Danation: On Chicken and Hatred
Photo by j.reed via flickr.com.
Well, I might as well get on my soapbox about this like the rest of America already has.
To liberals:
Why now, exactly? I knew about Chick-fil-A’s “hate chicken” when I was in high school, and that was almost 20 years ago. I also don’t order from Domino’s Pizza or shop at Walmart, because I find their ownership’s monetary contributions to be morally repugnant. And if you didn’t know about Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay tendencies until the company’s COO opened his mouth a couple of weeks ago, how can you possibly be so outraged now? It’s not like this is an issue you were really paying attention to. If you truly gave a damn, you’d have avoided eating at Chick-fil-A a long time ago.
With the federal government and the vast majority of states still refusing to recognize gay marriage, there’s a lot better places to focus your outrage. Of course, fighting against the state for gay rights is also a hell of a lot harder than not buying chicken nuggets. I get that. Chick-fil-A, then, serves as a useful proxy to all the wars you can’t fight. Sure, there’s nothing the average American citizen can do to get the execrable Defense of Marriage Act repealed. (Thanks for signing that one, Pres. Clinton. Nice job. Real testicular fortitude.) But hey, we can all not eat a specific company’s chicken sandwich, right? I understand that impulse and yet, it reminds me too much of my toddler, who throws a fit and slaps a wall or a door when he doesn’t get his way. The door ain’t the problem, kid. And neither is the chicken. And the fact that so many pro-gay-rights people are only just now coming around to the idea that Chick-fil-A is not a place for them to spend their hard-earned dollars speaks to two things: The incredible power of social media, and the incredible ignorance of the public at large. And this is a public, it’s worth mentioning, that voted for Obama, who, at the time of his election, was not exactly perceived as the friendliest of politicians to gay rights. But never mind the hypocrisy, right?
To conservatives:
Via Facebook
Are you kidding me? Are you god-damned kidding me? The sudden liberal outrage over Chick-fil-A has, natch, generated blowback among the troglodytes. They arrived en masse yesterday to eat mor chikin in a show of solidarity. Lines at some Chick-fil-A locations wrapped around the block, and Chick-fil-A proclaimed the day its most successful on record. Although it’s easy to look at pictures of all those people standing in line and think of them as being there to support hatred of homosexuals, that’s not really the case. Most of the conservative outrage is based in their heartfelt belief that they are defending free speech. It’s best summed up by Emily Pix, the Photoshop whiz behind the Facebook-based conservative meme generator Image Blitz:
OK. So, first off, liberals threatening to boycott Chick-fil-A has nothing to do with the First Amendment. Zero. Nada. The First Amendment protects your speech from government intrusion. (That’s why it reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” It does not read “You can say whatever you want with zero consequences.”) Chick-fil-A and its gay-baiting COO have all the free speech rights anyone else has. But you are not protected against criticism and rebuke. It’s like what Uncle Ben said about great power coming with great responsibility. You have every right to say whatever you want, but other people have every right to respond in kind. Deal with it.
And here’s point no. 2 to conservatives, and perhaps the most important thing I have to say about all this. Conservative, free-market libertarians love to talk about government regulation of business being completely unnecessary. The argument goes something like this: Business will self-regulate because if a business’ practices are morally repugnant to the public, or its product deemed substandard, then the public will shop elsewhere. That is a crap argument of course — plenty of businesses have pretty awful business practices and are hailed as marvels of modern capitalism. Just look at Apple and its reliance on Foxconn. But nevertheless, it’s the argument conservatives have chosen to defend. And yet, here we have a case of that exact mechanism at work, and what happens? Conservatives everywhere are outraged! The hypocrisy here makes that of Obama-voting Chick-fil-A-haters pale in comparison.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a door to slap.
I pretty much don’t agree with Sweeney on anything, with the exception a fondness for Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey-fueld political debate. I do however, respect his point of view as he isn’t swayed by outside forces (facebook, liberal news media, etc.), usually gives a good listen to points of view from the conservative (and correct) side of the debate, and always sticks to his guns.
Question: Was Obama a bigot when liberals supported his run for the White House? This is a serious question.
He claims it is not about the 1st Amendment, but if you ask the people ging there to make a statement they will tell you that is exactly what it was about……… so he writes without a thought to the thousands and what THEY were saying. Ignore them, they are inconvenient. He ignores that cities are throwing away good jobs in their agenda driven idiocy. Either there is freedom for those that disagree with you or there is no freedom for anyone. It is not a one way street, but the left still makes the attempt to drive on the one lane highway where they are the only ones getting their way……… that right there is what makes them hateful and makes others hate them so much. They proved with this they are shallow and ridiculous. And while thousands say it IS about freedom, writers try to claim it isn’t……….. hacks trying to change the history and the story, fail writer is fail.
