EDITORIAL: Chick-fil-A’s taste for liberty

The Washington Times ^ | August 20, 2012 | Editorial

[jazusamo]

First Amendment needs no amendment

Chick-fil-A triggered a nationwide debate over the meaning of marriage, but another fundamental issue raised during the argument is whether the left believes in free speech. The rapid rise of efforts to retaliate against the restaurant chain for a personal expression of the company’s CEO indicates a vein of hostility toward those who happen to have a differing opinion on an important public-policy issue. Given that some liberals are already campaigning for a constitutional amendment to curtail speech, defense of free expression is more crucial than ever.

Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s chief, made a simple statement affirming a traditional view of marriage. For this, activist homosexual organizations called for a boycott of the company’s 1,600 restaurants. Radicals characterized Mr. Cathy’s support for the concept of marriage as a union between one man and one woman as a verbal assault on their values. “The real issue at hand is not freedom of speech, but Chick-fil-A’s secretive funding of documented anti-gay hate groups,” fumed Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. “There is no justification for such a business operating on our nation’s campuses.” Characterizing opposing views as hate speech is a cheap method of tarring a rival while avoiding making a real argument.

As students return to campus for the fall semester, the group is calling on colleges nationwide to ban the popular fast-food chain from their food courts. This has prompted Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious-rights organization, to remind school administrators that retaliation against the food chain for exercising constitutionally protected speech would be unlawful...

[Uncle Slayton]

“Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious-rights organization, to remind school administrators that retaliation against the food chain for exercising constitutionally protected speech would be unlawful.”

And being that it would be against the law for colleges to not renew their contracts with Chick-Fil-A, the college administrators that do decide to remove Chick-Fil-A from their campus should be prosecuted.

[Judge Kovitzky]

Chick Fil A is the canary in the coal mine and the whiff of fascism is strong. Let it not be said that when they came for Chick Fil A I did nothing. Their big move is amending the free speech clause of the 1st amendment. To the barricades!

[spintreebob]

re: efforts to retaliate against the restaurant chain

Two types of retaliation: Bpycott just like the Grape/Lettuce boycott of the 60s-70s and like families leaving Kmart and JCPenney when they go anti-family.

Or government regulatory action, tax favoritism, etc.

[jazusamo]

Agreed...Any public college that sends them packing for the protected speech of the CEO should be nailed, don’t know the laws as far as private colleges go.

[jazusamo]

Chick Fil A is the canary in the coal mine and the whiff of fascism is strong.

Amen to that.

[tanknetter]

Chick Fil A is the canary in the coal mine and the whiff of fascism is strong

There's also the whiff of liberty and freedom in this. I passed through a major East Coast airport this past weekend. of the 8 or 10 fast food restaurants in the food court of my terminal the only two that had lines were CFA (a LONG line - at least 20 deep) and Panda Express (a smaller line of 5-8).

This controversy has MUCH longer legs for the good guys.

[Judge Kovitzky]

True. Chick Fil A was the last of a long line of straws.

[GOPJ]

Chick Fil A is the canary in the coal mine and the whiff of fascism is strong. Let it not be said that when they came for Chick Fil A I did nothing.

We're at war with them... the whiff of fascism is strong...

[GOPJ]

I passed through a major East Coast airport this past weekend. of the 8 or 10 fast food restaurants in the food court of my terminal the only two that had lines were CFA (a LONG line - at least 20 deep) and Panda Express (a smaller line of 5-8). That's the best news I've heard in a while. Thanks for sharing.

[OldEarlGray]

 

"I KNOW BUT ONE CODE OF MORALITY FOR MEN WHETHER ACTING SINGLY OR COLLECTIVELY"
--Thomas Jefferson

 

Got Natural Law?

 

Sex, Evolution and Behavior

By Martin Daly and Margo Wilson

 

 

Got Socio-Biological Fitness?

 

 "Gay" penguins don't - not even in the San Francisco zoo

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=San+Francisco+gay+penguins

 

FAIL.

 

[reg45]

If we had evolved as homosexual. ... Well, guess what, we never would have evolved.

[jazusamo]

Please bump the Freepathon or click above and donate or become a monthly donor!

[OldEarlGray]

Correctomundo reg45. The only way the homosexual can procreate is via deception, the abomination of nature, and the appropriation of reproductive resources from others.

Sans that, their fitness level is — ZERO.

[carlo3b]

When the Homo Brouhaha happened, I went to several K Marts throughout Texas, and found you could fire cannon through the stores and not hit anyone.. Shortly after, they closed all of the Texas stores down, never to return.. DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS.. :)

[onedoug]

Guess what’s for dinner?

[Billthedrill]

A separate peril to free speech unfolded on Capitol Hill in recent months. Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, backed by dozens of Democratic colleagues, introduced the People’s Rights Amendment, which would limit constitutional protections to “natural persons” and exclude “corporations, limited-liability companies or other corporate entities.” Speech emanating from such organizations would be “subject to such regulation” as Congress considered “reasonable.”

The "People's Rights Amendment"? And this isn't satire? Well, I suppose it was inevitable that the same legalistic tactics that have been used over the years to chip away at the Second Amendment finally would be turned against the First. Anyone who thinks Congress's idea of "reasonable" and that of anyone sane are remotely alike is smoking crack.

One notes that this, as everything like it ever proposed, is aimed specifically at one type of collective - corporations, LLCs, etc - but not a far more pervasive and partisan collective, that of the labor unions. FR's policies on violence postings restrain me from being overly specific about what I'd like to see happen to McGovern and his neofascist supporters, but the materials list includes tar, feathers, and a wooden rail which they could ride to somewhere friendlier to their politics - North Korea, perhaps.

[JediJones]

If people don't speak for corporations, who does? Some new type of robot I'm not aware of? Like this?

[onedoug]

Got a Chick-Fil-A potpourri for dinner, and lunch tomorrow.

[windcliff]

Zowie!!!!