Rahm Emanuel is violating First Ammendment rights, practicing liberal fascism and anti-capitalism with his nonsense.  If Chicago is so offended by Cick's values then don't eat their food and it will go out of business.  The Mayor should be concerned that it is currently safer in Afghanistan than it is in Chicago. Maybe Oklahoma will ban Ben & Jerry's ice cream because those guys are Vermont progressive freaks and don't reflect Oklahoma's values.  But of course that would be stupid.

PS- Their peach shakes are da bomb!

Dude who runs chick-fil-a certainly has his 1st amendemnt rights & restaurant permits shouldn't be denied because of that, but strictly from a business perspective, voicing that opinion was very dumb business wise. It would have behooved that stupid Bible-thumper to STFU as FM/BM shoould do on this board.----

-- Modified on 8/1/2012 9:21:55 AM

Exactly- If it hurts his business let his customers decide and not some blowhard politician.

Cathy is a billionaire he could care less. Will get delicious original chicken meal tonite

-- Modified on 8/1/2012 4:38:26 AM

If a business wants to make a profit, and give that money to hate groups who work to deny a certain group of Americans equal rights, then why should that business be allowed the PRIVILEGE of operating in a place the city has zoned for businesses?

This isn't a right or left issue. It's not a religious issue. It is NOT a religious right to deny equal rights to other Americans.

If certain businesses like Chick-Fil-A and Dominos wants to fund hate groups, then they won't get a dime from me. And mayors have every right to tell businesses that give money to hate groups to go take a hike.

When ACLU agrees with Chick-fil-A they don't have a problem ......

Quote :
The government can regulate discrimination in employment or against customers, but what the government cannot do is to punish someone for their words,” said Adam Schwartz, senior attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. “When an alderman refuses to allow a business to open because its owner has expressed a viewpoint the government disagrees with, the government is practicing viewpoint discrimination.”



-- Modified on 8/1/2012 4:45:33 AM

So when the ACLU is right they are right EOM

-- Modified on 8/1/2012 4:58:51 AM

It's quite revealing to see those who characterize themselves as Liberal Progressives both around here and on the larger scene as well show their true colors on this issue. All you who give lip service to the sanctity of the First Amendment and then agree with the actions of the Chicago mobsters (Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Alderman Joe Moreno) are all simply closeted North Korean totalitarian wannabes.  

May you substitute Krazy glue for your usual lipstick on your lips so they get stuck while you suck Emmanuel's hairy ass.  

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-attack-on-chick-fil-a-is-an-attack-on-the-freedom-of-speech-of-every-american

Let's see if this works the other way around. Suppose a retail store was using some of their profits to fund a Islamic organization. What if that Islamic organization did not have any ties to terrorism, unless you count the loony conspiracy theories on the right? Would you still boycott them Sappy? Would you call any efforts to boycott them, or the publicly pressure the company to end their association with the group to be an attack on free speech for every American?

I refused to patronize the chain well before this latest outburst by Cathy.

I sincerely hope that SOMEONE  is able to successfully prosecute a discrimination suit against Chick fil a. It is common knowledge that the ONLY way to advance, or even keep your minimum wage job there, is to adopt, or at least pretend to adopt the Christian faith. Gays, atheists, agnostics, Muslims et al have NO chance of advancement at Chick fil a

I support this assholes right to his own opinion, and I even support his right to use his business as a platform to vocalize his beliefs, but I draw the line at discrimination in the work place due to religious beliefs, or lack there of.

I actually went to the Chick fil a bowl this year in Atlanta and couldn't believe that they tried to force the entire stadium to rise and listen to a blatantly Christian prayer prior to the game. I rose when asked, but the moment I realized they were trying to cram their religion down my throat, I immediately sat me ass back down in my seat, drawing a bunch of dirty looks from the bible thumpers in the seats near me, Fuck them, and Fuck Chick fil a. I won't ever spend a fucking dime there.

All money spent supports the hate for some people somewhere.

between believing in something and publicly saying it, and believing in something and keeping your mouth shut?

You don't have In-n-Out burgers on the East Coast. Great burgers! They have avid followers who swear by their burgers, and they are good at a great price. My wonderful progressive sister told me something I didn't know, and I have been eating In-n-Out for years. They put bible verses on the bottom of their cups (John 3:16), burger wrappers, and the like. This is a privately held company, family owned. Come to find out they are very religious. So one could surmise that their beliefs are very much aligned with Chick-fil-a. Do you agree?

