Chick-fil-a Can Bite Me

[TX-Beau]

My Grandmother was terribly kind to the black woman who spent a lifetime scrubbing her toilets. She sent them food and hand me downs, and even called her Mrs. Neely.

Of course she'd never have tolerated sitting at the same table with her.

 

[Sammie13]

Well, I disagree (see how I didn't say "you're wrong"? I think I've grown). They ARE the same thing. "You are fine, I'm ok with you as long as you don't try to overstep the boundaries of my tolerance" is anti-gay. "I am against you having the rights that I do" is anti-gay. There simply CAN'T be a distinction between the two, and if someone thinks they are super gay-friendly but against gay marriage, they are lying to themselves (at best) or you (most likely). They are just being hypocritical.

And someone had this amazing post a few months back, which went something like this: we are acting like we are guests who should be real nice and thankful to make the owners like us and accept us. We are not guests. We are roommates. We pay the same rent, have the same responsibilities. We shouldn't whine and wring our hands in hopes that they will pat us on the head. We should fight for what's our right, and honestly, we should be a little intolerant too.

I am not understanding of bigots. I don't respect their right to an opinion (I'm not gonna take it away from them either, though I likely would if I could), I don't respect their right to turn their kids into bigots either. I don't respect their choices to dedicate time, effort and HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars (can you imagine? In THIS economy?!) to the sole purpose of preventing me from being happy and have the same rights as them.

I don't respect monsters.

You're just trying to twist my words. Manipulate what I said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I appreciate where you are coming from. I can't even say I fully disagree with you. I know this....growing up in a Southern Baptist world....while most are not very good Christians at all and full of hypocricy (and I stronly resent much of their theological inconsistencies), there truly are people (a minority) whom I know that struggle with this gay marriage issue. At the end of the day, because the Bible is the word that enlightens them and shows them the way, they cannot toss aside the word of God because they have gay friends. And you know, some of these people dont' even know I'm gay, there are times when these issues come up, and they talk openly about it so it's not just to appease me. Hence, I try to always pull back on fully judging what's in the heart of another person where morality/values, politics and religion all meet. Doesn't mean I'm naive, the majority of 'Christians' hate gays and our issues.

 

[Rolyo85]

The thing is, they don't THINK they're anti-gay. They know the right things to say, the right things to think so that they don't seem that way. Doesn't mean they aren't anti-gay, it just means they're hypocritical about it. People are rarely aware of being hypocritical.

 

[TX-Beau]

I also was raised Southern Baptist and know exactly the kind of people you're talking about. They are sincere in their struggle, just like there are a lot more who sincerely worry about our souls going to hell for our sin.

What never occurs to any of them BECAUSE THEY NEVER QUESTION THAT GAY IS LESSER, is that they don't have a god damn say about my civil rights and denying us civil rights because of their sincerity is just as much bigotry as fag bashing, only it looks like Great Aunt Eunice and bakes you pie.

 

[Sammie13]

I also was raised Southern Baptist and know exactly the kind of people you're talking about. They are sincere in their struggle, just like there are a lot more who sincerely worry about our souls going to hell for our sin.

What never occurs to any of them BECAUSE THEY NEVER QUESTION THAT GAY IS LESSER, is that they don't have a god damn say about my civil rights and denying us civil rights because of their sincerity is just as much bigotry as fag bashing, only it looks like Great Aunt Eunice and bakes you pie.

LOL. Well, from their angle, I would think to question if gay is lesser is to question the Bible. If that book is your guiding blueprint to life, why would they question it? The book already answers that question. I don't think marriage is considered by most Christians to be a civil right, but rather a religious right.

On a different but similar note, this article in today's Atlanta Jour-Constitution has gotten even more people on both sides dug in.

Fast-food company deals with firestorm *| ajc.com

Besides an interesting look at the forecast dollar losses that Cfa might encounter, the right is in a huff because the author refers to this as Cfa's "political statement". The right says that this is Cfa's "spiritual statement."

 

[TX-Beau]

Yeah, ingrained bigotry in their religion however nice they are about it.

I don't give a fuck if they consider it a civil right, the fucking Supreme Court said and I quote.

"...Marriage is a fundamental right..."

there is no nice in using your religion to deprive people of something considered LEGALLY a fundamental right. That's bigotry. period.

If marriage wasn't a civil institution there would be no legal privileges associated with it, you would need no licence and everyone's marriage would be invalid because whatever religion you practice someone else out there thinks you are full of shit.

 

[Sammie13]

Here is a Christian writing a blog on a Christian website defending he and his wife's decison to boycott Cfa. He makes some valid points.

Further Thoughts on Chick Fil A

 

[chance1]

is the position here from a majority that chick-fil-a should not be allowed to open new restaurants?

or that municipalities should try to close them down?

because their founder is against same sex marriage?

 

[Rolyo85]

That's a good post, definitely. Glad to see that there are normal Christians.

 

[chance1]

That's a good post, definitely. Glad to see that there are normal Christians.

pathetic reference

try thinking before you type

 

[Centexfarmer]

is the position here from a majority that chick-fil-a should not be allowed to open new restaurants?

or that municipalities should try to close them down?

because their founder is against same sex marriage?

THAT would depend upon whether they're seeking any new "tax abatments" or not.

