Monday, August 6, 2012

Activist Wants Chick-fil-A Run Out of Business!

JHPolitics.com ^ | 8-6-2012 | Justin Higgins

Choosing not to eat at Chick-fil-A (or choosing to eat there, as millions did last week) because of the ownership's views on gay marriage is one thing, but calling for their business partners to disown them is a little different. I am not opposed to boycotts, or buy-cotts like the one that occured last Wednesday, although I often question their legitimacy. I am opposed to bullying from political officials and activist groups trying to drive companies out of business through coercion, as Equality Illinois' director of public policy proposes:
In a petition, Equality Illinois is urging socially responsible business and institutional leaders across the country to challenge Chick-fil-A's discriminatory practices and end all relationships that enable the Chick-fil-A brand to operate on their premises. We urge mall owners who rent space to Chick-fil-A to look deeply at the hateful organizations the company supports. We ask university officials to reconsider accommodating a business that ostracizes a large segment of their student body. We want corporate leaders who allow Chick-fil-A to do business in their offices to consider a new restaurant option during contract renegotiations.
First off, nothing Chick-fil-A does is discriminatory. Giving money to groups that support traditional marriage, including some that are incredibly active and deemed by some as radical, does not mean the restaurant discriminates. It also does not ostracize, as the editorial claims. They wait on, serve and even employ homosexual employees. That's not discrimination. Secondly, should businesses really make determinations based on the ownership's social and religious views as opposed to the economic impact? Does Randy Hannig (the author) not realize the incredible economic damage he is calling for by wanting to tank a large enterprise like Chick-fil-A? Luckily for the chain, Hannig's group is unlikely to make even a tiny dent in their business. I've been to Chick-fil-A near here since Wednesday, and passed it multiple times, and the lines are still longer than normal.
If gay "rights" activists want to make a splash, maybe they should focus on convincing more Americans to embrace their views, rather than act like a bunch of politically intolerant school children who cry "bigot" any time someone holds a contrarian view. They may move the needle on the issue more than petitioning companies to throw away cash by cutting out a viable business partner.

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