Should In-n-Out get the same treatment from mayors and the like as did Chick-fil-a. Remember In-n-Out hasn't publicly said anything, but they have the same beliefs.



-- Modified on 8/1/2012 12:31:03 PM

But it's quite another matter when a business uses their profits to fund hate groups that are attempting to prevent other Americans from enjoying equal rights.

If GaG is correct, Chick-Fil-A is even worse in that they discriminate against people who aren't Christian.

...of the founders died in a plane crash along with other executives of the company.  Several years later, the other son died of a prescription drug overdose.

They can believe anything they want and be as outspoken as they want as long as they don't discriminate in hiring or customer service.  Dan Cathey of Chick-fil-A said: "We're all married to our first wives."  Great, as long as he doesn't discriminate against hiring divorced people, or serving a divorced mom who wants to buy a burger for her kid.

BTW, the full Dan Cathey quote is: "We're all married to our first wives but we'll see you at the next TER Meet & Greet."

This brouhaha is not a debate about the value or lack of value of gay marriage.  It is all about the use of the state's power to silence through intimidation and economic coersion the opinion of anyone who doesn't agree with their agenda.  This action by politicians in Chicago and by the Mayor of Boston (I don't know his party affiliation, but would I be way off the mark if I guessed he was a Democrat?) sends the message that any opinion contrary to the approved "politically correct" viewpoint will not only be not respected. but will not be tolerated under pain of official government sanction.

Your attempt at drawing a comparison of Chik Fil A to Islamic charities has several logical and factual defects and erroneous premises and fails to be near to an adequate comparison.  In the first place, most terrorism is a boogeyman created by our government.  Weren't we supposed to be locked in a war with Al Qaeda?  If that were true, why is our government feeding the murderous Al Qaeda operatives now in charge of Libya and the ongoing slaughter that is meant to cause regime change in Syria with the milk of human kindness?  

Your disagreement is with what you perceive to be overly-organized Christian advocacy groups.  Either you or some other dimwit around here referred to them as "hate groups."  Would you feel better if groups like this had no voice?  Can you tell me, exactly what are the hateful acts, words and deeds the groups that received donations from Cathy were convicted of performing?  We're also not talking about any kind of a grass roots boycott that you cited in an attempt to create a phony straw man.  This issue is about some prick Chicago Alderman pushing his weight around to win points with some splinter group by silencing someone who's opinion he perceived to be unimportant.  He wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "There are consequences for one's actions, statements and beliefs. Because of this man's ignorance, I will deny Chick-fil-A a permit to open a restaurant in my ward."  

Did he really say, "my ward?"  Do any of the people living in his little private Tzardom agree with Chik Fil  A's president, Dan Cathy and HIS view of marriage?  Apparently, neither Joe Moreno nor Rahm Emmanuel care what that segment of the population of Chicago think about this subject (probably the majority view, by the way).  They are drunk with power and are playing the game of creeping power grab-just like Kim Jung Un and his boys.  No more, no less.

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-much-money-chick-fil-a-gives-to-anti-gay-groups-2012-7

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/family-research-council

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Research_Council#Controversy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus_International#Criticism_of_conversion_therapy

And this group ABUSES PEOPLE.

http://www.kstatecollegian.com/news/student-recounts-painful-conversion-therapy-abuse-1.2114740#.UBmRv6MlaSo

Suicides, drug addiction, alcoholism, murder, plane crash, etc...etc...etc...

Does Chick-fil-a discriminate in the workplace? If they do, they would be in violation of multiple federal laws.

I have no problem with various activists and groups demonstrating. I do have a problem with elected political figures taking advantage of the situation for political gain.

Denying a perfectly legitimate application to do business in a city is not one of them.

As much as I despise Chick fil A, and I have felt this way for quite some time now, this is not the answer and starts us down a very slippery slope in allowing politicians to "punish" businesses for political reasons.

That said, it is common knowledge, in Atlanta at least where the company was founded and is headquartered, that they have a very hostile work environment to those who don't share managements Christian beliefs

I am amazed that they have not been sued out of existence, but with this new notoriety I have high hopes that they will in the future, and I would be more than happy to donate to any plaintiff's legal fund.

