Thank You for Making it Easy

I want to take this moment to publicly thank gay activists and their supporters in the mainstream media for the Chick Fil-A controversy. Thank you, thank you, thank you, although I’m sure that’s not what you had in mind.

I’ve never been a big fan of CFA. While I appreciate the corporation’s unflagging adherence to Christian principles even to the point of giving up lucrative Sunday business, their food just never moved me. I greatly prefer other fast food restaurants’ chicken products, but when circumstances dictate my dining there (the rest of the immediate family of Bruck are big fans), I usually find their salads least objectionable. Their breakfasts, if somewhat sparse, aren’t too bad either.

A few weeks ago, the controversy blipped onto up on my radar screen when I learned that the Jim Henson company severed its business relationship with CFA, due to their disagreement with the owner’s position on traditional marriage, which was apparently revealed in a Baptist church publication (The Jim Henson company reads the Baptist press? Who knew?). So, no more gay-marriage-supporting muppets in the CFA happy meals.

I then learned that around the same time, the mayor of Boston, MA, was attempting to apply government pressure against CFA opening up a store there, in fact quite outspokenly. He has since, apparently, received legal advice and has backtracked from this egregious and potentially criminal position. Not so with the mayor of Chicago, however; Rahm Emanuel, President 0bama’s former Chief of Staff, has voiced his opposition to CFA’s expansion in the Windy City, indicating that he will use the force of government to block it, citing CFA’s lack of adherence to “Chicago values.” Aside from the flagrant illegality of such a move, the irony is spectacular – CFA’s integrity and adherence to biblical principals certainly would be foreign concepts in the city that raised political corruption to an art form!

In the interest of fairness, I should point out that, while he supports same-sex marriage, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg publicly stated his opinion that it’s not the government’s business to ban restaurants based on political positions. Good understanding of the First Amendment, sir, now can we talk about the Second?

So anyway, what’s all the fighting about?

The media narrative is that this is about gay (same-sex) marriage, an innovation opposed by a majority of Americans, as shown by its repeated failure across the country when put to a vote. But let’s take a closer look at that, shall we? Up until his views “evolved,” a couple of months ago, the president himself publicly opposed same-sex marriage, and we heard nary a peep of opposition.  Likewise, Rahm Emanuel himself gives lie to this, having publicly partnered with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, another outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, and Chicago restaurateur to boot. For that matter, I’ve never seen, nor heard a word of protest against any Muslim-owned business for their owners’ opposition to anything homosexual, least of which same-sex marriage.

The only other thing the CFA owner said was that he subscribes to biblical, Christian values. By process of elimination, I have to conclude that that’s what’s got everyone’s shorts in a knot.

As I’m sure you’re aware, the controversy has become nationwide news (hey, let’s talk about anything besides the slow motion train wreck economy during the election season), with voices from all corners weighing in on the subject. Wednesday, 1 August was unofficially designated Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day, in which countless supporters (hundreds in the Chicago location alone) of free speech and CFA’s moral positions expressed themselves by showing up and eating mediocre chicken. Counter-protests were planned for that same day, until the protestors and the media realized that (1) they’d be overwhelmingly outnumbered, and (2) any media coverage would also show the vast numbers of CFA/free speech supporters. Instead, they planned Friday, 3 August protests, which pretty much fizzled. I read one story on the protest, in which 20 (Katy bar the door!) demonstrators showed up at a CFA restaurant in Georgia.

So, Bruck, why are we thanking them?

Aside from the rare opportunity in the voting booth, those of us who support free speech and Christian values, and disagree with the gay agenda have relatively few realistic opportunities to express ourselves. We don’t protest. At least  most of us don’t. Nothing wrong with it, but we are, by and large, not political activists. And we’re sure not going to show up at a “pride” rally or parade – I’ve seen the videos, not going anywhere near that.

We don’t own newspapers or TV stations, and very, very few media personalities are on our side. Any coverage we get from these media is certain to be negative and presented as a minority opinion.

Likewise, although I can’t prove it, I strongly suspect from the bottom of my heart beyond a shadow of a doubt till death do us part that congressmen only pay attention to letters from constituents that agree with their own positions. Not saying you shouldn’t write to your congressman; just saying you’d get better results urinating toward a fan.

So basically our hands are tied, or rather, our voices are silenced. That is, until now. Now it’s easy to voice our opposition to the political-media complex. All we have to do is buy a meal from CFA. And we don’t even have to eat it.

So thank you to the gay activists and their water carriers in the media for making it easy for us members of the silent majority to take a stand for free speech and the right to hold opinions, religious, political, or otherwise, contrary to the established narrative. We couldn’t have done it better ourselves!