It didn’t start out as a Free Speech issue, but it became one when government officials in some cities threatened to block Chick-fil-A from their cities over what was said. That is government intrusion of Free Speech right there. Everyone should oppose that regardless of which side of the gay marriage issue you fall on.
Personally, I wasn’t outraged that people wanted to boycott Chick-fil-A based on what they stand for. As you had stated, that is the free market at work. I did however use my ability to buy where I choose to show my support for them.
Where I was outraged, was at all of the people who called Dan Cathy a bigot, intolerant , and hateful when he politely explained his views, then proceeded to spew hateful, intolerant, and bigoted things at him, his company, his employees, and his customers. That my friend is hypocrisy. Now, I am not saying that everyone who opposes Chick-fil-A is like that, but I definitely oppose the ones who are. At the same time there are some on ther other side of the argument who are the same way and I oppose that as well.
You are absolutely RIGHT-ON!! This is so well said and is exactly how I feel. The left is tolerant and inclusive as long as you tow their party line. If you don’t, you’re a hater, a homophobe, a racist, etc. LEFT = HYPOCRISY!
First, what moved people to support the chain is government leaders threatening to not approve licenses in their cities. That is fascism plain and simple.
Second, some of us are sick to death of being called names for having a different personal belief system. I will never be forced to call homosexuality normal. I just disagree.
I have gay and lesbian friends and I love them dearly. But, the cause is not furthered by trying to force their own belief system down my throat. It is worse when I’m attacked as being a hater, homophobic or a bigot. I feel the other side is being bigoted for hating (and that is what makes someone a bigot) decent Christian people for standing upon their own belief system. Freedom anyone? Look, heterosexuals don’t go around and hate other people for not practicing our sexual preferences. Frankly most of us don’t want to know what everyone is doing in the bedroom but the gay rights movement takes every opportunity to display their sexuality for the masses. I don’t want it put in my face and I don’t want to be told that if I share a different opinion I should be punished in some way.
What is this all leading to? Will there come a day when I am jailed if I cannot profess homosexuality as being normal?
That sums it all up very very well. Excellent response. I hope you don’t mind if I quote it at some point.
Thanks and feel free.
You proved your hateful biased toward christians with the 1 word, troglodytes. I know hundreds of professional people, doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, architects, etc., all Christians and very good people of faith. Let’s make this simple, the bullied have now become the bullies. They expect everyone to bow to them and we christians are saying enough! You cannot push us around anymore. If gays and lesbians want to be accepted in the mainstream, they need to go about it a different way. They’ve truly woken a sleeping giant.
To your last point it is pretty obvious to me from the overwhelming public support yesterday, just about where Chik-Fil-A falls on the old morally repugnant scale. The fact that it didn’t have to be generated by the lame stream media might indicate something as well.
I find your term ‘gay rights’ to be morally repugnant. A gay man currently has EXACTLY the same rights as I do so this is hardly a equal rights issue of any kind. When this push was rolling through California 15 years ago, the gay activists swore that this was not about re-defining marriage. It was BS then and it is certainly BS now. The LBGT group is the most aggressive and ruthless advocacy group in the history of man and I find it refreshing to see so many stand up to them.
I don’t agree with Chick-fil-A’s stance on gay marriage. And I am a straight married man myself. I have gay friends and have nothing against their choice, it’s really none of my business.
But I’m backing Chick-fil-A because they have a right to express their opinions and beliefs, which Obama supported during his last smoke andmirrors campaign! If liberals or anyone else for that matter don’t like those beliefs, they are free to take their business elsewhere. They are not free to disrupt and antagonize Chick-fil-A proprietors and employees.
It’s amusing to me how many liberals are jumping on this bandwagon when many of them probably ate at Chick-fil-A they day before this all came out.
Christians showed up in force as a show of support for Mr Cathy sticking to his beliefs, not as liberals would like to believe it to be anti-gay demonstrations.
Most Liberals support issues that either stir up passion and give them a reason to raise hell, or they support policies that benefit the lazy non-workers.
http://bobcargill.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/biblical-marriage.jpg?w=468&h=351
I’m just going to leave this handy chart here for all of you “good Christian” folks hiding behind your “traditional” “biblical” family values. If you need me, I’ll be fucking my secretary.
