I went to Chick-fil-A on Wednesday. It was kind of a big deal. For many people, it was a political statement. For me, it was anything but.
There’s three things you should know about me, and I guess the first one is that when I was younger I used to tell myself I was against Gay-marriage. That was before I knew gay people. Like most people I know, I’ve liked all the gay individuals I’ve met over the last few years. That they were gay hardly had anything to do with anything. I liked them, as I’ve liked most people I’ve gotten to know, because they were good people. I would hardly consider myself, in any way, anti-gay. At least I hope not, considering how many Ted Allen cookbooks I’ve checked out from the library these last few years.
There’s another thing you should know about me. It’s that I do think there is a basis in natural law for the idea of a traditional family. It’s a sentiment the owner of Chick-fil-A recently reaffirmed. I don’t necessarily agree with the language he used to affirm it, and I don’t know if I agree that opening up the institution of marriage, as defined in a civil way, is tantamount to societal disaster, as Chick-Fil-A’s founder implied. Actually, I think anything but. Like many Americans, I think gay marraige is a complicated issue that I don’t have an easy answer for.
Which leads me to the last thing you should know about me. I like Chick-Fil-A. I like their food, I like their business model, the way they treat employees, and heck, I even like their bathrooms. I think creating a friendly and service driven atmosphere for all customers is commendable, and I also think it’s admirable that a company, with the right intentions and right reasons, supports causes to be in what it believes to be the civic interest. If you don’t agree that those interests are in the civic interest, I am more than happy to accept that. But one shouldn’t be called a bigot or hate-monger for choosing to patronize such a place, or for even finding that kind of position commendable. Especially when there is a well established reason behind that position.
We’re going down a dangerous path in this country, and it starts with the labels. It continues with the fear mongering, and it manifests when people are willing to forsake entire groups of people as their sworn enemy just because of their food or shopping choices. Unless of course that shopping choice includes nothing but New York Yankees paraphernalia. That’s just unacceptable on every level.
Oh yea, and there’s one more thing you should know about me. I like my Original Chicken Sandwich with Texas Pete Hot Sauce and Honey. Try it sometime. You may be surprised to learn something a little different and out of your comfort zone isn’t so bad, after all.