Other than that it's a free country.

Once again:

Except as a taxpayer in a municipality, I now have the choice of not only NOT spending my money in their establishment, I can also choose NOT to "subsidized" their building one of their processed chicken factories where I live.

 

[chance1]

Personally, I won't eat there

But I think they have a right to run a business like anyone else

Not accepting same sex marriage is a POV I don't agree with but I'm not looking to close down their business because their owner has that POV

 

[TX-Beau]

is the position here from a majority that chick-fil-a should not be allowed to open new restaurants?

or that municipalities should try to close them down?

because their founder is against same sex marriage?

Looking to manufacture some indignation are we?

 

[Sammie13]

What I don't get if this weekly standard article is to be believed Media Invents Story That Chick-fil-A President Condemned Gay Marriage | The Weekly Standard that the media invented this story is that it's now been 2 weeks, why haven't the Preutts merely done some damage control interviews and set the record straight especially when you consider the AJC article that I referenced in an earlier post that says they're struggling to deal with the firestorm and potential sales losses. Get back in front of the story (then again, like the time John Edwards went on Nightline, sometimes it's better to stay out of the spotlight before you screw yourself further).

In regards to their rights to run a business, not many municipalities would turn down the potential sales tax revenue and jobs in an econ time like this. Cfa stores turn some serious volume. I bet no fast food chain in the south does Cfa's per-store sales volume...they are a beast in profit and revenue. And they always operate with no debt. Perfect business model.

 

[Centexfarmer]

Personally, I won't eat there

But I think they have a right to run a business like anyone else

Not accepting same sex marriage is a POV I don't agree with but I'm not looking to close down their business because their owner has that POV

That's because people like you and me support the "free market."

Let's face it, if we were all "subsidized" like big business we could all afford to have an opinion that alienated any given "market share" of consumers.

GOOGLE IT.

 

[MystikWizard]

I saw that sign posted last night on a friend's Facebook page. He also got a couple digs on the local Chic Fil A Facebook page of the closest restaurant to us, and asked them if they were going to be displaying one of those signs. They actually replied and said they were not.

I'm surprised they even responded.

 

[bankside]

There's a strange sentiment in this thread that draws a comparison between the right of anti-gay bigots to operate a business without objection, and the right of, say, gay people to operate a business on the same terms.

I think that's nonsense, based on the false premise that all opinions are somehow magically equally valid and worthy of respect.

Of course, I want the anti-gay business to fail, and I want the owners and the board to be driven out of business, and I want them to lose their shirts in the process, and I want the investors to get pennies on the dollar when the whole thing goes into receivership. I don't value malignant ideas and their supporters as being equal to constructive ideas and their fair-minded supporters. Thus I oppose any business model that is compatible with homophobia and support any business model that is open to equality.

A mayor need no more make space in the public square for a homophobic business than he would for an anti-semitic business. At the very least he should point out that the right to protest and picket will be vigorously protected on public lands immediately adjacent to any such worthless business.

Ultimately this issue reduces to the idea that "homophobia" and "equality" are not "just two different perspectives on which reasonable people happen to disagree."

 

[TX-Beau]

Yeah, if the haters tried to open a Klan Fried Coon in a shopping center near you, what WOULD people say?

 

[chance1]

There's a strange sentiment in this thread that draws a comparison between the right of anti-gay bigots to operate a business without objection, and the right of, say, gay people to operate a business on the same terms.

I think that's nonsense, based on the false premise that all opinions are somehow magically equally valid and worthy of respect.

Of course, I want the anti-gay business to fail, and I want the owners and the board to be driven out of business, and I want them to lose their shirts in the process, and I want the investors to get pennies on the dollar when the whole thing goes into receivership. I don't value malignant ideas and their supporters as being equal to constructive ideas and their fair-minded supporters. Thus I oppose any business model that is compatible with homophobia and support any business model that is open to equality.

A mayor need no more make space in the public square for a homophobic business than he would for an anti-semitic business. At the very least he should point out that the right to protest and picket will be vigorously protected on public lands immediately adjacent to any such worthless business.

Ultimately this issue reduces to the idea that "homophobia" and "equality" are not "just two different perspectives on which reasonable people happen to disagree."

I haven't seen that

do tell

 

[Centexfarmer]

Oh, and let's not get the "scriptural literalists" involved!

Don't know of too many "Gay Businesses" that have to resort to something other than a prefabricated "gay agenda" that changes with the right wing tide.

Most of them support "free markets" without having to pander.

And if they are "pandering" it's to open minded, and inclusive consumers who recognize a good product when they see one.

And if it appears that they might be 'back peddling" they'll recognize it as some weird fetish that their customers are into, and have fun with it.

Chick A Filet just seems to be digging in their heals.

The perception is already out there that they're a hypocritical Fast Food chain, and it will no longer be their political contributions AGAINST American Gays and Lesbians Equality that will bring them down, but rather bad PR and American's sense of justice.

I can't believe that they're not already seeing a decline in profits throughout their corporate stores and franchises.

Money talks and bullshit walks, as my Grandpa use to say.

I can't see how Chick A Filet can dig themselves out their "convictions" on this one.

I wonder what their lenders and creditors have to say.

It's not like they're Exxon-Mobile.