You are the definition of “bigot”
What is his name…
Mr Von Bader…
what’s your point? Are you saying that this is bad? if so.. then you are quite intolerant… don’t push your “morals”….. on the Jews of the Old Testament…… leave them alone and stop being such an Anti-Semitic…
Christians, however,(as I’m sure Jews of today) have a different view of marriage, from the New Testament… I have to say this because you seem ignorant of that point.
As a “Jew of Today,” my view of marriage is that when two human beings love one another, they deserve the same “privilege” as anyone else, regardless of their sexual preference.
Particularly in a society that treats the concept of “traditional marriage” with such a lax level of respect that there are quick divorce advertisements on every bus stop from here to creation.
you are a pompous idiot
You are supposed to be a Writer. When you call me and thousands of others Troglodytes..I question if you are SMART enough to continue on in your Chosen profession.. To alienate that many People because of Your own blind selflessness is absolutely the most UN professional thing a Writer could do . Hope you little base Group of supporters will be enough to provide you with a Job and a Income..You will never get a word of recognition or a Penney from Me or my Thousands of Like Minded fellow citizens. Bless you…because you need it…
Mr. Sweeney, you say that, “market libertarians love to talk about government regulation of business being completely unnecessary” as if that argument is in no way involved with what’s happening. That argument is exactly the point, Mr. Sweeney.
Although Mr. Cathy’s views on homosexuality have never affected his company’s hiring practices or who they will or will not serve in their restaurants, government (the mayors of Chicago and Boston, for starters) have taken it upon themselves to make a media spectical over Mr. Cathy’s views which, as you pointed out, are nothing new to anyone that pays attention.
These government officials have made it their mission to slander Cathy and to try to hurt his business in order to further their political agenda and pander to potential voters. Business as usual for the tolerant, open-minded American left.
Isn’t it interesting that everyone in America has the right to an opinion, an agenda, the right to assemble in support of their cause, everyone is entitled to freely express their views without fear of reprisal EXCEPT Christians?
Way to miss the point entirely, Sweeney. What outraged Conservatives was not Liberals refusing to eat at Chick-fil-A. I mean, who gives a damn what other people eat… unless you’re Mayor Bloomberg. No, it was hearing various mayors aorund the country swearing to abuse their power by blocking or closing restaurants because they disagreed with the personal religious views of the company’s owner. Once a person has to pass an ideological purity test in order to get government permission to open a business, we might as well raise the old hammer and sickle flag over the White House and get it over with.
Apparently freedom of religion doesn’t have a place in Mr. Sweeney’s world. People are growing tired of liberal-slanted journalism. Fortunately, the free market is going to deal with the liberal news media and Sweeney’s ilk in time.
You just don’t get it! I do not hate homosexuals; I went to
Chick-Fil-A because I am tired of being told by others what I should
believe! You have a belief. Fine. I accept that. Now stop being so damning in your comments and accept that I have a brain and I can think for myself, and i intend to do so!
I do not not have your same beliefs. Should I not have a belief because you said so?
I would agree with you that quite a bit of this was motivated by a general disgust at gay activists and their efforts to force the rest of us to either love them or at least to being terrified of even frowning at 2 guys making out – guilty as charged.
I’m sick of having the damn gay lifestyle and every other sort of fornication/sodomy shoved down my throat – keep who you’re screwing to yourself and away from the kids. I’ll bet even a lot of gay parents are sick of all the sex on TV – no matter the kind.
If it was just a gay speech / straight speech thing I’d have bitched but wouldn’t have gone on a protest, though.
The protest motivation was the stupid politicians and their efforts to attack a business in violation of the Constitution to force it to their will. As another poster said … Fascism.
Simply put … on public outrage (about most everything government is doing now) …
ITS THE FASCISM, STUPID.
SHUT THE FUCK UP SWEENEY….YOU ARROGANT WANKER…..
Cathey was at a Baptist convention affirming his religious beliefs. What did you expect him to say? This conversation would be moot if our government did like most in this world and mandated civil unions for all. Marriage could then be performed at the religious venue of your choice and would not be another attack on the christian church. This is a blatant attack on freedom of speech and religion.
Congratulations! This is the first comment worth responding to, because I think we can find some room for agreement here. Diehl, you’ve got a deal. Get the government out of the marriage business, move it completely into the churches, and everyone gets a civil union.
1. As you said, there wouldn’t be any attacks on the christian church.
2. Also, now that gay people can have civil unions, they’ll never again have to worry about, say, not being able to visit their partner in the hospital, or having some distant next of kin swoop in and steal everything they and their partner have worked for throughout their entire lives the minute their partner dies, or any of the myriad other degrading, dehumanizing experiences that gay people are forced to endure every day of their lives because they are denied this simple civil right.
