Recently, there has been a lot of political controversy over the chain of fast food restaurants, Chick-fil-A, because of the owner's political stance against gay marriages. They have been declared to be homophobic, and Chick-fil-A has donated a lot of money toward many extremely conservative religious organizations.
Some liberal organizations have been protesting against Chick-fil-A because of their extremely conservative political stance against gays and same-sex marriages, and of course, we have a right to protest, and even boycott a business establishment.
But, some wish to have Chick-fil-A completely banned form their cities, which of course, is unconstitutional.
Yes, sometimes we liberals are just as guilty of being unconstitutional as are the conservatives. There is plenty of guilt on both sides.
I say this . . . because, if a franchise can be banned form a city because of it's extreme religious views, then, an atheist book store can just as easily be banned because of it's anti-religious views.
So, I guess we must suffer the existence of such business franchises, in order to protect the civil rights of everyone, whether they be form the far right or the far left.
That, being said, I for one will not eat at a Chick-fil-A establishment, and I will boycott said establishment, which of course, is my legal and constitutional right.
Therefore, as much as I don't like seeing Chick-fil-A restaurants in my home town, and I wish that they didn't exist, I know there is nothing that can be done about it, and I just have to take my lumps, and suffer their continued existence.
Of course, I don't have to eat there, and I can suggest to my friends not to eat there, and we can boycott them, and even organize a protest march against them, as long as we don't block anyone's access.
I love going to Starbucks, because Starbucks supports marriage equality, and civil liberties for everyone.
So, I can choose where I want to eat, and avoid those establishments where I will not spend my money.
And if enough people stop going to Chick-fil-A, and they start losing too many customers, then naturally, the establishment will go El-fold-o, and turn belly-up, and go out of business.
That is the legal way to get rid of an unpopular establishment, instead of an outright ban, on said establishment.
Also, even though Chick-fil-A is against gays and same sex marriages, legally they can not discriminate against employees and fire them on the bases of sexual orientation. So, even though the owner had a right to his political and religious opinions against gays, he can not fire someone just for being gay, just as they can not discriminate against people on the bases of race or skin color.
So, just as we all have to suffer the continued existence of Chick-fil-A, the owner of Chick-fil-A also has to allow for the existence of gay employees.
Anyway . . . . .
Here is some more information on Chick-fil-A from Wikipedia.
OK, when students at many colleges had protested in an attempt to have Chick-fil-A banned from their campuses, there were some liberals who actually opposed the ban! Yes! Believe it or not!Chick-fil-A
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chick-fil-A (referring to "fillet") is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées. Long associated with the Southern United States, where it has become a cultural icon, the chain has since expanded. As of April 2012, Chick-fil-A has 1,614 restaurants in 39 states and the District of Columbia, and is focusing future growth in the American Midwest, the Philippines, Mexico and Southern California. The corporate culture is heavily influenced by its founder's Christian beliefs; unlike the vast majority of fast food franchises, Chick-fil-A is closed for business on Sunday.
History
The chain grew from the Dwarf Grill (later the Dwarf House, a name still used by the chain), a restaurant opened by S. Truett Cathy, who is still the company's chairman, in the Atlanta, Georgia suburb of Hapeville in 1946. This restaurant is near a now-demolished Ford plant, where some workers ate between shifts.
In 1961, after 15 years in the fast food business, Cathy found a pressure-fryer that could cook the chicken sandwich in the same amount of time it took to cook a fast-food hamburger. Following this discovery, he registered the name Chick-fil-A, Inc. The company's current trademarked slogan, "We Didn't Invent the Chicken, Just the Chicken Sandwich," refers to their flagship menu-item, the popular quick-serve or fast-food chicken sandwich.
The first Chick-fil-A opened in 1967 in the food court of the Greenbriar Mall, in a suburb of Atlanta. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the chain continued to grow by opening many new franchises in the privatized space of suburban malls' food courts. The first freestanding franchise opened in 1986. The company subsequently focused more on such franchises rather than food courts, and has expanded from its original geographic base, although most new restaurants are located in Southern suburban areas. As of 2012, the chain has approximately 1000 stand-alone locations. It also has 32 drive-through-only locations. Chick-fil-A also can be found at universities, hospitals, and airports through licensing agreements.
Since 1994, the Atlanta-based company has been the title sponsor of the Peach Bowl, an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta. Beginning in the 2006 season, the Peach Bowl became the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Chick-fil-A also is a key sponsor of the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 conferences of college athletics.
