By: Jeff Katz – August, 2012
“I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. For me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union, you know? God is in the mix.”
With those words, Dan Cathy the Chief Operating Officer of Chick-Fil-A started a firestorm. The press declared those words to be clearly hateful and hurtful. Obviously designed to rip families apart. Certainly the only appropriate response to such rhetoric is a full-fledged boycott. The only rational thing which a committed leftist can do is pledge never to spend a penny at Chick-Fil-A. Clearly, someone who holds such a view of the world is not worthy of any level of support from any self-respecting leftist. No gay man or woman should think twice about supporting someone saying this.
Well, Dan Cathy never said that. In fact, Cathy was simply answering a question posed by a reporter for the Baptist Press’s Biblical Recorder when he said “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit.… We are a family owned business, a family led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.” Cathy never sought to debate the issue of same sex marriage, he simply answered a question and then went on about his day operating Chick-Fil-A.
I know quite a bit about Chick-Fil-A. Having lived for a number of years in Charlotte, North Carolina I became very familiar with the restaurants. My kids loved their sandwiches while the bride and I usually enjoyed one of their great salads. Even on a diet, I’d have to grab one or two of the kid’s waffle fries because they were just incredible. I know that Chick-Fil-A’s sweet tea is a piece of southern comfort. And the milkshakes are simply the best which can be found at any fast food joint anywhere. But I also know a bit more about Chick-Fil-A.
No matter how hungry you might be on a Sunday, you can’t eat Chick-Fil-A unless it’s a left over, which is harder to find than kryptonite. You see, the Christian family which owns and operates the chain will not allow their restaurants to open on their Sabbath. Despite the fact that being closed clearly costs the chain millions of dollars in potential profits, the owners believe that their employees should spend the day at home with family.
Besides the delicious food and those wonderful treats, what defines Chick-Fil-A for me is their spirit of community involvement. On a weekly basis, the Chick-Fil-A restaurants in our old neighborhood ran a fundraiser or two for our local schools. Chick-Fil-A proudly sponsored a wonderful fundraising event for police officers entitled Cop On Top. When we needed food donated for events helping disabled children, it was Chick-Fil-A which came forward. Helping deployed service men and women? Right, it was Chick-Fil-A staffers who simply asked, “how can we help?”
The militant leftists who routinely proclaim themselves to be the voices of tolerance and diversity and inclusion announced that Chick-Fil-A needed to be punished because Mr. Cathy dared to exercise his freedom of speech. Bottom feeding politicians immediately jumped in to action. First, America’s dumbest mayor, Tom Mumbles Menino declared that Chick-Fil-A would not be allowed to open anywhere in the City of Boston. Then it was Chicago Mayor Rahmbo Emmanuel who piled on. Never mind that Chicago is in the midst of a brutal gang war with innocent babies being slaughtered in the streets. Next up? Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, apparently blissfully unaware that his city’s school system is broken got in on the action. San Francisco’s Mayor Ed Lee warned Chick-Fil-A not to open a location within fifty miles of his city which now has more pet dogs than children with families.
Whether you support same sex marriage or not, you must be consistent and support the right of people to speak freely. I for one always knew that freedom of speech was delicious, but I am thrilled that it is also so tasty.
Oh, and who did say, “I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. For me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union, you know? God is in the mix.” Why that was Barack Obama. Do they serve shakes and waffle fries in the Oval Office?