Okay, here I am, having to weigh in on the Chick-fil-A issue.
Only because ALL of you extremist, on both sides of the issue, are MAKING me weigh in.
I have my own personal opinions on marriage, gay marriage and what it means to me personally.
I am not going to expound on it. It is just that. MY - OWN - PERSONAL - OPINION.
I will talk to family about it. I will talk to friends about it. But I am not going to make a public display either way.
However, all of the morons out there who just HAVE TO MAKE THIS A PUBLIC ISSUE are ignoring one very basic principle of America.
FREEDOM.
Unlike many other nations around this spinning globe we all call home, in America we have freedoms. Freedoms secured by the wisdom of our founders and the courage of those who voluntarily have defended over the CENTURIES. Freedoms founded in faith and secured by blood.
Two of those very basic freedoms are being ignored by everyone speaking out on the Chick-fil-A issue.
Freedom of religion. This is one of the most misunderstood and maligned of all our freedoms in America today. Instead of being in a country where if you are not a follower of a specific religion you are either shunned or dead. we live in America where it is ILLEGAL for the government to force religion on us. But this also means that our public figures and government workers should also be allowed to express their religion. The whole separation of church and state rhetoric today has been turned upside down and destroyed by those who hate and/or fear religion. They say you cannot have a menorah or a nativity scene on your desk. You can't say have a blessed day or Merry Christmas in a government building. This is a denial of the basic freedom we are supposed to be afforded. Everyone is supposed to be afforded. Private citizen or government worker alike.
The falsehoods being spread about this freedom is at the heart of the problem today in the Chick-fil-A stupidity.
The owner of this fast food restaurant has a belief. According to his beliefs, gay marriage is wrong. He has never made a secret of how much he feels about his faith. Sunday is the Sabbath and thus very important to him personally. So his restaurants are closed on Sunday. Now, with gay rights in general and gay marriage in specific being polarized by politicians trying to pander to specific groups to get elected / re-elected, this owner has come out and stated his personal objections to gay marriage.
So what?! It is his right to feel this way and adhere to his beliefs. Although I may not agree with his public rendering of a private choice, I applaud him for sticking to his faith. So many will abandon the beliefs on the altar of public opinion just to make a buck or gain public approval. This guy didn't.
And if you disagree, that is also your right. If you want to not frequent his restaurant. Fine. Again, this is your right. You have the freedom and choice to decide where you want to eat and what businesses you want to patronize.
The problem comes from those who want to publicly demonize this man. People who want to characterize a whole faith and lambast them because HE DOESN'T THINK LIKE THEM.
But lets remember a few other things about this man. He gives to all kinds of charities. Always has. He offers his employees benefits not normally found in the fast food industry. he always has. He helps his employees with educational choices. He always has. Aren't you glad that he "doesn't think like" lots of other businesses out there? If anyone else was a philanthropic as this man you would be praising them. But because of this man's faith, you crucify him. You demean him. You demand he change.
But what if someone said they didn't like the way YOU think? What if they demonized you for the way you raise you children, give to your church or charitable organization? What if you were told you were a hateful person because you wanted to send you child to a good school instead of a public school? What if you wanted to move out of your crime infested neighborhood to a nice neighborhood and were lambasted publicly as a racist, a bigot, an evil person?
How would YOU feel?
And then there is the freedom of free speech. If you want him to just SHUT UP about what he feels is wrong, you are guilty of stifling his free speech. What if you wanted to protect your children from a child molester living in your neighborhood? And you spoke out about the evils of people who molest children? What if you demanded that convicted molesters be registered and you be notified of if they move in near your home or school. You feel it is your right to speak out, yes? But what if someone told you to JUST SHUT UP? Wouldn't you feel your rights were being denied? So why is it okay to try and keep another American from exercising their free speech?
Finally, all the politicians who are speaking out so vehemently against this man and his beliefs. They don't care about you. They don't care about your feelings on this. They are simply pandering to get your vote. If you don't think so, you are being foolish. They said nothing over the years about this man not allowing his restaurants to be open on Sunday. Even though many people complained because they wanted their fast food on Sunday. They didn't complain about who he donated money to in the past. Lots of them actually got money from him in the past, so fo course they wouldn't complain. But now that it is a hot button topic, now that so many are crying out HATRED, they are jumping on the bandwagon. Think they would do this if it were NOT a national election year?
Again, if you think they would, you know nothing about our current crop of politicians. On both sides of the so called aisle. They are all interested in keeping their jobs.
So don't patronize his establishment if you like. That is your choice.
Keep up this public rant in the media, from our politicians, from the whole social media outcry. Then look in the mirror and tell me who is hating. Decide to "destroy this man's business" because he doesn't think like you and then tell me who is the hater.
And just wait. Some day you will be on the other end of this argument. It may just be something you say that doesn't jibe with all the extremist out there. And YOU will be on the receiving end of cries of HATRED and RACISM and EXTREMISM. It will be YOU who they go after and try to "destroy." THEN . . . then, tell me who is the haters.
As I said, I am not going to voice my opinion on the issue. That is between me, my conscience and my family and friends. I am more concerned with the whole "bandwagon" thing and how you are being used by those who want to further their own agenda. You can agree with me or disagree with me, but just take a moment and think about what all I just said. Think about what all everyone else is saying. Then look inside yourself to see how YOU really feel on the subject. So long as I have gotten you to actually examine YOUR thoughts on this, then I have done my job and it doesn't matter either way how you decide. Because, hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.
Have a great day.
Charles
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