I say this as a same-sex marriage supporter: this is dumb, Menino.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from bringing its Southern-fried fast-food empire to Boston — possibly to a popular tourist spot just steps from the Freedom Trail — after the family-owned firm’s president suggested gay marriage is “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.”
“Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion,” Menino told the Herald yesterday.
“That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail.”
…because if Chick-fil-A actually does decide to try to expand into Boston and the Mayor’s office does block the applications then I imagine that the first thing that Chick-fil-A’s lawyers are going to check is whether there’s any, say, Southern Baptist and/or Roman Catholic-affiliated organizations with a business on the Freedom Trail – or applying for business permits in the City of Boston. And then, when those lawyers find those examples, the next step is to ask why the City of Boston is discriminating against a private company for taking the same position on same-sex marriage as, to reiterate the point, the Archdiocese of Boston.
Don’t get me wrong: I would like Chick-fil-A to change its position on same-sex marriage. But it’s not even in the marriage business! They’d be discriminating if they banned homosexuals from their restaurants, either as customers or employees; and the next report that I see that they’re doing that will be the first. Whether I like it or not – and the universe is notably indifferent to my suffering – opposition to same-sex marriage is not exactly fringe*.
I appreciate that Menino has a particular – and apparently highly provincial – demographic to cater to, but you’d think that he would have thought this through.
Moe Lane
*Neither is support for it, for the benefit of those snickering at my slight gritting of teeth at watching people who are technically on my side make asses of themselves (and by extension, me) again.
It’s beyond the point of parody
“We’re an open city (so you aren’t welcome)”
I’m not a lawyer, but does this not run afoul of “Equal Protection”? I thought it was illegal for govt to discriminate based on viewpoint. I know this applies to permits for protests, speeches and such. Would it not also apply to business licenses? After all, corporations are now legally persons. Could a city require a loyalty oath to the gay community from every business that applies? That is certainly what it is trying to do in this case. Seems ludicrous to me.
Note: I’m not making a flat statement based on extensive knowledge. If someone knows differently, I would appreciate the education.
There’s no “by extension” at play here. For the record, I am not on your side when it comes to gay marriage. But everyone who reads your site regularly, whether we agree or disagree with you on any given issue, recognizes that you hold your position for principled reasons, and that just because someone stupid is on your/our side that doesn’t reflect poorly on anyone but them.
They’re not on your side. You seek for public acceptance of gay marriage; they seek to impose it.
Ironic, isn’t it, that the most provincial of attitudes shows up among the so-called enlightened intellectuals.
Mew
A Libby thinking something through….ya gotta be kidding’ me, eh?
I’m a State Hospital Psychiatrist. I see the lives damaged by fractured marriages every day. I support no more attacks on the institution of marriage. Civil Unions are one thing, but we need to support traditional marriage. Marriage exists to sublimate male sexual urges into support of society and family, and it does an excellent job of it when supported properly.
All this being said, the Mayor of Boston is a poofter.
eat mor chikin…..
Chik-Fil-A can come to S/E Michigan all they want. There’s 2 or 3 areas they might not be welcome {Ferndale, Royal Oak, Ann Arbor} but dozens would welcome them with open arms.
Yeah, this IS an invitation.
I live in Boston, Menino never thinks anything through…that’s, of course, if you can understand what he’s saying
Remember, folks: “Tolerance” NEVER includes tolerance for people who disagree with Leftist orthodoxy. Never.