I generally don’t give a poop about the wrong-side-of-history beliefs spewed from those at the top of corporate monoliths; poultry or otherwise.
We won’t be eating at Chick-fil-A, but not because of president Dan Cathy’s now-public stance against marriage equality. No, we won’t be dining at the red & white clad fast food chain because it’s a god dammed fast food chain. Even though I’ve always dug the Detroit Red Wings-esque color scheme.
While thinking about this post it occurred to me that my kids, or maybe just the Bear, ingested a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich once in their life. I think. I can’t know for sure. If she/they did it is the only fast food they’ve ever consumed (not counting Five Guys.) Me? I haven’t downed a single item from a fast food menu in nearly 9 years, save for that one forgettable and regrettable late night/early morning in Tampa Bay 2 years ago. I gave the shit up cold turkey — and I ate a lot of Burger King Chicken Cordon Blue sandwiches in my youth — when I decided to become a father. The Mrs. was and is right there with me.
Instead, I carve out the time to cook, make sandwiches, prepare leftovers, and so on. ‘Tis harder, for sure, but worth every minute. I found the time to do this when I worked full time outside the home and I have continued to do it as an at-home parent. Sure, we eat out — too often, frankly — but when we do it is always at local establishments; Rocco’s Pizza, Han Dynasty Chinese, Appetites on Main, Avalon Pasta Bistro. And so on. This is true in our own neighborhood and also when we travel.
Generally speaking, we care enough to never support any establishment combining the words fast + food, regardless of the political or religious philosophies of the suits that work there. I mean, seriously, are we doing background checks on every business we patronize, large and small, or are we just being reactionary when we hear something unsavory? Have you looked at the holdings of the mutual funds you invest in through your company’s 401(k) plan? Yeah, probably not. Those large cap and index funds likely invest your hard-earned money in a boatload of companies you’d never step foot inside (see: Wal-Mart.) Where to draw our own personal line in the sand is a complex matter, requiring more effort than a well-timed Facebook status update.
If you decide to boycott Chick-fil-A because you believe all those in love should be able to marry, it’d be a way better move to permanently switch your lunchtime allegiance to your home kitchen and/or to a local sandwich shop than to yet another multi-national corporation. This way, you won’t have to worry about being outraged all over again when some random CEO wears his bigoted heart on his sleeve. Ya know?
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