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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsYou Have To Be Pretty Messed Up And Bigoted To Purposely Eat At Chick Fil A
With the emphasis on the word "purposely".
I like the red herring that the right is coming up with. That folks are eating there to strike a blow for free speech. Those who are going out of their way to eat there aren't eating there because they are twenty first century Voltaires. They are eating there because they are twenty first century Fred Phelps.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)Eat up, Neanderthals.
JI7
(89,252 posts)and actually trying to make themselves seem like heroes standing up for free speech or some shit ?
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts).
Igel
(35,320 posts)Aimlessly eating there?
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)and braved long lines weren't accidentally eating there.
Unless you believe there are always blocks long lines at Chick Fil A.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)And it's a diversion to keep the heat off Romney, you bet. They know that Democrats support equality and they had to poke a stick in our eyes.
Besides, all their troglodyte thumb suckers had to have a special day, like Beck's failed rally in D.C. I'll refrain from the language I'd prefer.
Someone did make an analogy between this the Nazis ginning up hatred for Jews as they took over on a thread today. It's been Democrats, liberals, progressives (saw Beck going nuts over that now progressive is the new devil), illegals, women & gays, the sick, poor, blacks, on and on. Wake up and smell it:
RKP5637
(67,111 posts)charismatic politician promising lots of jobs for the masses, get the deviants, think of the children, all the typical BS, and an ever increasing bonding between government and corporate America, and the MIC. Then, going after more of 'them,' over there, and 'them' here, and ever increasing manifest destiny. It's all a dangerous brew I feel fermenting.
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)some fast-food chicken, and got a sandwich simply for the sake of getting a sandwich.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Marinedem
(373 posts)I've eaten there for years. I will continue to eat there.
I don't "Boycott". If I did that for every group I don't agree with, I'd be living in a cave and eating wild vegetables and rabbits.
Naturally I'll be called everything but my name over this, but I don't really care. I have bigger things to do than fret over what some old CEO thinks about gays. I'm not altering my routine over it.
Lex
(34,108 posts)Would you feel like it didn't matter so much?
Nobody is going to prison. You see, I live in the real world where 2 million piddly little donated dollars which will largely go to the organization's payroll isn't going to affect anyone. Chick-fil-a can donate however much it wants to, but it isn't going to impact anyone in any appreciable way. Gay rights are moving along so fast and with so much support that focus on the family or whatever their name is isn't going to be doing anything but shoving their money in a rat hole. I'll keep buying my lunch and rolling my eyes. Boycotting chick-fil-a isn't preventing the opening of Auschwitz.
Lex
(34,108 posts)have always had a very special place in history.
This will be blown over in a month.
I'm sorry that it won't pan out to be the kristalnacht that some people seem to imagine it as.
By Labor Day I don't think anyone will even remember where they were on August 1st.
arbusto_baboso
(7,162 posts)of people who really have no decent, thought-out response, and want to flippantly dismiss those with whom they disagree.
That reply by you says a lot about you.
And none of it is good.
Political action through lobbying is nothing new. We've seen large advances in both the social and political worlds involving the rights of homosexuals. That is how change takes place. There are groups that fight it, yes, but I'd like to think effort is necessary on all fronts and not merely where one buys their chicken nuggets. Just because you eat a Chick-Fil-A doesn't mean you're a homophobe who wants a Dachau for homosexuals to open down the block. I didn't go there yesterday not out of protest but because there is none near my work. Me not going does nothing.
You remember Prop 8 in California? You know why it passed? Not because of Chick-Fil-A, but because its supporters didn't do enough actual work to make sure it didn't. Rolling Stone, hardly a conservative rag, even did a story laying the blame squarely on the overconfident masses who just assumed everyone would vote against it and didn't do enough political legwork to counter it.
Like it or not, in politics, you gotta take what you want.
I can promise you legislation will get passed because of what goes on in the voting booth rather than the counter of a fast food restaurant.
Lex
(34,108 posts)You said: "legislation will get passed because of what goes on in the voting booth rather than the counter of a fast food restaurant."
Well, besides being dead obvious, that statement makes it sound as if you can only do one or the other. Logic fail. Activism out of the voting booth has value as well.
