue… I must be making it up! CFA’s charity, Winshape, donates to both the Family Research Council and Exodus International, which have lobbied the US Congress to support Uganda’s kill-the-gays bill and actively worked the anti-gay issue in Uganda, respectively. FRC now claims it didn’t like certain language in the US bill condemning Uganda- apparently, wordsmithing is more godly than saving lives, in their world). Exodus is backing away, too, saying that its active participation in Uganda was a mistake.
    Oh, and if you’re too lazy or willfully ignorant to Google a subject, don’t go posting on it as if you are the arbiter of truth on the matter. It is just a foolish tactic that serves no one.
    - David Webb
      
      LOL!! Ask a simple question and get called “lazy and willfully ignorant.” Wonder which way your political opinion leans? (In case you’re wondering — that’s called a rhetorical question.)
      As for what I post, where did I even talk about the WinShape foundation? I focused on the personal opinion of one man on one subject and the fact that liberals cannot reasonably and politely disagree.
      So, if asking you to source a statement to support your “allegation” — which by the way you did not do — is too much for you, then you might want to not engage in a discussion.
      But based on what you did say — your real problem should be with the FRC; or can you prove why Chick-Fil-A is supporting them? (In other words, is the anti-gay Ugandan issue the only activity the FRC is involved in?)
      - ProblemSolvingTime
        
        While I definitely have a problem with FRC, Chick-fil-a has been made aware of what FRC does, and continues giving them millions and defending doing so. But you’d know this if you looked things up from time to time… People do politely disagree all the time, by the way, but saying that funding hate and promoting the killing of gays is ok, but objecting to that funding isn’t… well, that’s just absurd.
- Kristen
  
  Are you a fucking idiot?? lol
  - ProblemSolvingTime
    
    On what possible grounds could you call me that?? Everything I posted is factual and well-documented. It’s the people who won’t read about the issue that are the f-ing idiots.
Publius

Chik-fil-A kiss-ins? What’s next, Chik-fil-A-tio-ins? Civil unions yes. Gay marriage no. See essay Number XI at thepubliuspapers.com

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