Today I saw photographs of people on the internet uniting in support of free speech.  They went, in there thousands, to different branches of ‘Chick-Fil-A’ across America for the world’s newest calendar event, ‘Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day’.  This development came as a response to the controversy caused by COO Dan Carthy’s very open opposition of same-sex marriage and The Chick-Fil-A’s very generous donations to organisations that aim to prevent every move towards it being legalised.  So today, Chick-Fil-A’s loving and loyal customers supported their courageous preacher and flocked to his restaurants.  And they did so in the name of free speech.  The hashtag ‘straightpride’ appeared often typed in the same virtual breath as ‘freespeech’ across Twitter, but it was mainly about free speech.  Free speech and the right to protect the sanctity of religion and the right to defend traditional family values and not being gay…

They sat, side-by-side, amongst (strictly) like-minded people and paid money to a rich, powerful establishment all under the safe Chick-Fil-A roof – one congregation even burst into song.  Did I say congregation?  Apologies, I meant collection of customers.  Inspired by this venture, this upholding of what is certainly one of our most treasured rights as human beings: free speech, I am here to exercise my own.
No longer should anyone, preaching anything, be approached hesitantly because they have comfortably bubbled themselves in their right of religion.  They should not under a mask of religious right be appeased.  Yes, gather.  Yes, feast.  Yes, voice your opinion – but be prepared to be told by people who do not care if they offend, that sometimes, you are simply wrong.  You have already hijacked to some what is the sanctity of Christianity, you will not do the same to the peoples’ free speech.  Do not hide any longer if you are in fact as proud as you claim, come forth and proudly say what it is exactly you are celebrating the freedom to say:  that some of your fellow human beings deserve less rights than you.
To all of you who visited a Chick-Fil-A today be it with specific intent of appreciating, be it to protest against the vibrant display of disrespect, or be it simply out of habit, uniformed of any controversy and finding yourself amidst what seemed to be Chick-Fil-A’s extremely popular annual sing-while-you-chew day, I respect you.  I do so because you are people and deserve it, but I do not, and am under no obligation to, respect your ideas – however you mask them.

After hearing that Chick-Fil-A broke sale records, the only comfort I can take from these photographs is this:  unless you were there today a white, wealthy, able-bodied, educated, insured, healthy, under 50, one time married, entirely American male who has one child to account for every one notch on his bed post, then customer, the people who fight you today are the same people who fought for you yesterday.

(The article/photographs: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/01/chick-fil-a-appreciation-day-draws-supporters-crowds-and-protests-photos-tweets-and-more.html)