Business model
Chick-fil-A uses a model significantly different from other restaurant franchises, notably in retaining ownership of each restaurant. Chick-fil-A selects the restaurant location, builds it, and pays the rent, while retaining ownership. Whereas franchisees from competing chains need about $2 million to operate a franchise, Chick-fil-A franchisees need only a $5,000 initial investment to become an operator. The company gets 10,000-25,000 applications from potential franchise operators for 60-70 slots they open each year. Chick-fil-A gets a larger share of revenue from its franchises than other chains, but the formula works well for operators â?? franchisees make an average of $190,000 per year. In 2010 Chick-fil-A took the industry lead in average sales per restaurant, making an average of $2.7 million per restaurant in 2010 (McDonald's was second with $2.4 million per restaurant).
Advertising
"Eat mor chikin" is the chain's most prominent advertising slogan, created by the The Richards Group in 1995. The slogan is often seen in advertisements, featuring cows that are often seen wearing (or holding) signs that [usually] read: "Eat mor chikin" in all capital letters. According to Chick-fil-A's advertising strategies, the cows have united in an effort to reform American food, in an effort to reduce the amount of beef that is eaten. They wish the American public to refrain from eating beef burgers, common at Chick-fil-A's competitors, such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, and instead focus on eating chicken. The ad campaign was temporarily halted during a mad cow disease scare on January 1, 2004 so as not to make the chain seem insensitive or appear to be taking advantage of the scare to increase its sales. Two months later, the cows were put up again. The cows replaced the chain's old mascot, Doodles, an anthropomorphized chicken who still appears as the C on the logo.
Chick-fil-A vigorously protects its intellectual property, sending cease and desist letters to those they think have infringed on their trademarks. The corporation has successfully protested at least 30 instances of the use of an "eat more" phrase, saying that the use would cause confusion of the public, dilute the distinctiveness of their intellectual property, and diminish its value. A 2011 letter to Vermont artist Bo Muller-Moore who screen prints t-shirts reading: "Eat More Kale" demanded that he cease printing the shirts and turn over his website. The incident has drawn criticism from Vermont governor Peter Shumlin and has created backlash against Chick-fil-A's "corporate bullying."
Sponsored events
Distribution of Chick-fil-a stores in the U.S. by county.
Chick-fil-A Classic
The Chick-fil-A Classic is a high school basketball tournament held in Columbia, South Carolina. The tournament is in its eighth year of operation and features nationally ranked players and teams. The tournament is co-sponsored by the Greater Columbia Educational Advancement Foundation (GCEAF) which provides scholarships to high school seniors in the greater Columbia area.
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Formerly known as the Peach Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is a college football bowl game played each year in Atlanta, Georgia between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference.
Chick-fil-A College Kickoff
The Chick-fil-A College Kickoff is an annual early-season college football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. It features two highly ranked teams, one of which has always been from the Southeastern Conference. Starting with the 2012 season, the event will be expanded to two games.
Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America
The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America is an annual charity motorcycle tour to raise money for, among other charities, the Victory Junction Gang Camp for terminally ill children.
Related restaurants
The Hapeville Dwarf House
Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant, The Dwarf Grill â?? later renamed the Dwarf House â?? in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946 and developed the pressure-cooked chicken breast sandwich there. At the original Chick-fil-A Dwarf Grill, in addition to the full-size entrances, there is also an extra small-sized front door. The original Dwarf House in Hapeville, Georgia is open 24 hours a day, six days a week, except on Sundays, when it closes at 4 a.m. on Sunday mornings and reopens at 6 a.m. on Monday mornings. It has a larger dine-in menu than the other Dwarf House locations as well as an animated seven dwarfs display in the back of the restaurant.
Dwarf House
Truett's original, full-service restaurants offer an extensive menu and provide customers a choice of table service, walk-up counter service or a drive-thru window. Eleven Chick-fil-A Dwarf House restaurants currently operate in the metro Atlanta area.
Truett's Grill
In 1996, the first Truett's Grill was opened in Morrow, Georgia. The second location opened in 2003 in McDonough, Georgia, and a third location opened in 2006 in Griffin, Georgia. Similar to the Chick-fil-A Dwarf Houses, these independently owned restaurants offer traditional, sit-down dining and expanded menu selections in a diner-themed atmosphere. One major difference from other Chick-fil-A restaurants, however, is the fact that beef products are served there, including steaks and hamburgers.
Corporate culture
S. Truett Cathy is a devout Southern Baptist; his religious beliefs have a major impact on the company. The company's official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A."
Cathy's beliefs are also responsible for one of the chain's distinctive features: All Chick-fil-A locations (company-owned and franchised, whether in a mall or freestanding) are closed on Sundays, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cathy states as the final step in his Five-Step recipe for Business Success "I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business."
In an interview with ABC News's Nightline, Truett's son Dan Cathy told reporter Vicki Mabrey that another reason why the company is closed on Sundays, was because "by the time Sunday came, he was just worn out. And Sunday was not a big trading day, anyway, at the time. So he was closed that first Sunday and we've been closed ever since. He figured if he didn't like working on Sundays, that other people didn't either." The younger Cathy quoted his father as saying, "I don't want to ask people to do that what I am not willing to do myself."
