Some of my friends have been pestering me about my support for Chick-Fil-A, especially since (a) several of those I hold near and dear are homosexual, and (b) I'm not a Christian (for those who haven't read through my past posts, I'm an agnostic, raised by two former Methodists, one of whom left the seminary an atheist, the other, not a seminarian, yet leaving the faith to become an agnostic).
If I'm neither Christian nor a foaming "H8R", why, they ask, do I support a company which is bigoted, homophobic, and so on.
Well, kids, THIS IS AMERICA. I really don't give a rat's patootie what the politics are of a company. I really don't care if their franchisees are rigorously screened to make sure they will "fit in," and they just might deny somebody qualified a job based on some random set of beliefs. What I care about is that they be given the freedom of association, of religion, of speech that our own Constitution of the United States of America says it guarantees.
Quite frankly, I think to some extent, if certain accusations are correct, they may be doing themselves a disservice. Not by opening themselves up for lawsuits -- in fact, I think the lawsuits are a pile of crap. If you don't like the well-known, well-published standards, values and practices of the company you work for, it's your responsibility to find some other employer you might actually like working for. You are not chained to the desk/counter/grill, there. Quit whining and move on.
No, I think that discriminatory practices often deprive the employers of the exceptional employee who just might give them more, or even convert, were the corporation to give that person half a chance. In other words, "Your loss, toots!" to the boss who doesn't see potential where it truly lies.
But that's where I think the losses should stop. Want to sue for discrimination? In my most humble opinion, you can go straight to he... some other job. Want to boycott a company for its socio-political views? Go right ahead. Just don't expect me to sit beside you, out on the curb with a placard. In the case of Chick-Fil-A, I live too far away to have much of an impact either way, but, if I'm in the neighborhood, since I happen to like their products, I'm likely to stop in for a light meal.
Moreover, if you demand that our government officials take any action against them, you will find me fighting you tooth and nail. The first battlefield will be the lunch line, followed by my waistline. I don't have much money, but, by damn, I do still have a voice, and I will use it to cry "Freedom!"
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