Eat Mor Chikin

A controversy has arisen since the Mr. Fil-A said that he believes marriage was only for people of the opposite sex. Celebrities (The Muppets and Roseanne Barr. Yep, I pay lots of attention to puppets and D list, crude comediennes.) and politicians have made much of the gentleman’s opinion. Some factions have called for boycotts, and a mayor of a major American city has said that the franchise is not welcome in his city. Some are eating at the franchise to voice their opposition to gay marriage. I say that they should be supporting the right to free speech, not just their opposition to a lifestyle that is really no one’s business except the adult individuals involved.

While I support the human rights of all individuals, as an American, I defend Mr. Fil-A’s right to hold whatever view he wants as long as he doesn’t trample on the rights of others. In fact, I think he may be stepping on a few toes with his employment conditions which seem to be discriminatory. I wonder how many non-Christians he employs. I do feel, however, that he can voice any opinion as long as it isn’t seditious, treasonous, or incites to riot. As I read his statement, it appears that it is his personal opinion, not the corporate position.

This is America, folks. We are (or should be) the example for the world. We were founded by people who said that as citizens we have the right to express our own opinions.

By the same token, we have always been a nation of protestors—The Boston Tea Party, the civil rights marches, and gay rights parades, for example. If you want to boycott Chick Fil-A, you have that right. Do it if it makes you feel better, but, remember, no matter how unpopular an opinion may be, it is also your right and anyone’s right to state that opinion. While not agreeing on some issues, we must agree that we are a nation of diverse people and opinions and we ALL have the right to express our opinions.

This is a little off the subject of the post, but I’m not a big fan of Chick Fil-A. Their chicken  has a curiously sweet taste (my grandmother never put sugar in her chicken dredging mix) and their so-called french fries are simply not acceptable for me. I like their side salad very much, and the walnut brownies were one of my guilty pleasures. They now have frosted brownies without nuts, but while I treat myself sometimes, it’s not a major effort on my part to refuse them.  My solution to that problem (this is embarrassing to tell) is to go to Chick Fil-A to buy the side salad and dessert, then to scamper to McDonald’s  or KFC for their chicken strips, and on to Dunkin’ Donuts for their UNSWEET iced tea. Thank goodness, most towns have “Fast Food Mile” where all the purveyors of that unhealthy, but tasty, food are in close proximity.

So in summary, Eat Mor  Chickin or not; just don’t abridge freedom of speech.