Chorophyll
(5,179 posts)And they took a page from the civil rights handbook. The civil rights movement began with boycotts and sit-ins. Things don't just happen on their own.
Lacipyt
(58 posts)As Dr. King said, time is neutral, we cause change through our actions within the passage of time and nor merely because of it.
Having said that, I think the best way to effect change is through political action. Canvasing. Voting.
Not eating Chick-Fil-A? My heads shakes to and fro at those who somehow think it's a Christian act to eat at a fast food restaurant as well as people who insist that eating at said restaurant is a hate crime.
I'm just not a fan of flashy political action to take the place of hard, concentrated effort from which change really occurs.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Can you grasp the nuance? Can you canvass and chew gum at the same time, sport? We sure can.
The Fil A eaters are the ones doing the flashy crap, the rest of us are simply not eating the junk food. Not so flashy.
Lacipyt
(58 posts)I wish I saw more of that regarding the discussions of this business. The subtle notion that its employees may enjoy working there, and disagree with their company's owner's ideas. Or that perhaps they cannot quit because they don't have the funds to simply stop working. Maybe even that people go because they don't think boycotting an business because of the politics of its owners makes much sense. I know plenty of conservatives here in Arizona that eat Ben & Jerrys. They don't call each other "queer lovers," at least that I've heard.
Not everyone is being quite so unflashy. Adam Smith? Google him, and not the economist. I'm so embarrassed he teaches at my alma mater.
However, just as I find it bizarre to focus so much on a person's eating habits as somehow reflective of their politics, I thought the contrary view should be noted to emphasize its equal absurdity.
Frankly, I've known Cathy was a right-wing nut for a while. I'm just laughing that's it's suddenly NOW become a cause célèbre to avoid his establishments.
Hahayeahright
(5 posts)canuckledragger
(1,642 posts)..is what convinced me that republicans in the states had gone over the edge..& are nothing but a bunch of name calling children.
I could have overlooked it if it had just come out of some fringe groups at the time..
..but it was freakin' government officials & national news stations doing it too.
unreal.
& I had a real hate on at the time for americans when the blame started coming Canada's way for 'letting the terrorists through the border' crap that was being spewed..along with the attempts to damage various industries here..like the mad cow accusation thing that cost the Canadian beef industry billions shortly after the Iraq occupation started...& because our Prime Minister at the time didn't want to support Bush's invasion made me think it was retaliatory.
Bush Jr's wannabe cowboy behaviour didn't help my opinion either.
Sorry guys..I didn't know DU was around back then & there was still some sane people left!
I though you had ALL gone nuts!
CottonBear
(21,596 posts)BTW, welcome to DU.
canuckledragger
(1,642 posts)...but I've been around for a year or 2 now..mostly just read & recommend posts though.
On a good note, I stick around & read the site daily because one of the things I've noticed on DU is that a lot of good factual news shows up here first before it hits national coverage
good job folks, keep it up!
CottonBear
(21,596 posts)Gregorian
(23,867 posts)I'd like to apologize on behalf of those Americans who are equally disgusted with the boorish behavior of those other Americans here.
I'll never understand most of this nation. From the crap they listen to, and watch, and say, and do. It's all filth. And by filth I mean low quality. I think it's to blame for the brain rot. That, and the lack of cardiovascular fitness from driving around instead of using their bodies. I'm serious.
RKP5637
(67,111 posts)quinnox
(20,600 posts)to eat. I think all this broad-brushing is kinda silly, I bet half of their customers haven't even heard of this story in the first place.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)More than 630,000 supporters signed up to celebrate Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day today, which former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee created to counter a boycott launched by gay marriage activists last week after Cathy said he was "guilty as charged" for not supporting gay marriage.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/chick-fil-supporters-gather-appreciation-day/story?id=16904664#.UBsfrU2PXRU
on edit- I was careful to distinguish between the casual diner and the diner who thought he or she was making a political statement.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)I bet I could go to one of those lines and ask random people, and a major percentage would say "WTF is going on with this line today? I just wanted to get some chicken" and they wouldn't have a clue about the news story. But go ahead and pretend every one of them is some kind of raging homophobe, it seems to be popular lately. Broad-brushing, IMHO, is always pretty stupid.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)What part of I distinguished between the casual diner and I went there at the behest of Mike Huckabee and Sara Palin don't you understand?
