Chick-Fil-A Thoughts. . .

As a spectator observing the controversy surrounding the CEO of Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy, and its stance on traditional marriage, I find it very disturbing the backlash it has created as a result of one human being exercising his right to speak freely his opinion. It has always been the opinion of this blogger that freedom of speech, and being able to freely express an opinion without fear. The executive Dan Cathy expressed an opinion that he believed in the biblical concept of marriage is between a man and a woman. It is a belief that many individuals in this country share, and it is an opinion that I share, too. To quote him exactly, 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.”

The result of this quote above has brought out many of the gay community and their supporters in protest of the CEO Dan Cathy’s company, Chick-Fil-A. Some have called for a boycott of the company, to stage a Chick-Fil-A “Kiss-in”, or as Michael Huckabee who encouraged and suggested, a Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. As a result of the backlash, Chick-Fil-A has a record setting day of profits that caused Chick-Fil-A locations to actually run out of food because of the demand and support for the company.

The issue itself, gay marriage, is controversial, and let there be no mistake there are passions on both sides of the argument, for and against, that believe their cause to be right. I am in agreement with Dan Cathy, that marriage is between a man and a woman and not between individuals of the same gender. However, in lieu of that opinion, it is my belief, too, that if two consenting adults believe or agree that they are right for one another, and they are of the same gender, then let them cohabit together. I do not doubt the integrity or mass of the individuals of the same gender who wish to live together and while I am opposed to that form of cohabitation to be called marriage, I do not believe that the several States in our blessed republic have the authority to legislate or any one on this Earth to regulate private, intimate, and social behavior between two consenting adults.

In the same token, that our Constitution protects our natural right to have an opinion and to speak freely that opinion, I find very hypocritical of the several members of the gay community and their supporters, that ask for rights, but yet are willing to deny their fellow citizen their right to voice an opinion that is contrary to theirs. The implications of this backlash suggests that while it is okay to have an opinion, it is not okay to have an opinion that goes contrary to the several members of the gay community and their supporters because to do so, it would label any individual as homophobic, racist, or even a bigot.

I find it very offensive that gay community is trying force every one to agree with their choice of a lifestyle. I am one of those that do not agree with their lifestyle, and while I respect their choice, I would simply ask them, the gay community, to respect my choice to disagree with their lifestyle because it is not apart of my moral fabric. How can the gay community expect the populace to respect their lifestyle and choices if they themselves do not respect the rights of others to voice their opinions that is contrary to their movement? How can we respect the gay community and their protest against an establishment has not openly discriminated against the gay community or any ethnic or cultural minority? If the gay community wants to see what true discrimination looks like, I would urge them to try being gay, a Christian or Jew in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Somalia, northern Nigeria, Lebanon, the West Bank/Gaza, Indonesia and Afghanistan. These are countries where the cultural norm is to actively engage discriminatory practices such burning down homes, beating or killing, rioting and yet all the authorities do is watch. There is no recourse because the State endorses implicitly the actions of these self-appointed moral police.

While I do have family members who are gay, I do not agree with their choice of a lifestyle, however, it does not change my love and affections for them, and neither would it change my bonds of friendship with those who I know to be gay. What ever the outcome of the controversy, I do believe, that eventually we will be able to find a way to coexist with the varying degrees of opinions, we have in the past, and I believe we will continue to do so in the present and more importantly in the future.