Chick-Fil-A, You Betrayed Me . . . OR Why the Chief Chicken Maker Should Shut His Pie-Hole

I steer away from political commentary on Facebook because, to me, it’s like listening to children argue.  I do that all day anyway; why would I want to do it while reading.  I’d rather be informed of what you ate for dinner or how many times you’ve been to the gym this week than listen to 350 of my closest “friends” explain why they’re right and everyone else is wrong. 

The thing is, we’re all right.

I’m a Democrat and Hubby is a Republican.  We vote on different issues.  I love him and he loves me, and we agree to disagree about our politics.  There’s no way I’m going to change his mind, nor he mine.  I have rational, educated reasons that support what I believe and so does he; that makes both of us right. 

Up until now I’ve kept quiet about the Chick-Fil-A debate, mostly because I wasn’t sure exactly how I feel about it.  I’m a big believer in Freedom of Speech, even if what’s being spoken isn’t something about which I agree.  I do not partake in pornography, for instance, but I support the publication of it.  It’s not my preference, so I make a conscious choice not to purchase it, but I’m not about to act all holier-than-thou and tell you that you can’t.

I understand why many people are defending Dan Cathy and his Freedom of Speech.  He certainly has that right and he has exercised it.  Chick-Fil-A has a unique business model that is rooted in Christian values, and I’m okay with that. 

But just cook the d*mn chicken.  That’s your job.  You’ve gone and started this whole sh*t-storm and now I can’t eat the chicken.

Our country is run by people who have different religious and political views - many of which are different from mine.  If a job is done well, it really isn’t any of my concern if you’re Christian or otherwise. 

I really don’t care what the man who fries my chicken thinks about marriage.

What I do care about is that we haven’t learned from our mistakes.  This photo is circulating on Facebook:

The similarities are eerie.  In our parents’ generation, some people didn’t want black children to go to public schools with white children because of the color of their skin.  It wasn’t because they were bad people; it was because of skin color.  Eventually the Supreme Court decided that every student has a fundamental right to education. 

Isn’t it conceivable that maybe it’s time for a change . . . that it’s time for us to decide that every person has a fundamental right to legally share a life with the person of his/her choosing?  Is this the photo we want running in our children’s history books?

It is ironic that Cathy stated, “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’ I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”

Um, isn’t that exactly what YOU’re doing, Mr. Cathy . . . defining marriage as only being between a man and a woman?  Since when is the guy who runs a chicken joint the authority on right and wrong?

Perhaps I don’t have enough backbone.  I was thinking just the other day how wonderful it is that Starbucks supports fair trade.  If they were not supporters of free trade, would I stop drinking their coffee?  Doubtful.  I have told my boys, however, that we will not be eating at Chick-Fil-A. 

“Forever???” they asked.  (Insert audible gasps here. . .)

I don’t know.  I do loves the Chick-Fil-A, but at the moment, I would feel guilty if I supported their business.  I don’t care if YOU go, because in the big scheme of things, I realize that my money or lack thereof is not going to make or break their business.  But right now I just can’t spend my money there knowing that their Chief Chicken Maker was so vocal about being homophobic. 

I ask you this: what if he had said that marriage is only to occur between a white man and a white woman or a black man and a black woman?  Ludicrous.  Why does using the word “gay” make his argument socially acceptable to some people?  A man and a woman who do NOT love each other can legally share their lives/finances/benefits with each other, but two people of the same gender who are committed to one another cannot. 

It just doesn’t make any sense, and I can’t see the God that I choose to believe in penalizing people for qualities such as skin color, sexual orientation, or gender.  The Power in which I believe wants us to be kind to one another, to accept one another with ALL of our faults and shortcomings, and to be good people . . . not to interpret the Bible in ways that will benefit our own agendas.

So, for now, I’m not eating at Chick-Fil-A, and I explained to my boys that the Chief Chicken Maker went public with some comments that were not very nice and that excluded boys who love boys and girls who love girls, and in our family, that ain’t right. 

Mr. Cathy, make it right so I can enjoy the delectable chicken.  And waffle fries.  And milk shakes.  Issue a statement that indicates that you are firm in your own beliefs (which I respect) but that you are not the Decider of What is Right and What is Wrong and you shoulda kept your pie-hole shut.