Christians are constantly telling me that Christians don't practice discrimination, i can't wait for a lawsuit to remove any shadow of a doubt about our good, open minded Christian neighbors. I have lived in the South for decades and this is quite commonplace, it's just been rather unhealthy to voice one's discontent about the status quo until recently

The founders of this business has a right to express his opinion on this and other issues.  Despite the political posturing, no mayor could stop a business from locating in their city as long as they comply with the laws and regulations.  

But individuals also have a right to boycott and protest a business, when the owners and company officers choose to take a public stand on a political issue.  
It may be difficult to open a new business when customers must pass through protester pickets.  

This is the American Way.

it was illegal for a business to contribute freely to what it considers to be a "good cause."  You would, apparently like it if it were declared illegal.  The action of the mafiosa running Chicago have basically declared that such contributions are illegal and have taken extra-legal measures against Chik Fil A for spurious reasons and have applied sanctions against them, thereby bypassing any law, statute or due process which would authorize such an action.

One need look not very far to see where the head of this snake is centered.  Yes, I am referring to Obama.

For example, the House of Representatives passed a “cap-and-trade” bill that would have forced carbon emissions caps on U.S. industry in the interest of protecting the planet against warming. However, the Senate never voted on the bill.  Ergo Sum, there is no such thing as a lawful cap and trade bill in place on a federal level.  So, Obama does an end run around the law and instructs the EPA to enforce regulations treating CO2 like a toxic pollutant.  The EPA then ruled that Carbon Dioxide—a gas that a human being exhales every time he or she takes a breath—does endanger human “health and welfare,” thus setting the stage for the EPA to cap carbon emission in the United States through bureaucratic regulations that do not require any further act of Congress.

More than one way to skin a cat and make Al Gore wealthy-right, willy?

On March 30th, 2011 Obama dropped by a meeting of his press secretary with Sarah Brady for a little bit of the good-old fashioned kiss ass.  This meeting occurred shortly after the ink had dried on two major court cases involving gun rights (Heller in 2008 and McDonald in 2009) which established that the Second Amendment is indeed an individual right and a Congress that appears to be in no mood to enact gun control.  As is the wont of such people, Sarah Brady started whining about the slow pace of the process of disarming Americans.  Obama, not wanting a little thing like the law or the legal limits of executive power get in the way of a power grab, assured Mrs. Brady, "“I just want you to know that we are working on it,” “We have to go through a few processes, but under the radar.”

Under the radar??  You mean like through the backdoor?  They a bunch of sneaky fucks, aren't they? This is analogous to what's happening in Chicago with Chik Fil A versus another group of backdoor specialists.  I imagine that Chik Fil A might not have provided the Alderman who is objecting to their zoning application enough of an "application fee" in a brown bag at the time of the application which  caused the Alderman to start riding his self-righteous baloney pony.

Is it illegal to contribute to Christian causes in America, willy?  As to the group which you allege commits abuse directed at poor, defenseless cocksuckers, I would like to know if any member or officer of that group have ever been arrested, indicted, tried and convicted of poofter abuse?  Or is the whole, "presumption of innocence," as well as the 1st amendment "thing" simply too politically incorrect for you and your backdoor buddies to seriously entertain?

and while I despise Chick fil a and all they stand for, I have to agree the the "Chicago mafia crowd" has certainly overstepped, and are attempting to cross a dangerous line. Holding an otherwise responsible, and undeniably legal corporation at financial gunpoint because of their political views is simply "unamerican" and flies in the face of us calling ourselves a "Free nation"

That said, I still despise Cathy and all he stands for, and as a long time resident of Atlanta, where these fuckwads got started, I can tell you with certainty that Chick fil A most definitely creates a "hostile work environment" for non christians. I can't wait to see them get their ass sued off, and THAT is the proper recourse, not breaking the law in an effort to be PC.

CAthy has a right to his opinion, and he has the right to voice it. What he doesn't have, is the right to discriminate against his employees that don't share his religious beliefs, and THAT is where this battle should be fought, not by a bunch of headline grabbing politicians, who don't seem to mind breaking the law themselves when it suits them.