We'll Support Chick-Fil-A, Come What Mayo!
July 23, 2012 - Monday
Boston may be where America fought for its freedoms--but now, it's a city where businesses can't even exercise them! That's all thanks to city Mayor Tom Menino, who is making it known that private companies aren't welcome inside the city limits unless they share his politically narrow views. Last week, after Chick-Fil-A's CEO Dan Cathy affirmed his belief in man-woman marriage, Menino promised to single-handedly block the chain from Boston.
Despite the fact that Cathy's views are his own--and ignoring the company's pledge to "treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect"--the Mayor insists, "You can't have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population." (Apparently, you can have a mayor that does). "We're an open city," Menino told the Boston Herald, "We're a city that's at the forefront of inclusion." (Until, of course, that "inclusion" applies to people who support traditional marriage.) Surprising even the Herald staff, Mayor Menino threatened to use his political power for his personal vendetta against the Cathys, vowing to play hardball with Chick-Fil-A's permits if it ever decided to open a restaurant in the area. "If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult--unless they open up their policies."
For the government to engage in viewpoint discrimination is not only bad politics--it's unconstitutional. Chick-fil-A may be a private company, but that doesn't mean it has to surrender its beliefs at the dining room door. Under the First Amendment, executives at Chick-Fil-A are just as entitled as any American to speak publicly about their views. The editors at the Boston Herald agree. In a joint column, they write that the condemnation of "such an abuse of government power" should be "swift" and "overwhelming." "In Menino's city, the punishment for failing to toe the progressive line is banishment." Ironically, that's exactly the kind of despotism that Boston 's patriots were fighting more than 230 years ago. Increasingly, though, it is becoming apparent that this kind of ideological totalitarianism is the train that follows same-sex "marriage."
Even academia, which prided itself on intellectual freedom, is showing no tolerance for truth--even when that truth is empirically established. Mark Regnerus, the sociologist behind a sweeping study on same-sex parenting, is learning the hard way what it means to cross the liberal elite. His research, which outlines some negative outcomes of growing up in a homosexual household, has been annihilated by the Left--despite being the only gold-standard study of its kind. (Read the chilling story of Regnerus's life, post-publication, here.)
Anyone who thinks that redefining marriage will satisfy homosexual activists hasn't been paying attention. There is no appeasing this minority until the only freedom that exists in America is the freedom to agree with the radical Left. In the meantime, show your support for a company that insists on operating by its principles. Join Gov. Mike Huckabee next Wednesday, August 1, for Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. Stop by your local chain and show Mayor Menino that America is hungry for more corporate leadership like Dan Cathy's!
In Minnesota, Marriage Is Polling Its Weight
Not only is Mayor Menino misguided, he's also outnumbered. The majority of Americans still maintain that marriage is between a man and a woman--including states set to vote on the issue this November. In Minnesota, one of four states to decide on a constitutional amendment in November, not even the Secretary of State's ballot-naming shenanigans are dissuading voters from the referendum. A survey of likely Minnesota voters showed that the amendment was up by as many as 15 points with four months to go. The poll, which was conducted by SurveyUSA, found that 52% of voters would vote for the amendment, compared to 37% who opposed it.
Of course, the only survey that really matters is the one on Election Day. Whether it's Minnesota, Maine, Washington, or Maryland, we can't afford for anyone to stay home. Do your part to protect marriage! Join the efforts in these states by donating what you can. America may be on our side, but the cash flow never is. Visit these websites to see what you can do to help: Maryland Marriage Alliance, Preserve Marriage Washington, Minnesota for Marriage, and Protect Marriage Maine.
Worried about the Economy? Bank on the Family!
The Obama campaign's latest slogan is "Forward," which is more than a little ironic for a man helping to set the poverty rates back. This fall, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its comprehensive figures from 2011, and those who've gotten a preview of its findings say Americans have plenty of reason for concern. According to the Associated Press, the official poverty rate is set to rise to 15.7% (from 15.1% in 2010)--the highest level since the mid-1960s. Believe it or not, one in six people qualified as "poor" last year.
Economists cite a mixed bag of unemployment, the recession, and immigration--but the most important factor may be the one that few are talking about: the breakdown of the family. During Sen. Rick Santorum's presidential campaign, he had a simple strategy for reducing poverty. "Work, graduate from high school, and get married before you have children. Those three things, if you do, according to [the Brookings Institution], results in only two percent of people who do all those things ending up in poverty, and 77 percent above the national average in income."
At FRC's Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI), study after study confirms Sen. Santorum's approach. Investing in marriage and family may be the most significant thing America can do to get the population back on track. As Dr. Pat Fagan will tell you, "It is the intact married family with children that creates a larger share of revenue for government; it is that same configuration of family, more than any other that creates the most capital that can be used to grow our economy... The future strength of our nation depends on good marriages to yield strong revenues, good health, low crime, high education, and high human capital." For more in-depth analysis on the economy--including a new paper on how divorce harms it--check out MARRI online.
** With record numbers of pro-lifers in America, President Obama hasn't talked much about abortion. Unfortunately, his actions say plenty. Read more in Ken Blackwell's new CNSNews.com column, "President Obama's Covert Zeal for Abortion."