July 30, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – More and more politicians are showing their colors in statements supporting or condemning Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy’s statement regarding his company’s support for traditional family values.
A New York City Councilor, Christine Quinn, issued a letter on Saturday demanding that the only Chick-fil-A restaurant in the city, located at New York University, be shut down.
“I urge you to sever your relationship with the Chick‐fil‐A establishment that exists on your campus,” she wrote in a letter to John Sexton, the president of NYU. “This establishment should be replaced with an establishment where the ownership does not denigrate a portion of our population.”
Quinn’s letter is in contradiction to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s statement during his Friday, July 27th morning radio show where he defended the right of Chick‐fil‐A to open and operate restaurants where they pleased.
“It’s inappropriate for a city government, or a state government, or the federal government to look at somebody’s political views and decide whether or not they can live in the city, or operate a business in the city, or work for somebody in the city,” Bloomberg said.
“You can’t have a test for what the owners’ personal views are before you decide to give a permit to do something in the city. You really don’t want to ask political beliefs or religious beliefs before you issue a permit. That’s just not government’s job,” the mayor said.
In reference to negative comments about Chick‐fil‐A by the mayors of Boston and Chicago, Bloomberg said, “I disagree with them really strongly on this one.”
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Boston mayor, Thomas Menino, has since recanted his statement that Chick-fil-A was not welcome in his town.
Menino told the Boston Herald that although he still personally disagrees with Dan Cathy’s support for traditional family values, he wouldn’t stop Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in Boston because “that would be interference to his rights to go there.”
Mayor Bloomberg’s statement aligns him with many Chick‐fil‐A supporters who have stepped forward over the past number of days, such as Texas State Senator Dan Patrick, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink, Rev. Billy Graham, International Christian Concern, the National Organization for Marriage, the Family Research Council, the American Civil Liberties Union, and many others.
Now two more public figures have added their voices in support of Chick-fil-A.
Former Minnesota Governor and possible vice-presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty stated that he found the derisive opinions of government officials against Chick-fil-A “chilling.”
“Now you have the police power of government intimidating and threatening people, being used to intimidate and threaten people, based on their free speech rights and their religious views,” Pawlenty said Saturday at a call-in discussion in Cary, North Carolina.
“I mean it’s chilling. I mean it’s stunning, it is jaw-dropping. And so I think strong people who see this need to stand up and say no we don’t do that in the United States,” Pawlenty said.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin added her approval of Chick-fil-A on Friday when she posted a picture on Twitter of herself and husband Todd standing at the counter of a Chick-fil-A restaurant flashing huge smiles and a thumbs-up, with the caption, “Stopped by Chick-fil-A in The Woodlands to support a great business.”
Palin was attending a rally for Republican Senate primary challenger Ted Cruz near Houston, Texas, where, according to a Politico report, she urged Cruz’s supporters to visit Chick-fil-A and publicly advised an aide that they would be stopping by the fast-food eatery on the way to the airport.
“Jason, you’re going to have to take me on our way back to the airport later,” she said, referring to the aide. “We drive by a Chick Fil-A. We don’t have that in Alaska. Love me some Chick Fil-A. So we’ll go there, Jason, on the way, OK?”
A “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” was launched on Facebook by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, asking supporters to “simply show up and eat at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, August 1.”
“I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick-fil-A company because the CEO, Dan Cathy, made comments recently in which he affirmed his view that the Biblical view of marriage should be upheld,” wrote Mr. Huckabee.
“We’re simply asking people to eat chicken and not to be one when it’s time to take a stand-our appreciation is not only for the views of Dan Cathy, but for his right to have them and express them freely.”
At last count, nearly half a million people said they would “Eat mor chikin” at Chick-fil-A on August 1 to show support for the restaurant.
In a sad turn of events, Chick-fil-A announced on Friday that at the same time the company was hit by the media firestorm, its Vice President of Public Relations, Don Perry, died suddenly of a heart attack.
“We are saddened to report the news to you that our dear friend Don Perry, vice president of public relations, passed away suddenly this morning,” a statement from the company said.
“Don was a member of our Chick-fil-A family for nearly 29 years. For many of you in the media, he was the spokesperson for Chick-fil-A. He was a well-respected and well-liked media executive in the Atlanta and University of Georgia communities, and we will all miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Information on “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” is available here. (https://www.facebook.com/events/266281243473841/)
Contact information:
New York City Councillor Christine Quinn
District Office Address
224 West 30th St (Suite 1206)
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 564-7757
Fax: (212) 564-7347
Email: via website contact page (https://council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml)