Several weeks ago, when Dan Cathy, COO of Chik Fil A restaurants, made some public statements about being against marriage equality, I thought "Wow, what a dick". That was about my only response to it at first. I had no plans to eat either more or less of their chicken, nor did I really care what the guy thought or said. Why should I? Freedom of speech, and all that. He's a stuffy old "Christian with a capital C because I am righteouser than you" rich white guy. Statistically, lots of guys like that are dicks and lots of them own businesses. There are some things to like about the fast food chain, tho. They are closed on Sunday, which I think is great. People in non-essential jobs need a weekend day off! For worship, rest, family or whatever, I think it is good when a business makes it easier for their employees to have a life. If the stated reason is that the religious views of the owners don't line up with working on Sunday, then even better. They put their money where their mouths are. Good for them. Also I love their chicken biscuits and their diet lemonade. I like that the restaurants are always clean and the staff is polite. So I was willing to let the pleasantness of the restaurant override the dickheadedness of the owner. Because, yes, everyone has the right to state their beliefs without censure. And boycotting a food because you disagree with the world view of the company owners is goofy. See my post on Oreos for reference.
A decade or so previously, it was Cracker Barrel restaurant under scrutiny in the media for (written, plainly stated) discriminatory policies toward minorities and gays, and asinine statements by the upper management/owners. This was a bit more than talk, so I avoided the restaurant for a few years. Fortunately, the policies and attitudes of this chain have evolved quite a bit. They aren't perfect but they are making progress, and as far as I know haven't contributed any corporate profits to political hate groups. If anyone knows differently, please let me know. I want to be aware of these things.
Mr Cathy really upped the ante, tho. My plan to basically ignore one more self-righteous bigot making noise in the media, and all the subsequent hype and hysteria resulting, sadly failed. I learned that for years, the Chick Fil A corporation has been contributing funds to groups such as the Family Research Council and affiliated groups known for spending those same funds to lobby government agencies to deny civil rights for gays and minorities. Look it up.
Yeah, that is a lot more than talk, folks. That means that money spent at Dick Fil A is going to be used to lobby against other people's rights. Not to exercise their own. Not to protect their own. But to take yours away or ensure you are never granted them, if you happen to NOT be white, Christian, straight, male and conservative. That is impossible for me to swallow, no matter how good the lemonade. They will be getting no more of my money. This is not Biblical, it is not freedom of speech, it is not "their right". It is never someone's damned right to try and limit someone else's rights. It is corporate sponsorship of hatred and spite. That is far from Christ-like. I will not be a part of it.
Nope, it isn't about freedom of speech. Few people were planning to protest the whole stinkin' fast food chain because the dick in charge was being, well, himself. He can say what he likes. Most people don't really care. It is the corporate sponsorship of hate groups that is stirring outrage in people who believe in civil RIGHTS. So those who are supporting DickFilA are supporting a hate group.
It isn't about "standing up for Biblical principles", either. Or standing up for God, or Christian values, or any of that nonsense. I will verbally and vociferously defend someone's right to say, believe, value and worship any thing they please. Even if I think it is stupid. Even if I think it is wrong. Even if I think it is mean. That said, I will probably say that I find it stupid, mean or wrong. But I will never say you have no right to adhere to it. Oppression of other people is not Christ-like. It is not biblical. No one is trying to force this business to abandon their principles. No one is asking that they open on Sundays, sell lottery tickets and alcohol, cheat their customers, etc. No Christian principles are being violated. It is not a violation of one person's principles when others protest the attempted regulation of their own. It is not an infringement of one person's rights when others want the same rights for themselves. It is not oppression to deny someone the power to oppress others.
Now, let's talk about the "Biblical version of marriage" that is being so staunchly defended here. Ummm, Mr Cathy have you read that book? Because I have, and while I remember a lot of stuff about being loving, being faithful, being obedient, cleaving to each other etc, I do NOT remember the part where it actually defined or laid out rules for what was and what wasn't a legitimate marriage. In fact, if you just use the examples in the Bible, then apparently marrying your half sibling is okay, and so is polygamy, concubinage and a lot of other stuff that our society considers pretty ooky. And family values apparently include tricking your brother out of what is rightfully his, abandoning unwanted children in the desert and offering to let your teenage daughters be gang-raped by an angry mob. Admittedly pre-marital sex, adultery and divorce are specifically prohibited. But there are no conservative political groups lobbying against those things. Funny, huh? Because it seems those things would do far more damage to the family structure than anything that people outside the family could do. Yeah, Adam and Steve across the street aren't going to effect a marriage nearly as adversely as daddy making a move on sweet little Salome the babysitter. Please shut the hell up about the sanctity of marriage until the people currently allowed the privilege learn to respect it. Inter-racial marriages didn't cause society or the institution of marriage to collapse and gay marriages won't either. They probably won't do any better but it would be damned hard to do any worse.
If you are buying DickFilA chicken, you are not supporting free speech or Christian values. You are supporting oppression. You are supporting denying other people the rights you have. (Unless you are gay and if you are eating dicken sandwiches I bet you aren't) It isn't a figurative support. Part of the money you just spent will literally, actually, factually be used to try to prevent other people from having freedom equal to yours. Eat that sandwich if you want, but that is what's in it.
