Chick-fil-a Support Day and Free Speech

[agzg]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

First, "Free Speech" as outlined in the First Amendment doesn't apply to this issue at all.

Second, you know who would probably love to freely express their love for their partners, shouting from the rooftops their commitment to each other through legal marriage, freely and in a manner protected from government interference?

Gay people.

Stop making me want to straight marry you. It's disgusting. Also Chick-fil-A will corporate person free speech me and try to get my marriage rights blocked.

[barbino]

In response to thetaj's question on how this event was Mike Huckabee-supported, Huckabee started this whole thing as a response to the boycott issue. Supposedly more than 20 million people looked at his Facebook page and people began to show support for the event even before it occured. Huckabee is quoted as saying that "the success of Chick-fil-A is a great American story that is being smeared by vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left." (newsmax)

Huckabee then suggested the Appreciation Day to support Don Cathy and the company.

[thetaj]

^ Gotcha. I read too literally into "sponsored" and was curious if he actually pumped money into this. Thanks

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by barbino

Huckabee is quoted as saying that "the success of Chick-fil-A is a great American story that is being smeared by vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left." (newsmax)

This is so shitty brilliant I can barely deal ... any reasonable reading of any of most of those words (especially "hate" and "bigotry") renders it completely false, yet we're loading up buses to buy fast food chicken from inordinately wealthy people. Poor, poor straight white rich guys.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

And nobody is closing down any CFA stores, or issuing bans - the mayors also utilized speech to condemn the CEO's bigotry.

The mayor is, of course, a state actor - but until an agency or actor takes action against CFA based on speech, no rights have been violated. Weird that the Religious Right would choose to posture on this event by decrying the posturing of others. Absurdity abounds.

Menino, in a letter on City of Boston letterhead addressed to Dan Cathy, said that he was angry they were looking for a location in Boston, there was no place for Chik-Fil-A on Boston's "Freedom Trail," that it would be an insult for them to be across from City Hall, and that Chik-Fil-A should back out of plans to locate there. No, it's not going as far as specifically saying he will block them from locating there, but I can see how many thought it was over the line for the mayor and comes uncomfortably close to such a suggestion on his part.

[KSig RC]

Also the Christian Coalition and similar groups have issued boycotts literally hundreds of times - remember the Southern Baptist Convention and Catholic League separately choosing to boycott Disney, for various things (including protected speech in the form of art/movies, and the gall to grant gays rights)?

Where was "Free Speech Day" there?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Where was "Free Speech Day" there?

Here you go!

Originally Posted by Me

Until views are expressed that offend those in power. It is okay to offend power minorities.

Originally Posted by Me

I still believe that almost everyone has a viewpoint that they absolutely cannot and will not tolerate, freedom of speech be damned, and if a person or company expouses such a viewpoint they would have no problem boycotting that company and having the company banned from the vicinity if possible.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Menino, in a letter on City of Boston letterhead addressed to Dan Cathy, said that he was angry they were looking for a location in Boston, there was no place for Chik-Fil-A on Boston's "Freedom Trail," that it would be an insult for them to be across from City Hall, and that Chik-Fil-A should back out of plans to locate there. No, it's not going as far as specifically saying he will block them from locating there, but I can see how many thought it was over the line for the mayor and comes uncomfortably close to such a suggestion on his part.

I think it was pretty dumb (par for the course for Menino), but the statement seemed very particularly crafted to dodge any specific threats of agency action - I'll be first in line to drive the ACLU to file against him should [the City of Boston] actually take any action. I can't imagine that will happen though, there's zero way to justify that.

//edited for clarity

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Until views are expressed that offend those in power. It is okay to offend power minorities.

I personally do not consider gay people a minority in the same context as Blacks and Hispanics. But, I'm sure you will come through with some social-ethnic-cultural diatribe, so I'm going to sit back and let you do your thing.

Then I am sure you would patronize a company with a CEO who is in the KKK or is a KKK sympathizer.

I would not patronize an open and known KKK sympathizer. Trust me, I live in an area of Texas that is full of them.

But, that is not to say if the KKK want to march down the street and say whatever they want, I'll step back and let them say it.

Suffice it to say, if the CEO came out in support of gay marriage then I'm sure there would be those who would applaud him for what he is saying, and no one would care about the true definition of free speech. But because he said he does not support gay marriage, then people are having issues over the actual definition of free speech.

[agzg]

It's just so interesting to me that such a large and vocal group of people are so interested in protecting the COO of Chick-fil-A against a perceived violation of his civil rights, while he's actively trying to oppose those of others.

But it's totally cool. Liberals are bigots, yo. More buzzwords. And some shit.

Freedom for some, tiny American flags for others.

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I personally do not consider gay people a minority in the same context as Blacks and Hispanics.

What.

[AGDee]

A Facebook post today, from someone who did go to Chick-Fil-A.

A day to celebrate free speech and tolerance--not quashing any and everyone whose opinions don't align with yours. Tolerance doesn't include calling names, disparaging or otherwise negating the importance of being able express an opinion even if it is different than yours or not the most popular at the moment. The intolerance of some supposedly open-minded people on fb is mind-boggling.

Irony anybody?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I think it was pretty dumb (par for the course for Menino), but the statement seemed very particularly crafted to dodge any specific threats of agency action - I'll be first in line to drive the ACLU to file against him should they actually take any action. I can't imagine that will happen though, there's zero way to justify that.

I don't think it will happen either; they surely know there's no way to justify it. But I can see how many (including the ACLU) thought it was uncomfortably close to the line.

And just in case I haven't been clear about it, the statements from mayors like Menino are the only conceivable ways that freedom of speech comes close to being at issue here. The idea that boycotts or criticisms somehow violate freedom of speech is ludicrous. (But not as ludicrous as Huckabee's "hate speech" allegation.)

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I personally do not consider gay people a minority in the same context as Blacks and Hispanics. But, I'm sure you will come through with some social-ethnic-cultural diatribe, so I'm going to sit back and let you do your thing.

Look at you.

It is not the same context. Anyone who has ever read my posts would know that I do not place all power dynamics within the same context. Yet and still, homosexuals are still a power minority group because heterosexuals are a power majority.

DUH. Was my simplistic response too much for your brain?

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I would not patronize an open and known KKK sympathizer.

Right so stop pretending that you only care if they get physical. Your action would be in the form of boycott or protest--if you deemed necessary.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I personally do not consider gay people a minority in the same context as Blacks and Hispanics. But, I'm sure you will come through with some social-ethnic-cultural diatribe, so I'm going to sit back and let you do your thing.

I don't either. Blacks and Hispanics are allowed to get married in every state. Unless they are also gay.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't think it will happen either; they surely know there's no way to justify it. But I can see how many (including the ACLU) thought it was uncomfortably close to the line.

Agreed - I think there's a "taste" element (or maybe even risk tolerance), and there's definitely a range of reasonable reactions to it (all of which think it's varying degrees of bad/silly).