Their website states, "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our Restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect â??regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender."
Controversy regarding same-sex marriage stance
In January 2011, the media reported that Chick-fil-A was co-sponsoring a marriage conference along with the Pennsylvania Family Institute (PFI), an organization that has opposed same-sex marriage legislation in California and Pennsylvania. Chick-fil-A clarified that "one of our independent Restaurant Operators in Pennsylvania was asked to provide sandwiches to two Art of Marriage video seminars." The WinShape Foundation also stated it would not allow same-sex couples to participate in its marriage retreats. The Wall Street Journal reported that "Through their WinShape Foundation, created in 1984, the owners of Chick-fil-A have donated millions to various causes, including Christian organizations dedicated to preserving traditional heterosexual marriages." In response, students at several colleges and universities formed grassroots efforts to ban or remove the company's restaurants from their campuses.
In June and July 2012, Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy made several public statements supporting what he believes to be "the traditional family," saying about same-sex marriage that those who "have the audacity to define what marriage is about" were "inviting God's judgment on our nation". Several prominent politicians expressed disapproval. Boston mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno said they hoped to block franchise expansion into their areas. The proposed bans drew criticism from liberal pundits, legal experts and the American Civil Liberties Union. The Jim Henson Company, which had a Pajanimals kids' meal toy licensing arrangement with Chick-fil-A, said it would cease its business relationship and donate the payment to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Chick-fil-A stopped distributing the toys, citing unrelated safety concerns that had arisen prior to the controversy.
In response to criticism of the Cathy family's support for "traditional marriage," politician Mike Huckabee created the counter-protest for August 1 called "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." The company reported that many stores reported historic sales for the event. The company states that sales have set a company record; however, the company declined to give specific sales figures. One location had to close early after nearly selling out of chicken in Augusta, Georgia.
Lawsuit over cancer risk
In 2006 a lawsuit was brought by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine against McDonald's, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, Chili's, T.G.I. Friday's, Burger King and Chick-fil-A. The organization asserted that cooking certain meats, including chicken, at high temperatures causes the meat to contain the chemical PhIP, a compound which had caused cancer in lab rats and mice. A 2009 ruling for the defendants was followed by an August 2010 appeal decided in favor of the plaintiffs. The matter has not been legally resolved and is still before the courts of California.
Yeah! That's right!
Some liberals were actually opposed to banning, even an ultra-conservative establishment from the colleges.
Yes! Some of us liberals, even though we absolutely abhor and despise Chick-fil-A because of their extremely conservative religious stance, we are still opposed to having them banned from colleges and from our cities. That's because we true liberals recognize the right of all establishments to exist, even the ones we don't like, they still have a right to exists, whether we like it or not.The proposed bans drew criticism from liberal pundits, legal experts and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Because, if we can have a business establishment banned for it's extremely conservative stance, then, conservatives could have liberal establishment banned. And everyone's civil rights will be violated.
Of course, many extreme conservatives don't see it that way. They would like to see ALL liberal businesses banned, for example: atheist books stores.
So, generally speaking, many of us liberals (not all) but many of us liberals are actually more tolerant of right-wing franchises than many conservatives are of liberal franchises.
For example . . . . .
Chick-fil-A vigorously protects its intellectual property, sending cease and desist letters to those they think have infringed on their trademarks. The corporation has successfully protested at least 30 instances of the use of an "eat more" phrase, saying that the use would cause confusion of the public, dilute the distinctiveness of their intellectual property, and diminish its value. A 2011 letter to Vermont artist Bo Muller-Moore who screen prints t-shirts reading: "Eat More Kale" demanded that he cease printing the shirts and turn over his website. The incident has drawn criticism from Vermont governor Peter Shumlin and has created backlash against Chick-fil-A's "corporate bullying."
Yeah! Chick-fil-A believes that it owns the phrase "eat more" and would like to block anybody else from saying those words.
Gee! I wonder, if I'm overheard in a conversation with some friends while eating at a restaurant, that I'm making some changes in my eating habits, and I say that I feel I should "eat more" vegetables and fresh fruit, that some corporate spy from Chick-fil-A would file charges against me for copyright infringement! And then, I end up spending 20 years in prison because I had said the phrase "eat more" during a casual conversation with some friends.
OK! Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid, you know, like some tin-foil hat conspiracy theory!
But, yes! Some would like to file charges against people for saying or writing certain words or phrases.
Well, this is ridiculous! Almost every word in Webster's Dictionary can be found in some phrase used by some commercial establishment, and then, all human speech would have to be banned!
Another words, I could go to prison just for saying "try it' you'll like it!" or "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" which were phrases used in an Alka Seltzer commercial back in the early 1970s.
