SPECIAL NOTE: I am re-editing this 24 hours after its original posting because, when I came back to read through it one more time, I discovered that I had accidentally (yes, it really was an accident) deleted a few key words when trying to rephrase a couple of lines. In its original form, this post read as if I was labeling Chick-Fil-A as a terrorist organization and/or Dan Cathy as a terrorist. I did not mean to say that, and I do not believe that. However, if you read through to the end of the post -- where the missing text I had accidentally deleted has been re-inserted -- you will see what kind of label I think does apply to Chick-Fil-A and the WinShape Foundation. (I have also corrected mis-numbering in the footnotes, and corrected the name of the Foundation, which I had gotten wrong in the original post.)
To be honest, I had (and continue to have) no intention of turning this blog into a political commentary... but some issues go so far beyond being mere annoyances that I simply have to post comments about them.
The (now slowly semi-sorta fading) Chick-Fil-A uproar counts as one of those issues.
What is annoying me about it? Well, aside from what you will find in my previous post, I am seeing a lot of commentary about the whole issue revolving around the use/abuse of free speech. I am seeing an increasing number of posts from bloggers who are firmly against Mr. Cathy's (and presumably his chain's) stance on marriage that are saying something like, "It doesn't matter if I disagree with him or not, he has the right to say what he wants. If you don't like it, don't give Chick-Fil-A any money. All those mayors who want to block the chain from opening in their cities are wrong, because it's no different than rendering illegal any other business that they disagree with for any reason. They haven't broken any laws, and they haven't done anything wrong."
First, I want to state that I fully agree Mr. Cathy does have as much right to his beliefs as I do to mine, and he does have as much right to free speech as I do. Second, I agree that we should all vote with our dollars and boycott Chick-Fil-A if we are offended by his (and his chain's) stance. Third, I have to admit that I have real concerns about what happens to freedom of speech if expressing oneself can lead to anything that might be construed as supporting one's views banned or rendered illegal just because someone in a position of power disagrees with those views.
But let's take a look at that whole "they haven't done anything wrong" idea.
I know there are bound to be individuals working for Chick-Fil-A who are uncomfortable with Mr. Cathy's statements, so maybe, just maybe, I should not paint the entire chain with the same brush (tempting as it might be)... but the tight linkage between Mr. Cathy and the business make it impossible to do otherwise.
The U.S. Government regularly freezes and/or seizes the assets of businesses and charities it believes are actively supporting terrorist and hate-based organizations. The individuals employed by those businesses and charities may know absolutely nothing about those ties, but may unwittingly be helping to feed funds to...
...groups that engage in activities that deny individuals, groups or populations their basic rights;
The Cathys and Chick-Fil-A's "WinShape Foundation" have repeatedly donated large sums of money from the Chick-Fil-A chain to groups working to deny members of the LGBT community their rights, up to and including making it legal to fire them from their jobs for no reason other than their sexual orientation.[1,2]
...groups that engage in exerting strong influence on foreign governments to forward their agenda;
The Cathys and the WinShape Foundation have repeatedly donated large sums of money from the Chick-Fil-A chain to groups lobbying and "advising" a number of foreign governments, mainly in Africa, to ensure they enact and/or continue policies that agree with his personal views.[3]
...and groups that kill, or actively support the killing of, anyone who they find objectionable.
The Cathys and the WinShape Foundation have repeatedly donated large sums of money from the Chick-Fil-A chain to groups actively supporting, and possibly actively helping, some governments in Africa impose an automatic death penalty on anyone guilty of the "crime" of being a member of the LGBT community.[4]
No, I'm not screaming, "terrorist!" in Mr. Cathy's front yard -- but our government (under both Presidents Bush and Obama) has seen fit to apply the "hate-based" label to, and take action against, businesses like his with much less hard evidence firmly in hand.[5]
Think about it.
I'll leave the ultimate decision up to each of you... but I've made mine, and I can assure you it is not favorable for Mr. Cathy or Chick-Fil-A.
[1] Only 9 jurisdictions in the USA allow same-sex marriage: CT, IA, MA, NH, NY, VT; the District of Columbia; and the Coquille & Squamish Native American tribal jurisdictions. Three others (CA, MD & RI) have at least limited recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions but do not recognize any performed in-state. All other jurisdictions in the USA not only do not allow same-sex marriages, they refuse to recognize those that have been legally performed & officially recognized in any other jurisdiction. The Cathys and the WinShape Foundation have donated money in support of the expansion of "no such thing as gay marriage" laws in those few jurisdictions that do recognize them.
[2] There are 29 states in the USA in which an employer can legally fire an employee for no reason other than that employee being gay. The Cathys and the WinShape Foundation have donated large sums of money in support of expanding such laws to all states.
[3] There are 81 countries in the world in which being LGBT is either illegal or carries de facto punishments ranging from a few months in prison to flogging, life sentences, or banishment from the country. The Cathys and the WinShape Foundation have donated large sums of money in support of such laws both in these countries and in those that do not currently have such laws.
[4] In at least 6 countries countries where being gay is a crime, the punishment is death. Money from the Cathys and the WinShape Foundation is donated directly to groups supporting such penalties.
[5] The Cathys and the WinShape Foundation have donated millions of dollars to the Family Research Council, the Marriage & Family Foundation, and other groups actively engaged in "missionary" and "advisory" work in Africa in support of footnotes 3 and 4, above.
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