I absolutely agree that Christians are not a persecuted minority in the United States, however much some of them relish the martyr image.

Neither, for that matter, are corporate CEOs.

I don't feel badly for the chicken king. And honestly, he's probably having the time of his life right now. The franchise owners who wish the CEO would shut the hell up and let them peddle their greasy fried rat-turds in peace, not so much.

I think it's funny how people are saying it's a free speech issue. No one is saying Dan Cathy shouldn't have the right to voice his opinion. But don't expect people to support you if you make bigoted statements. Just because you're claiming it's part of your religion to be a bigot doesn't mean it's right. What about using religion to justify segregation?

As for the boycott of Chick Fil A based on one what the President and COO said, the issue is that he's trying to associate his view with that of his company.

Rahm Emmanuel got mentioned. I dont' know why he's making a stand against Chick Fil A, but inviting Louis Farrakhan and the NOI to Chicago considering the statements Farrakhan has made about gays.

In several cities, including Chicago and Louisville, government officials made noises about punishing Chick-Fil-A by denying it necessary permits or removing it from public property. They did so because they disagreed with the political acts of the CEO.

That's what made it a free speech issue and that's why Rahm Emmanuel got mentioned.

You want to stage a national kiss-in at the restaurants? Great. But don't sic the government on businesses solely because you don't agree with their politics. That's wrong, and it can work both ways.

I stand corrected. I thought that the Chick Fil A appreciation day was initially in response to the boycotts and not what Menino and others did and said.

Well, I was speaking of my own concerns.

I don't know what prompted the "appreciation day." The Rev. Mike Huckleberry -- former governor of Arkansas and a big, big, big fan of fast food -- organized that. It may well have been a response to the boycotts.

Here's the press release.

Apparently it was a response to homophobia being described as homophobic.

I'm sure as heck not going to defend Huckleberry.

Politics aside, it wasn't that many years ago the obese Republican presidential candidate lost weight and lectured other Americans -- correctly -- that they need to eat healthier.

Dude literally wrote a book called “Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork.”

Now he wants everyone to eat fast-food fried chicken and waffle fries and Cokes.

Well, in a sense, I guess that sort of diet will bring you closer to Jesus. You'll be dead soon, anyway.

"if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant."
^From Mike Huckabee.

It doesn't really matter how many people draw comparisons to the fight for Civil Rights and Marriage Equality or gay rights in general. The people against equal rights for gays argue that it's different because people of color are born that way, but being gay is a learned behavior that can be corrected.

Which is why you have some Republican politicians citing people who used to be gay but became straight again. It's possible the people they mention were either just experimenting, are bi-sexual, or really are gay and just repressing their true sexual orientation due to religious and societal pressure.

Interestingly, Bill O'Reilly said, "Traditional forces won," in regards to Chick Fil A's Appreciation Day being a success instead of citing it as a freedom of speech victory.

This always strikes me as an offensive suggestion (and I realize that you, Gerald, are not making it, you're simply discussing it).

"Gays ain't the same thing as blacks, see, 'cause blacks, they can't help that they're black, but gays don't have to be gay if they don't want to be."

Aside from the fact that science suggests sexual orientation is something we're born with, so the suggestion is incorrect, can anyone see how it's also a tad racist?

Of course. "Can't help being Black," suggests the color of your skin is a bad thing, but it also implies that if you could somehow hide your ethnicity then you'd be okay.