When we stopped on the way to work for breakfast at Chick-fil-A this morning, there was a long line both inside the fast-food restaurant and at the drive thru. One Facebook friend asked, “Are there enough chickens in the world to feed all the people who will be at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday?” Good question. On my Facebook newsfeed, there are half-a-dozen pictures of long lines at the 1,615 locations across the U.S. Why are all those thousands of people flocking to Chick-fil-A on this first day of August?
Chick-fil-A is standing firm in its support of traditional marriage after President Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that the company was “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.”
Of course, Mr. Cathy did not say anything that most Americans didn’t already know. It is well-known that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday, because of the Cathy family’s observance of the Sabbath and their desire to run their business according to Biblical principles. It is also well-known that the Cathy family’s views are shared by the majority of Americans. Even President Barack Obama publicly supported traditional marriage until recently — ironically, until his re-election campaign began to heat up and he needed the support of his leftist political base and the enthusiastic support of those who are pushing the homosexual agenda and “same-sex marriage.”
Typically, the homosexual “rights” groups are going ballistic over Mr. Cathy’s remarks — calling for a boycott of Chick-fil-A, crying “homophobia,” “bigotry,” and “discrimination.” But, facts are facts, and Chick-fil-A is well-known for treating its employees well and providing excellent service to anyone and everyone who comes into their restaurants. In addition, they provide close to $2 million annually in college scholarships for their employees. They also give back to the nation through their WinShape Foundation, providing camp experiences and assistance to disadvantaged, handicapped, and foster-care children and retreats for couples and families who are in crisis or have specific needs. Plus, Mr. Cathy is an American and entitled to express his views anytime and anywhere he wants. It is the First Amendment right of every American citizen; we have freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
None of that matters to those who single-mindedly demand not just the right, which they already have, but society’s approval for their lifestyle choices. Leftist politicians have jumped on the bandwagon, with various mayors getting their 15-minutes of media attention, as they pontificate about there being “no place for discrimination” (Boston Mayor Tom Menino) or that “Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values” (Mayor Rahm Emanuel). Various companies are vying for the limelight, too. Most notably, the Jim Henson Company broke ties with Chick-fil-A and will not only cease to provide toys for kids’ meals, they decided to twist the knife and are directing the revenue from the toys to GLAAD, a leading homosexual activist organization.
An Atlanta coed went public with her claim that she chose her university in part because it had an on-campus Chick-fil-A restaurant, but several campuses — Northeastern University, Indiana University, and New York University — are protesting the presence of the restaurants on their grounds.
The Left can protest; they, too, have the right to hold their own beliefs, express their values, and state their views. Politicians can bluster, and those in governmental leadership positions can try — unconstitutionally — to stop freedom of speech and religion. While the Left is harassing Christians, those who uphold America’s First Amendment rights may have the last word as they stand in long lines to buy their chicken sandwiches. And, Chick-fil-A may have the last cluck.