During the past month, a lot of news coverage has centered on Chick-fil-A’s view on same sex unions, but its president, Dan Cathy, continues to support the biblical definition of marriage.
The first amendment right to freedom of speech applies to everyone. Cathy should be allowed to voice his opinion on such topics and policies without becoming the subject of national news.
“I am in favor of the legalization of gay marriage, but I feel like the CEO’s freedom of speech is being grossly violated,” junior Radhika Joshi said. “Everyone has the right to free speech according to the First Amendment, so why not this guy?”
Have we really gotten to a point in our society where everyone is so sensitive that we have to be so politically correct we cannot safely voice our opinions, even if we do it respectfully?
Aug. 1 was declared Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, and the company achieved record-breaking sales. But the appreciation day only added fuel to the fire. Instead of bridging the gap between the LBGTQ and heterosexual communities, yet another wedge was unnecessarily driven between them.
The official Chick-fil-A Facebook page made it clear that debates about topics such as gay marriage should be left to elected political figures. Businesses are not here for political activism. Their focus is on providing quality customer service. When businesses begin to become political, it can do more harm than good.
The Chick-fil-A debates have resulted in boycotts, and few cities are attempting to ban the food chain from opening in their respective areas. If people want to boycott various companies, that’s their prerogative. If your mentality is to boycott everything that you don’t support or agree with, you will most likely participate in many boycotts during your life.
As long as Cathy is not refusing service to members of the LBGTQ community, he is entitled to have an opinion that may differ from yours.
Taylor Duckett is a sophomore majoring in economics.