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Why I Ate at Chick-fil-A

As the whole world knows by now, yesterday was Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. We don’t have a CFA here in Union, SC, so my wife and I drove 45 miles to the Westgate Mall in Spartanburg for a chicken filled lunch. And yes, like millions of others, we posted pictures of our meal on Facebook and Twitter.

But why? Why all the hysteria around this restaurant chain? I’m not going to get into the comments made by Mr. Cathy, because they have nothing to do with this story, and because everyone is familiar with them. What happened at these fast food stores all over the country yesterday was a grassroots effort to simply say that we respect and support this business.

The Cathy family was potentially going to have their business boycotted, and when politicians began to illegally block their admission into cities, Americans (not anti-gay, religious bigots) realized that our precious freedoms were under attack. If the State can block a business purely on ideological terms, who will they target next? Will a Presbyterian mayor try to shut down a Baptist hospital, or will a Baptist governor try to shut down a Catholic school?

When Americans saw what was happening they wanted their voice to be heard. I did not eat chicken yesterday because I oppose gay marriage (which I do, but that was not the point). I ate at CFA yesterday because I support the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. The common man, like myself, rarely feels like his voice is heard. Yesterday we all made sure that those who try to restrict our freedom heard us loud and clear.

And just to make sure they really heard me, I splurged and upgraded to pepper jack cheese on my spicy chicken sandwich. That extra $ .60 sent a clear message.

The 1st Amendment to the Constitution says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
This means that the State cannot make Chick-fil-A the official restaurant and require people to eat there, but it also means that the State cannot prevent anyone from eating there. To take it further, Congress shall not disallow them admittance as a business based on their religious beliefs (as 3 mayors have illegally done).

This is what upset people, and this is what led to the appreciation day. And that is why I chose to have my lunch at Chick-fil-A.

Oh, and because they serve delicious chicken.
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