Tada! I think we’ve done it, Diehl. Conservatives and liberals agreeing. Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria!
Many states do have civil unions for homosexual couples – fine. My problem is that they are not satisfied with that and want to change the word marriage, which by definition is between a man and a woman. On the medical visitation and swooping in to take possessions – have homosexuals not heard of Power of Attorney and Wills?
Hi Kay! Couple things.
1. “My problem is that they are not satisfied with that and want to change the word marriage”
Do they? Plenty of gay people would be perfectly happy with the Diehl-Sweeney Accord. Gay people just want the same thing everyone else has, no more, no less. So if everyone else has civil unions, I think they’d be cool with it. You can disagree with that, but answer me this: Do you really, truly in your heart of hearts believe that you are the best person to tell the rest of us what gay people want?
2. “have homosexuals not heard of Power of Attorney and Wills”
I’m sure they have, but maybe you haven’t heard of Janice Langbehn. Ms. Langbehn had power of attorney in regard to her partner of 18 years, Lisa Marie Pond. And yet, when Ms. Pond suffered a brain aneurysm in my own state of Florida (where Langbehn, Pond, and their three children had arrived to go on a cruise), Langbehn and the couple’s three children were denied access to Pond. Although Langbehn offered proof that she had power of attorney, she was told by hospital staff that she was in “an anti-gay city and state.” After eight hours, Pond died alone without her partner or her children by her side.
Here’s a wikipedia article on it, and there’s plenty of primary news sources out there as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Langbehn
That’s just one example. There’s many more in which gay people have faced contested wills and denied access despite having the proper paperwork. I hope this does a little to help explain why it’s so necessary that gay partners be allowed the same legal status as straight folks. It’s just the most humane thing to do.
“Freedom of religion”, “free speech,” and all the rest of this claptrap have been used to justify every civil rights infringement since the dawn of man. The christians who whinge about how they’re being “bullied” are just the same kinds of folks who complained that uppity blacks and mercenary Jews were spoiling their party half a century ago; they used nationalism and religion and pseudo science to justify their fear and hatred of the “other.” Same old story. And Dan, my friend, you are missing the point: In 1960 Greensboro, a Woolworth’s lunch counter was a perfectly fine place for black people to “focus their outrage” because it had become a symbol of intolerance. Just like Chick-Fil-A has now. What you are witnessing is a boiling over of total fedupness on the part of queers, who have had to wage continuous, bloody battles for 40 years for every hard-won legal right. Why this boiling over is happening now, and how Chick-Fil-A found itself in the center of a perfect storm — now THAT’s an interesting topic for you to mull over.
Dan Sweeney, What you write is how liberals think. If we don’t follow your immoral beliefs we are bigots and immoral. I can’t think of one religion that supports a homosexual lifestyle. Read any or all the books that have the religions beliefs and I can garantee it says it is against the homosexual act and lifestyle. You morality is that of an Atheist. Which means you have none. If you are a Christian then you know where the Holy Bible stands on it.
The thing is, we for the most part could care less what your sexual tendacies are. When you take the sacred institution of marriage and try to say same sex couples should be included then you have caused the majority to come out and state there feelings on it. If I stopped shopping or eating at a place because I don’t agree with their political satance I would never go out to eat or shop. Stop attacking the fundimental beliefs of the majority of our great country and you won’t have to tollerate all the negative reports on your Atheist and immoral beliefs. Working in the past as an emergency responder I have never ever treated an Atheist. They all shout out to God as they lay there in pain and fear for their life. Well got off subject a bit. This whole Chic-Fil-A thing has gotten way out of control. If those who don’t support ” gay marriage ” ( which by the old definition is impossible ) decided to boycott companies that did. A lot of companies would go bottom up. It goes both ways. So stay in your sad world and I’ll stay in my happy one.
What an arrogant asshole this guy is. I am 60 years old and had NEVER heard of Chick-fil-a till this story first broke. I an a few friends are now contacting a representative to acquire a franchise. I support Christian beliefs, business, and their issues, and I buy American where I can if possible. I hope those who support gay marriage stay out of any business or restaurant I use
“But you are not protected against criticism and rebuke.”??? We as Christians are being rebuked everyday because we stand up for traditional marriage. You liberals claim to be ‘tolerant’. This article proves otherwise. Traditional marriage is under attack. Like one other response said, you’ve woken a sleeping giant. We don’t go around claiming everyone needs to support our way of *normal* living, but your gays think its ok for them to ram it down our throats. No more. We are voting BO out and taking our country back!!!