Posted on 07/30/2012 7:03:38 AM PDT by scottjewell
YOU KNOW we're in the summer doldrums when a Chicken War is hatched to take center stage.
After the president of the Chick-fil-A chain stated he opposes gay marriage based on what the Bible says, he was blasted in the media, which is OK, while a few elected officials said they planned to ban his restaurants, which is not OK.
The sanctimonious mayors of Deep Blue Boston and Chicago fumed that Dan Cathy's words were discriminatory and discrimination can't be tolerated. Locally, Councilman Jim Kenney called Cathy's remarks "hate" speech, but sanely stopped short of trying to ban the restaurants — which would hurt those who work at the six Philadelphia franchises.
Is it "discrimination" to oppose gay marriage? In the broadest sense, I would say yes.
But is it always deep, visceral "hate"? Firm Christians (and others) believe "marriage" must be restricted to one man and one woman. Is that "hate"?
If you are pro-choice, do you "hate" the unborn? If you oppose polygamy, is that "hate"? My gay friends say those are silly questions. It is the same principle.
Cathy's views are based on the Bible, which is why none of his restaurants is open on Sunday, the biblical "day of rest." That decision costs Cathy money, but he is devout and lives his beliefs, whether or not you agree with them.
Unlike shape-shifting politicians (I'll get to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a minute), Cathy is not a hypocrite. If his views are "hate," and they come from the Bible, it follows that the Bible must be "hate" literature and should be banned, too. (Stop cheering, atheists — it's not going to happen. Not soon, anyway.)
I don't believe that opposing gay marriage is automatically "hate." Some same-sex-marriage supporters see it differently, but they are throwing that word around too casually, as others do with "racist" or "socialist." Both left and right are guilty of sloppy thinking and trash-talking.
I have searched the Internet and cannot find one accusation that Chick-fil-A ever discriminated against a gay customer or refused to hire a gay person. That would be discrimination, and that isn't permitted in our society. Cathy's anti-gay-marriage views are his personal opinion, not reflected in his business plan.
The ugliest aspect of this debate was the desire by elected officials — would-be tyrants — to stick their noses where government doesn't belong. Boston and Chicago want to punish Chick-fil-A for the opinions of its owner.
One justification: Cathy donates to what his critics call "anti-gay" causes. His fans call them "pro-family."
Other rich people have opposing views. Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, gave $2.5 million last week to the campaign to support Washington's same-sex-marriage law. Should Deep Red Indianapolis and Dallas try to pull the plug on Amazon because they don't like Bezos' stance?
We are supposed to believe in free speech. The speech we should be most tolerant of — admittedly, this is hard — is that with which we disagree.
When I see a cheeseball like Rahm Emanuel trying to block a Chick-fil-A from opening because the chain doesn't have "Chicago values," is he referencing the values of murderous gang warfare, corrupt politics and fat-saturated food? A gold medalist in hypocrisy, Emanuel strongly campaigned for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — even as they opposed gay marriage. He stayed on as Clinton's adviser even after he signed the ("anti-gay?") Defense of Marriage Act. Why didn't he resign in disgust?
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who so deeply believes his city is "in the forefront of inclusion," will ban any contrary view to prove it. That's more like Benito Mussolini than John Adams.
On Friday, pro-gay-marriage New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: "You really don't want to ask political beliefs or religious beliefs before you issue a permit. That's just not government's job."
At the risk of creating biblical-based controversy, I say, "Amen."
His last sentence shows the point to which this whole thing has ascended. I am glad he at least notes the Chick-Fil-A has never once been found guilty of discriminating against the LBT community. For all that, he actually goes soft on the hypocrites. But worth a read.
No, hate is a raving lunatic that sits in a restaurant and is so mad at his political foes that he stabs a knife into a table shouting “dead” after each violent stab. That’s hate.
Rahm probably figures that if Chick-fil-A takes up valuable commercial space in Chicago, that will result in less space for businesses consistent with Chicago values ... like gay bath houses.
I'd say that the members of the pro-choice crowd who describe a pregnancy as a parasite invading their bodies are pretty hateful.
The left is really overplaying their hand here.
So now, we’re saying that you are not allowed to operate a business in liberal havens such as Boston and Chicago unless you are liberal.
As sickened as these mayors allegedly are that someone opposes homosexual marriage and also runs a business in their liberal paradises, I am sickened by the display of liberal intolerance and liberal fascist tendencies displayed by this episode.
According to Rahm’s logic, if you don’t support gay bath houses, you are a hate-monger.
Yes, in the liberal mental universe being against LGBT (same-sex) marriage is like being against inter-racial marriages in the 1960s. So if you buy that line of logic then opposition is hate.
I don’t understand liberal blacks (except Jonathan Capart) who equate their own parents and grandparents struggle with LGBTs, seems a bit insulting, but I am white AND straight, the enemy.
Betcha 1 Aug will be a “best business” day for Chick-Fil-A. Virtually my entire office will purchase there...we’re all military or ex-military. And Rahm and his fly infested Cretin-in-Chief couldn’t hope to achieve what the least of us have done in the real world.
Shove it up your collective Obamas, Rahm, Dumberg, and Obamadork. It appears that a lot of your friends enjoy that sort of activity anyway.
These mayors all Democrats and all sworn public officials should be sued in federal court. The Democrat Party has devolved into a collection of left wing lowlife thugs. The modern Democratic Party is the greatest domestic threat to the well being of the United States since the founding of the Confederacy.
Nah, Rahm is just looking at his past and future campaign contributors. Gay interest groups are big givers to Democrats.
Follow the money, it will lead you to truth rather than logic.
Agreed, and the blacks who insist that it IS an insult are absolutely correct.
Two weeks today the WAAF morning show argued with a caller where the hosts stated there was no “scientific” connection between Gay sex and AIDS. Do they realize how many Gay guys would die from AIDS if the believed that and went back to the late 70’s behavior that wiped them out?
Two weeks today the WAAF morning show argued with a caller where the hosts stated there was no “scientific” connection between Gay sex and AIDS. Do they realize how many Gay guys would die from AIDS if the believed that and went back to the late 70’s behavior that wiped them out?
failure to endorse does not mean condemnation
The LEFT is incredibly TOLERANT(AS LONG AS YOU AGREE WITH THEM)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rahm Emanuel doesn’t need to wear his tu tu for all of us to know his sexual orientation. I really object to him using his position, to “Rahm” his gayness down the electorate’s throat (enough of a double entendre there to make my cheeks quite pink...oooops, keep doing it.)
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