Chick-fil-A (sigh)

Yes, this is yet another blog about Chick-fil-A. I see my Facebook friends posting all sorts of things for and against Chick-fil-A's stance on "traditional" marriage, whatever that is. I've seen posts like the picture on the right, and other friends have snidely posted comments like "I'm going to enjoy a delicious sandwich at Chick-fil-A today!"

I doubt I'm going to be writing anything new on the great Chick-fil-A debate. I'm sorely tempted to respond to my friends' Facebook comments, but that inevitably ends in a ridiculous flame war. All I want to do here is put my opinion on record and leave it at that.

Let's start off with a couple pieces of information. First of all, I feel strongly that gay people should be allowed to be married. Second of all, regardless of Chick-fil-A's stance on the issue, I don't like their food. I've eaten at Chick-fil-A three times in my life, maybe four, and it just doesn't do much for me.

Although Chick-fil-A and I share a different opinion on the issue of gay marriage (and probably a lot of other things), the owners have every right to donate to whomever they choose. (If it turns out that they discriminated against employees or customers due to sexual preference, that would be another story, but I haven't heard or read anything about that.)

In turn, if I find that a restaurant is openly against gay marriage, I can simply choose to spend my money somewhere else. This is no hardship for me, since I don't even like Chick-fil-A's food, but I have friends who love Chick-fil-A's food who have decided to never eat there again.

I'm amazed at the number of Facebook friends who are amazed at the long lines at Chick-fil-A since this whole ridiculous thing started. Really? You didn't see this coming? You didn't expect religious right-wingers to come out in droves, viewing this is as a delicious way to support their cause?

I seriously doubt that the "biblically based" Chick-fil-A is going to be hurting any time soon, and I don't feel this will signal a new boom for them, either. They've lost plenty of regular customers. They're getting a lot of business now from those who want to keep Chick-fil-A from being "oppressed." The brisk business will eventually die down, but through this little "I'm going to Chick-fil-A" fad, they will regain regular customers to replace those they lost. I think it will all even out.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to spend my money where I think it should go…into locally owned establishments that view their customers as people and not dollar signs.