For the past several years, fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has been under fire for beliefs held by owners of the company. Dan Cathy, son of founder S. Truett Cathy, dares to stand firm in his conviction that traditional marriage is sacred and worthy of protection and promotion. In June 2015, the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage across the country. Despite this cultural shift, Cathy's feet have not moved.
The opposition to Chick-fil-A is centered around the company's donations to or co-sponsorship of programs and organizations that are considered anti-gay, such as the Family Research Council and Exodus International. But the company has hardly been shy about its active desire to support traditional marriage in material ways. This transparency allows potential patrons to choose whether or not they want to buy what Chick-fil-A is selling and by doing so, potentially contribute (involuntarily) to these causes.
Though there have been absolutely no cases of discrimination at Chick-fil-A restaurants, either of customers or employees, leftists and their thought police are determined to punish the company for being "hateful." This behavior rewards proofless hysteria, demonizes behavior worth imitating, and ignores real problems within the industry as a whole.
Christians and conservatives are eager to support Chick-fil-A for obvious reasons. The owners of the company are firmly on the right side of the political spectrum. Furthermore, they don't apologize for holding what some consider to be antiquated or downright hateful views. But even if one removes the major issue from the equation, there are many reasons to defend Chick-fil-A, and they have nothing to do with their food or opinions on marriage.
Even the staunchest of critics can recognize that during a time of extreme toxicity both in politics and society at large, Chick-fil-A stands out as a model of decency, respect, and hard work. The spirit of Chick-fil-A is uniform no matter which location is visited. Individual employees are efficient, courteous, and go out of their way to make sure customers are pleased. Restaurants are clean and tidy, something all too rare for fast-food restaurants that serve low-cost food to the general public. By all accounts, Chick-fil-A is a stellar business model where organization and strict adherence to geniality is as much a lure as what they serve.
Still, Chick-fil-A is regularly targeted by those who can't stand that the owners hold traditional views.
In August, faculty at the University of Kansas claimed Chick-fil-A "fosters hate and discrimination on multiple levels." In September, LGBTQ and animal rights activists staged die-ins at a new Chick-fil-A location in Toronto and even chanted, "Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia has got to go!" In October, the first Chick-fil-A location in Britain announced it would cease operations following an uproar over its existence. Remember, this has nothing to do with Chick-fil-A's actual business practices or actions toward others; it all centers around punishing someone with a different opinion.
It's glaringly obvious that other restaurants will never compare to Chick-fil-A's model of professionalism and politeness. One example is chicken competitor, Popeye's. While Chick-fil-A makes headlines for being a target of boycotts and activists, Popeye's workers are in the news for viciously assaulting an older customer who demanded a refund. The woman has multiple broken bones as a result of her encounter with employees. At another location, Popeye's employees made sandwiches on a tray balanced on a trash can. But it doesn't matter whether the competitor is a fierce rival, like Popeye's, or just another option, like McDonald's or Taco Bell. Chick-fil-A consistently stands out in the crowd for its respect for others and a cleanly approach to business.
There is a real, strong animus toward Christian-owned businesses like Chick-fil-A. The majority of the time, the hate directed their way is entirely unfounded. When a company treats everyone equally and exists as a highly professional business model for others, shouldn't that be applauded instead of maligned?
Were there legitimate grievances, something as wild as refusing to serve a gay couple or hire an openly gay employee, then activists would have a point for their campaigns against Chick-fil-A. But they don't. And in their quest to expose supposed hatred, they are only revealing themselves as bigots.
Chick-fil-A isn't perfect, and no one is required to love their food or friendly service. There is sure to be more hostility aimed at them as the company continues its successful climb to the top. But in a time when actual hatred, discrimination, and discord with our fellow man seems to be reaching a fever pitch, Chick-fil-A's approach is the solution, not the problem.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
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