“Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values. They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents. This would be a bad investment, since it would be empty.” – Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel
IT’S BOSTON MAYOR Thomas Menino, who has vowed to keep his city Chick-fil-A-free, versus religious conservative Mike Huckabee, who’s having an Chick-Fil-A Bigots Appreciation Day.
This comes after the Jim Henson Company disassociated itself from Chick-Fil-A after its CEO Dan Cathy said: “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say ‘we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage’ and I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”
The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD. (http://www.glaad.org/) – Jim Henson Company on FACEBOOK
The lack of integrity of the company at the center of this brouhaha, Chick-Fil-A, goes further than their bigotry and homophobia.
But did Chick-Fil-A lie to the public about why a “voluntary recall” on Creature Shop Puppet Kids Meal toys was made?
After the Jim Henson Company severed their relationship with the company are we to believe the recall is a coincidence?
Instead of just pulling the toys or telling the truth about the clash between the two businesses, Chick-Fil-A put up this statement:
“Please be advised that there have not been any cases in which a child has actually been injured, however there have been some reports of children getting their fingers stuck in the holes of the puppets. We are offering a substitution of a complimentary kids Icedream cone in its place until a replacement toy is available. Thank you.”
In an op-ed, the Boston Globe comes down against Mayor Menino.
But which part of the First Amendment does Menino not understand? A business owner’s political or religious beliefs should not be a test for the worthiness of his or her application for a business license.
Chick-fil-A must follow all state and city laws. If the restaurant chain denied service to gay patrons or refused to hire gay employees, Menino’s outrage would be fitting. And the company should be held to its statement that it strives to “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender.” But beyond the fact that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, the religious beliefs of the company’s top executive don’t appear to control its operations.
I’d rather see Mayor Menino calling for a good old-fashioned boycott rather than a decree from on high.
The Mayor is wrong to use a companies political actions, no matter how odious as a reason to deny them a license.
The UBERChristian liars of chic-fil-LIE are simply your garden variety lying wingnuts.
HOWEVER I think they should be careful, because this sounds remarkably like libel and slander which is actionable due to harm to reputation of the Muppets.
On a more hilarious but related note, Huckabee on faux not news is trying to get all the good lil homophobes to go to Chic whatever on Aug 1 as a show of support. There have been facebook postings suggesting people dress in DRAG and go the same day!!!!!
OH! That would be priceless!!!
Agree with you, secularhumanizinevoluter, and the Boston Globe for once. Their views about politics and religion aren’t cause for a business license being denied. Now, if they’re lying about product safety ….
I’ve seen Chic-Fil-As in my travels around the country, and I’ve got to say that I’ve never even been tempted to try one. Nothing to do with the politics, mind you. They just look like KFC with more cholestoral.
So what did chic-fil-a do? Menino is still Mayor of Boston? Wow! I had my picture taken with him over 10 years ago. I wonder what standards and values Mayor Emmanuel to determine if a business is respectufl enough for Chicago. I wonder if any of the other businesses in Chicago have values similar to Chc-fi-a. I think Chic-fil-a has great food at a fair price. They are remodleing the one by my house. When they open back up I plan on going there, unless there is some reason I shouldn’t. It looks like this is just another routine “wedge issue” story that is being overhyped becasue it is close to the Presidential election.
1″So what did chic-fil-a do?”
gave over 1 million dollars to homophobic political organizations.
2. Menino is still Mayor of Boston? Wow! I had my picture taken with him over 10 years ago. ”
Apparently, good for you
3.”I wonder what standards and values Mayor Emmanuel to determine if a business is respectufl enough for Chicago.”
Incoherent sentence.
4.” I wonder if any of the other businesses in Chicago have values similar to Chc-fi-a.”
Probably, but if they do they are smart enough to hide it.
5.” I think Chic-fil-a has great food at a fair price. They are remodleing the one by my house. When they open back up I plan on going there, unless there is some reason I shouldn’t.”
If you share the same superstition based homophobic desire to deny basic rights to an entire group of people go right ahead, wouldn’t surprise me at all.
6.” It looks like this is just another routine “wedge issue” story that is being overhyped becasue it is close to the Presidential election.”
If people having all their basic human rights is a “wedge issue”. That you think it is speaks volumes.
Abortion, immigration, ACA and gay rights are all issues that divide the electorate pretty much in half……..polls get majorities only through shaping questions or parsing the general issue into fragments.
So, on one hand, these are always dangerous canned goods to open up. You likely never find just the perfect can to only get upside.
That said, I don’t think the recall news will even hit the radar screen of anybody but a blog junkie and D. Cathy’s comment verbatim is not going to be taken as bigotry by anyone who isn’t out to make it into such.
On the flip side, I don’t think either the Boston or Chicago mayoral actions will generate much negative wave either, much for the same reason. The regular citizens have much more closer to home stuff to focus on.
The legal issue is indeed interesting, but establishing the true intent of government zoning denial is pragmatically impossible.
I call it a wash all around.
1″Abortion”
Not true.CLEAR majority in favor of safe legal right to chose abortion, some people are in favor of some restrictions but by a LARGE majoeity Americans favor it. And frankly rights are not up for a popular vote anyway.
2.” immigration”
So vague as to be meaningless.
3″, ACA ”
Settled law of the land. When people have accurate information about it instead of the lies from the conSERvatives . When you combine those who support it with those who think it doesn’t go far enough you have a LARGE majority.
4.”and gay rights”
There is no such thing as “gay rights” there is only equal rights under the constitution for all citizens.
5.” are all issues that divide the electorate pretty much in half……..polls get majorities only through shaping questions or parsing the general issue into fragments.”
Simply an untrue statement.