About 12 years ago I was working for a company that sent me on a trip to King of Prussia, PA, not exactly a long way from NY. Anyway it was exciting, my first ever business trip to a place I had never been, to help open up a new store location. While there I was introduced to a delicious Chicken Sandwich that changed the way I felt about, what else, Chicken Sandwiches. Chick-Fil-A, I'd never heard of it, but was told I would love it. They were right. The breaded Chicken was mouth watering, and was as moist as any I'd eaten ever before, especially from a fast food restaurant. When me and the family moved out west we were lucky enough to have a Chick-Fil-A close by to enjoy their amazing Chicken Biscuits for breakfast, and their tasty sandwiches at all other times of the day. And the Fries, criss-cut deliciousness that melt in your mouth. Another great thing about Chick-Fil-A was their extremely attentive staff, and the super clean restaurants, far better than any other fast food place. When we moved back to the New York area just over five years ago, we were bummed to find out that Chick-Fil-A had yet to open a location so we figured we would just have to live without.
So today while I was sitting in front of the computer checking my Twitter peeps to see what was happening, I had a hunger thought. How good would it be to walk into a Chick-Fil-A in Manhattan? Then I wondered...why the heck isn't there any in the NYC area? Don't they realize how much business they are missing? So I looked into it. I searched the web to for articles that may or may not gave the reasons why, and let me tell you, I was completely SHOCKED with what I found.
First there was a bit of excitement when I found out that there actually is a Chick-Fil-A in Manhattan, only that it's inside of the NYU campus cafeteria, so if you want some you have to go inside. It seems that Aramark, the company that runs the cafeteria has a deal with Chick-Fil-A to offer their products to the student population at New York University. Wow right? Well not so....
In reading further I found out some disturbing info about the company and why exactly they are not in Manhattan, or any of the five boroughs. Apparently they are scared to be in NYC....and not for the normal reasons either. You see the lovely corporation that owns Chick-Fil-A donates money through it's WinShape Foundation, to various Anti-Gay Groups to the tune of over $5 Million since 2003. For instance a groups called Eagle Forum, Focus on the Family, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Family Research Council, and Exodus International. Let me tell you what some of these groups stand for:
Supports a woman's role as a full time home maker
Support English only education in schools
Oppose same-sex marriage
Oppose sex education
Oppose immunizations for newborns
Oppose LGBT rights
Oppose Stem Cell research
Believe that Global Warming is caused by human activity and pornography
Oppose distribution of contraceptives
Believe that same-sex attraction can be repaired through therapy
Just to make myself clear, these are facts, and not my opinion. It would seem that Chick-Fil-A fears massive protests if they were ever to open a location in New York. This has already happened at the campus at NYU where a student has brought forth a petition to shut down the location. Also a location on the campus of Northeastern University was squashed due to the school listening to student concerns about Chick-Fil-A's apparent anti-gay stance. In response to these allegations the owner, Dan Cathy, defended the company by saying..."We're not anti-anybody, our mission is to create raving fans." Hmmm...then why donate to groups that believe the opposite? Honestly I believe everyone has a right to believe in any view they want no matter how reprehensible it may seem. But when an organization, or business, like a Chick-Fil-A donates money to organizations that are anti-gay, I gotta say that's bad business. Singling out a part of the population by saying you oppose who and what they are is saying you don't want their money. If the owner, or his family, had donated their own money to these groups, well then that's their prerogative whether I like it or not.
So to sum it all up I have to say that I will not be going to a Chick-Fil-A ever again, that's my right, and if you don't agree with me that's ok. Think about it...what if a restaurant you frequented gave money to organizations that believed in segregation? What if they gave money to a group that believed women are inferior? What if they donated money to atheists? How would you feel then?
I agree with my friend above. Quiet as you kept it Chic file a is far from struggling. And they're closed on Sundays because it's an openly Christian based business. So they support other organizations that are likewise and last time I checked homosexuality was an abomination to the God they serve. If you chose not to spend your money there that is yours and the gays prerogative. But to petition to shut a business down because they don't agree with a certain lifestyle is unruley. People will lose jobs and can't feed their families all because a man wants to kiss a man and a woman wants to hold hands with a woman. Get it right Chic Fil A isn't refusing service to gays they just don't support their lifestyle which is their legal right.
ReplyDeletepoop
ReplyDelete