MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
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Few Resist the Temptation to Opine on Chick-fil-A by Mark Oppenheimer
By EmmaZahn on Sat, 08/04/2012 - 4:18pm |
Despite what you have read, the Chick-fil-A controversy is not just about same-sex marriage. It’s about how shrewd operators use the news media to get their message out.
On July 16, an online Southern Baptist publication quoted Dan Cathy, whose family owns the Chick-fil-A fast-food chain, saying he endorses “the biblical definition of the family unit.” Right away, liberal mayors insisted the poultry outfit avoid their gay-friendly cities. By contrast, conservative Christians and two former presidential candidates — Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum — asked like-minded consumers to eat more Chick-fil-A, in solidarity with the Cathys, if not with chickens.
Mr. Cathy’s comments were not news. The Cathys have long been public about their religious beliefs; anybody with a Google toolbar could easily surmise that Mr. Cathy opposes same-sex marriage.
But the combination of fast food and gay marriage was irresistible to politicians, activists and preachers — people who need opportunities for good symbolism, for low-cost ways to signal where they stand.
URL:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/04/us/taking-sides-on-chick-fil-a-is-a-temptation-few-can-resist.html
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