Chicago Values Vs. Chick Fil-A Values
Aug2
By John Feehery
Chicago Chick-fil-A on 8/1/12
I was driving in Crystal City the other day, thinking that maybe I would stop at Chick–Fil-A, you know, to show my support for the freedom of speech.
I didn’t do it because the line stretched around the block.
Now, I know that the chicken sandwich tastes pretty damn good there, but I wasn’t going to wait in line a half -hour to get it. But that sentiment wasn’t widely shared by the hundred people or so who were more than willing to wait in line.
Former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel boldly proclaimed the other day that Chick-Fil-A didn’t reflect Chicago values.
He said that with no sense of irony, which is unfortunate.
If Chicago adopted some of the values of the folks at Chick-Fil-A, perhaps there would be fewer murders. Chicago was recently crowned the deadliest Big City in the world.
Maybe the 80-year old man who was beaten to a pulp wouldn’t have been beaten to a pulp if Chicago had adopted the values of Chick-Fil-A.
It is hard to say. But holding up Chicago values as some sort of paragon of great virtue seems to be a bit of stretch to me.
Before Rahm became the Chief of Staff to President Obama (which was before he became Mayor of Chicago), he ran the campaign committee for House Democrats.
Rahm’s role was to recruit candidates who didn’t necessarily agree with Nancy Pelosi on every issue, but would agree to vote her in as Speaker. The Rahminator was very successful.
He helped to grow the Blue Dog Caucus because he didn’t really care what they believed. Several of these members are still in Congress today. In fact, more than a few of them owe their careers to Rahm Emanuel.
If I were running against Larry Kissell, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre, Mike Michaud, Ben Chandler or Jim Cooper, I would ask my opponent a simple question:
Do you have Chicago values, as promoted by Rahm Emanuel, or do you agree with the values of the hard-working folks who have helped to build Chick-Fil-A into the superior restaurant that it has become.
Do you support the values of the freedom of speech and freedom of expression or do you only support the agenda driven by the Mayor of Chicago?
I am pretty sure the voters would be eager to find out the answer to these simple questions.
I think when it came to the Chick-fil-A incident, “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” is the best policy (and for ALL companies, people, and politicians)! The country is already far too divided. Where will it ever stop? Are all companies soon going to be asked about their politics, announce their politics, and are more politicians going to be publicly taking sides when it comes to companies? This is all ridiculous and unnecessary in my opinion!
I think there is fault on both sides but far more fault with Rahm Emanuel. The Chick-Fil-A executive who made his public statement on a controversial issue clearly has the right to free speech but he should have known what the fringe who disagreed with him would do. He should have exercised better judgment in my opinion. However Rahm Emanuel is an elected public official and I think it is very wrong of him to take sides on an issue like this. Being the Mayor of Chicago, I think that Rahm has MANY bigger things to do and I do not believe it is any of his business to condemn a business in his city over what an executive thinks about an issue!
I really hope that how far this has unnecessarily gone with boycotts and in the media can help to be a teachable moment for companies to NOT speak out about political issues, for people to NOT ask a company about their politics, and for politicians to NOT take sides on issues like this when they “have much bigger fish to fry” to help their constituents! People certainly have the right to shop & eat wherever they want to and division in the country does not have to be made even worse than it already is. Hopefully politics can be kept out of businesses with “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” on all sides!