Well, maybe I can't get into trouble just for saying those phrases, but if the Republicans have their way, I would end up in prison for 20 years because I had just typed those phrases in this forum topic!
You see, although I'm a liberal who hates Chick-fil-A because of it's extremely conservative political stance, I would still be against having them banned.
But, extreme conservatives do not have the same tolerance, and would have like nothing less than to lock people up just for using certain words and phrases that are used in corporate commercials!
Sorry ya moronic fuck-tards, but human speech as been around for over 100,000 years (no, not a mere 6,000 years) and you can't claim ownership of any words in the spoken language.
Yeah! Conservative Republicans are against science education in our schools. The same is probably true of Chick-fil-A who supports all kinds of sporting events, and right-wing Republican causes while being against science education.
And now, they would like to lock people up just for saying or writing certain words or phrases, because they would like to claim ownership of words!
OK, that's really decent of them, and most highly commendable. I'm really happy to know that.The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America is an annual charity motorcycle tour to raise money for, among other charities, the Victory Junction Gang Camp for terminally ill children.
But, I gotta wonder if some of them became terminally ill after eating at a Chick-fil-A!!!
Oh! And by the way . . . . .
Chick-fil-A has failed many health inspections.
Now, if there ever is a good reason for having a Chick-fil-A franchise shut down, then . . . . .
THIS IS IT!!!
Not only is Chick-fil-A a Christian Fascist Gay Hating Corporation, Their Restaurants are Filthy Dirty!
Here is a health inspection of a typical Chick-fil-A
http://www.discoverdawson.com/healthins ... sting=2972
Employee rinsing scoop & returning to drawer. Clean utensils in order of wash, rinse & sanitize. Food residue on tomato slicer. COS - Manager retrained employee & utensils rewashed.
Debris in interior of ice machine. COS-cleaned by employee. Utensil not cleaned in order of wash, rinse, sanitize at 3 compartment sink. COS - Manager re-trained employee & sinks properly set up. Lettuce washed & prepped in 3 compartment sink. COS - Manager re-trained employee to use sink dedicated to washing fruits & vegetables.
Food debris on chicken chopper, lemon wedges, slicer blade & pans. Check utensils for cleanliness to sight & touch before storage. Dumpster needs drain plug. Clean spilled grease on grease container & behind in drain curb.
Slime mold in interior of ice machine. Food debris on tomato slicer, lemon juicer, chicken chopper, carrot shredder, sugar scoop & label. Clean under ice machine & beverage station at drive thru. Keep areas free of accumulated debris.
Mixer frame dirty. Mildew in ice machine. Fly strips over prepared food. Fly fan turned off.
Full Report on how filthy Chik-fil-A is at:
http://ga.state.gegov.com/_templates/87 ... rtype=food
Chick-fil-A, 1560 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach was cited Dec. 5 for 12 critical violations. According to state documents, infractions included: 44 live roaches and 20 dead roaches observed, a cooler interior was soiled with food residue; a bag of carrots was on the floor of a cooler; an employee was observed engaging in food preparation, handling clean equipment or utensils or touching unwrapped items without washing hands; garbage was on the ground and/or the pad around the dumpster; an employee was cutting cabbage with bare hands and the establishment had no approved alternative operating procedure in effect; there was soil buildup inside an ice bin and a lettuce cutter was on the floor.
YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUKKKKKKK!!!
That's another reason good reason why I will NEVER eat at a Chick-fil-A!!!!!
OK, Chick-fil-A can not be banned because of their political views, but any restaurant can be shut down for any violations seen by a health inspector, so, even they must abide by the laws and pass a health inspection.
Anyway . . . . .
Chick-fil-A has four locations here in El Paso, Texas, and although I wish they would just disappear, I know that's not realistic.
But, there is nothing to stop me from boycotting them.
This last Friday morning, I sent and E-mail to them. I went to their web site, and clicked on a link to send them a message, and here is what I had written to them.
I have even made a phone call to each Chick-fil-A and said the very same thing to them over the phone.Just out of curiosity:
What is your hiring policy concerning gays?
Also, do you support the Republican party on all other political issues as well?
We all know, that many Republicans are against science education in our public schools, and here in Texas, our Republicans have come out against teaching critical thinking, or Higher Order Thinking Skills, what they refer to as HOTS!
Well, thanks to the Republicans and people like you, the next generation of children will grow up ignorant and uneducated and will be unable to hold a decent job. They won't be able to afford to eat in your shit-dump and will have to eat out of dumpsters instead, which is probably better than the cockroach infested garbage that you serve!
Fuck off and have a nice day!
Yeah! One really fine eating establishment that has a lot going for it!
I'm fat and sassy! I love to sing & dance & stomp my feet & really rock your world!
