Link with 3 notes
“It’s much more difficult to induce support for free speech rights when the speech being punished is repellent.”
I completely agree. You don’t shame or peer pressure someone into following your beliefs, because then that’s not genuine change. I hate it when people make a statement and then waffle just because others attack their opinion. If you have a strong conviction, stick to it.
If you eventually change your opinion after having intelligent conversations with others, then that’s great. I personally think it’s wrong to single out Chik-fil-A for their beliefs when we’re surrounded by much worse.
Have you stopped using your phone because it’s made in sweatshops with minerals mined by slaves in horrible, unhealthy conditions? Stopped filling up at Chevron, eating Nestle or Hershey products, banking at Bank of America, or shopping at Walmart? No? Are you up-to-date on the companies you patronize? Then shut the fuck up.
Obviously use your purchasing power to reflect your beliefs and make a small impact against companies you don’t believe in. As a consumer that’s the responsible thing to do.
But singling out Chik-fil-A as if they’re the only corporation run by religious conservatives is silly. Good for them that they’re sticking up for something they believe in, it’s refreshing to see a company stand for something other than maximizing shareholder profits. I don’t agree with the Chik-fil-A owner’s beliefs but I also don’t agree with almost all corporation owners’ beliefs. They are a privately-held company voicing their beliefs, which is a first amendment right.
Once people are showing this much concern for the impoverished, environmental disasters, and other injustices I’ll be a little more convinced this isn’t just a childish faux-controversy to keep the A.D.D. masses distracted from the real issues. (LGBT rights is a real issue, banning Chik-Fil-A is not)