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts).
frylock
(34,825 posts)and you want that chicken sandwich reeeeeeeal bad. so you're willing to burn your entire lunch hour just waiting in line so you can take that sandwich back to your desk? really? really?!
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)frylock
(34,825 posts)if i were hungry, and had no clue as to why there were long lines at the dick-fil-a, i would just say fuck it and go to jbox or something.
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)where the fuck is the sarcasm icon?
cvoogt
(949 posts)They're clearly not too busy too hate. Maybe they should get a job?
TNLib
(1,819 posts)fatty foods.
I think it's going to be a big loss for the company. Most people that have those bigoted ideals are old. Old people don't eat at chik-fila they eat at Captain D's. I think Chik-fila lost a big chunk of their business.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)I wasn't planning on going at all but I have a few coupons for free sandwiches and free breakfast items. Should I use the coupons to take food that they would otherwise get paid for and just continue boycott?
Berserker
(3,419 posts)but wait is it not true that the sky people will fuck us up if we allow gays to marry?
liberal N proud
(60,336 posts)The whole thing was a stunt to boost sales. Chicken coop executives are smiling all the way to their offshore banks.
If FOX told these fools to jump off the roof, they would.
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)- K&R
KaryninMiami
(3,073 posts)Some people- yes- you are correct. More then some- quite a lot of people are like that. Ok.
But- there's another large segment of the population to consider here too .Many people- including many of my work colleagues whom I've attempted to discuss this issue with during the past few days-- are not what " messed up or bigoted"- not purposefully anyway. They're not hate filled or concerned about free speech. They just aren't interested- they get it
they do now after speaking with me that's for sure), - they even mostly agree that Cathy is wrong and don't agree with him- but they just don't believe this is all that important enough - doesn't affect them really- not directly and they just don't care. One said "what can I say- it's my kids' favorite place"; -- another said "if we stopped shopping or buying products made by all the companies with political views we don't agree with, we'd drive ourselves nuts and frankly- it's just not that important to me. Cheap prices and convenience matter most" And as a reminder, for the majority of the US population, marriage equality and LGBT issues are not exactly something they think about very often. It's sad I know- but it is how it is. Most people are just not engaged. The passion we have about these things is not how most of the rest of the country feels.
Furthermore, most women have absolutely no idea about the health care benefits that went into effect yesterday, sadly.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)So not a word of what you said applies to what the OP said. Furthermore, the people lined up to eat that stuff to flip the fried bird to gay people also believe what the right told them happened yesterday, which is that religious freedom died because of those evil benefits for women. This is why fighting that ignorance rather than excusing it away is sort of important.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)I thought I distinguished between those who just wanted some chicken and those who wanted to stick it in the face of gay folks who just want the same rights as everybody else.
-..__...
(7,776 posts)"Mumbles" Menino and Emanuel hadn't inserted their foot into their mouths... that excuse/"red herring", would have been a fart in the wind.
But, no... they had to go there, rile up the beehive, then recant (when they knew they were wrong to begin with).
Too late now for the fucking shit-for-brains... both of them.
whistler162
(11,155 posts)three times a day!
LibAsHell
(180 posts)Now, maybe you think people's lack of caring is the issue but that's a different topic altogether. I know people who eat there sometimes who are certainly not bigoted.
That doesn't mean I have a problem with people boycotting them. And I think most of the folks who stood hours in line on "appreciation day" are provincial slobs who are probably homophobes, but you're not necessarily one just because you eat there. Ultimately, I would just encourage people to avoid fast food as much as possible.
Eddie Haskell
(1,628 posts)People came from miles away to buy lunch. The paper gave it front page coverage. Such is the power of the liberal press.
CabCurious
(954 posts)It may seem insane to us.
But the truth is that most of those people are half-informed and see themselves defending ChilFilA against "attacks."
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)but that was about 12 years ago before I turned vegetarian. And also that was before all this flack about gays.
Alduin
(501 posts)snooper2
(30,151 posts)you probably shouldn't be allowed to operate a motor vehicle.