Chick-fil-A & Freedom of Expression

Post date: Aug 02, 2012 1:12:26 PM

It reminds me how lucky we are to live in a nation of free expression. The President of Chick-fil-A freely expresses his opinion on a hot political issue: gay marriage. The mayors of Boston and Chicago freely express their opinions against his opinion, and they try to block Chick-Fil-A from expanding into their cities. Citizens react by vowing to boycott Chick-Fil-A. Radio talk show hosts and others rally supporters to turn out in big numbers to support Chick-Fil-A. Gay couples vow to kiss inside a Chick-Fil-A.

These furors tend to die down within a matter of days, but they remind society that freedom of expression is not free. Sometimes our comments have consequences. Sometimes we have to put up with unpleasant statements and actions from others. Sometimes we have to consider where the boundaries lie between the rights of opposing groups.

I love all of it. I love that the President of a major corporation is able to express his opinion freely. I love that leaders can take a stand against such a business. I love that consumers can decide to boycott a business based on the views of its leadership. I love that consumers can rally in support of a business in response to a boycott. In the end, we are made stronger by the tension created by such freedoms.