Dear people who ate at Chick-fil-A today simply because Mike Huckabee declared it “Chick-fil-A appreciation day”:
I’m impressed: You decided you felt strongly enough about something that you got motivated to show support. Let’s ignore the fact that you got a meal while doing it.
Many people thought they were just showing support for “Christian” values. It sounds noble and all, but that reasoning is flawed. The God I know doesn’t discriminate. It’s “love thy neighbor” not “love thy straight neighbor.” But you can support whoever you want, whatever business you want, even if they donate money to hate groups. (Are you sure you want to give your money to a business that gives money to groups that actively persecute people? Really?)
The law, however, has to be fair to everyone — gay, straight, Christian, atheist, born here or naturalized. And the laws in this country regarding marriage are discriminatory. I’ve written about this before, so I won’t shove it down your throats again.
The reason I’m writing today is to ask you to do one small thing: Spend the same amount of time you spent in line today (or getting to the line in the first place) thinking about how you would feel if your government told you that you couldn’t marry the person you loved. Separate church from state. Please.
It’s 2012. Why are we as a nation doing the same kinds of things whites did to blacks decades ago? Didn’t we as a nation learn anything? Saying “You can’t do this because you’re not like us” just can’t be the way we do things today. It’s just not right.
So enjoy that chicken sandwich. I hope it was worth it — that you said what you REALLY wanted to say with your money.
And I respect your freedom to spend your money wherever you want, and your freedom to make a statement. In turn, I hope you respect mine.
Not eating “hate chicken,”
Beth
I am an independent, it’s that whole stubborn “I think for myself” irish thing. So, I asked a die hard republican what they stood for. He told me right off that they stood for “family values, none of that gay stuff.” I then proceeded to ask him what being gay had to do with those two words. He looked perplexed like I was an idiot. I said to him that my famliy values when raised were to marry the person I wanted to sleep with and not shack up, to love people and treat them with respect, even ones that didn’t neccessarily deserve it. I informed him at no time did my parents teach me to inquire people about their sexual orientation. So, I am still looking for the antigay in the words “Family Values”. Gay people have families. Gay people have values. So wouldn’t you want them to marry so they aren’t shacking up?
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So funny and so true! I’m bothered by the fact that “I believe in family values” often means “I value families that look like mine.”
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