Well said Jean. These on-line conversations tend to get mean spirited so I'm going to avoid the "political correctness run amok" which will no doubt follow. Your points were thoughtful and succint. What's dissapointing to me is today there is a same-sex-kiss-in planned in front of CF's across the country. I think more people than not realize the reactionary misstep with regards to this issue. This kiss-in accomplishes nothing. It will simply make some people feel uncomfortable (does that promote tolerance?) and possibley goad others with more convervative views into saying something that will exasperate the issue needlessly. Why not let it be. As you said, in the end those most effected are sadly the minimum wage workers behind the counter.

This is a viewpoint that has been neglected in almost all of the media coverage I have read. I was just thinking yesterday about how the employees that are stuck in the middle of all this are being affected. Thank you for sharing.

Jean, thanks for your post. You stated what all of us are thinking.
I think that the best story I heard on Wednesday was a sign on a
Wendy's restaurant in Columbia, SC. It said "We support Chick-fil-A,
Please eat there today ... we will."

Dan Cathy is in the business of collecting money from people who sell chicken sandwiches. The franchise owners pay 50% of their profits to the Cathy family. And we know that a good chunk of that 50% goes to organizations that actively fight against equal rights for an entire group of Americans.

You, as a franchisee of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company in La Grange, failed to mention this in your blog post.

Franchisees do not have to ask the Chick-Fil-A CEO what his beliefs are. He tells them and expects them to agree with him before you can own a franchise. These people know what they are getting into and they are all lock-step with his beliefs.

The thousands of people who came out to buy chicken sandwiches the other day were not doing so to support the local franchises. They were ALL coming out in their support of hatred for a whole group of American people.

People who are my friends and my family. And you say "so what"?

Jeff Ownby (family of 6)
La Grange

Well said Jeff, and now I will no longer be going to Rocky Mountain Chocolate, I choose not to support people who hide their hate and pure ignorance behind the wall of sympathy for the "hard working american."

The claim that marriage is a religious institution is disingenuous. I have never needed a church or religion to get married and you have to go to a courthouse to get a divorce. Mr. Cathy has a right to oppose a marriage in his church but no right in a court of law. Our constitution guarantees every American life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I don't remember seeing any restrictions set. Oh wait there was one. The separation of CHURCh AND STATE.

And I too will no longer go to Rocky Mountain.

As per my original point...and so it begins.

God said "Love thy neighbor. " Seems to me he left a gender requirement out for a reason.

The point of the boycott is to not give Mr Cathy a source of cash to fund groups that work to deny Americans civil liberties. If that hurts the franchise then the blame rests on Cathy alone, not the boycott.

Doug,

I understand the point of the boycott. I'm willing to be bet that the Cathy Cash will outlive you and me, and our children. My point is, a boycott will not hurt Dan Cathy. It will hurt the guy in front of us, the young people who lose their jobs, the local government who will lose the sales tax revenue,

If your brother owned a CFA, and his business went belly up through no fault of his own, I am assuming you would feel bad for him. You would want to help him if you possibly could.

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
"Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me."

At some point we must stand up for what is right.

Jean if supporting someone, friend or family, meant going against a core belief I held they would have to make due without my aid. And if you were a friend or family you would already know this to be true.
Cathy is using money he gets from franchises to promote hate. I'm sure the boycott hurts the franchise owner, the people working ther also. But it does not come close to the millions being denied their human and civil right to marry the one they love,

The Defense of Marriage Act (1996) relieves the states from Full Faith and Credit obligations in the matter of same-sex marriages. Those who disagree with the law are free to argue for its repeal, just as those who agree should be free to argue for its affirmation. Those mired in the fever swamps (you know who you are) should consult professional help first and then join the conversation.

Reject
Andrew Vergeaghe
7:45 pm on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Kevin you are absolutely correct, our system of government is set so that we can take an active part in the formation of law. That's pretty awesome.
The idea that we as its citizens would allow a large percentage of our population to be relegated to a sub-set of citizenry denied basic rights is an acceptable.
What's more unacceptable is the blasé attitude taken by those who feel that, because they themselves are not denied those freedoms, we should allow the same freedoms to be denied others simply because they are different.
Fever Swamp- hardly

Mixing religion into marriage is as valid as mixing maple syrup into particle physics. Or to put it another way, marriage needs a church like a fish needs a bicycle. Marriage in the USA is a social contract between the couple and the state, not a church, even though the church is sanctioned by state to perform marriages once a marriage license is obtained by the couple. At the licensing stage, religion becomes mixed with government if that license is not granted to a same-sex couple. It's pretty simple, really...these laws prohibiting same-sex marriage are unconstitutional as they establish a state religion.

As for the comment that "I know, I know, a lot of them were there to support Dan Cathy, but so what. Men died so that you, and me and Dan Cathy can express our opinion. That is what it means to live in a FREE society", I laugh at you. It's evidently OK for you to express your opinion but not those who disagree with Dan Cathy. That makes you a first-order hypocrite.

Mouse,

I'm pretty sure I have stated repeatedly that I value and respect everyone's opinion. The funny thing is you all assume you know my opinion, on this issue, but how could you because I have never said what it is. BECAUSE that was not the point go my blog which I don't feel I need to restate. The irony here is you all assume Dan Cathy hates gay people, you assume I support Dan Cathy so you are calling me.....let's see...ignorant, a hypocrite, blaze, and my very favorite..... that I'm "hiding my hate and ignorance behind a wall of sympathy for the "hard working American".

You guys know nothing about me other than i' a small business and I support hard working small business owners. Ironic?

Jean chose to have lunch at CFA, and not another small business owner location, to support a franchisee who others wanted to boycot because of something their stupid franchise owner did. She felt that a boycot would hurt the franchisee (who had nothing to do with what Cathy said) more than Cathy (who is who people wanted to hurt), and she wanted to help the franchisee instead. Nothing more. Stop trying to read more into it, and bring in all this religious and political crap.

I also own a franchise, and I can tell you that I did not research the founder before I bought. I did plenty of research on the brand perception, the financials, the location, etc. Maybe I'm a bad franchisee for not looking into where my founder donates his money, but I didn't. All you people apparently did that, and you don't like Cathy, or his business. Fine, don't spend your money there. As Jean said, that is your choice, and she supports that. Jean was simply pointing out that before you hold back your money to hurt Cathy, remember that holding back your money to hurt Cathy will hurt others that may not support him in this matter either. It is all about making sure you know who gets hurt before you act, not supporting Cathy. If you read her blog, and decide you still want to hurt the franchisee too, then that is also your choice, and she supports that.

I will not boycot Rocky Mountain, and will now shop there more often, to make up for you nasty people who will.

Jim and Jim Boo....not sure if you are the same person.

Thanks for your comments and understanding my point whether you agree or not. I'm done with this conversation thread and off to write my a new blog.....about small business.

Scott, I did not know how different a CFA franchise is from a regular franchise until you all started telling me. I found it interesting that they can even be called franchises with that business model. I did call a few CFA stores and talked to the owners. They only agreed to talk to me if I didn't say who they were. These are people who would never had gotten a regular franchise because they would not have been able to afford it. I really only asked them about the business model. They are sincere, honest, hard working people.

I did not check out the beliefs of my franchisor. I checked the same things Jim checked.

We live in a society of religious and political freedom. That would never in a million years crossed my mind to care what they believe in. I understand that people might think its different in CFAs culture, and maybe it is. If it is, I find it very interesting that the franchise in NH is very publicly supporting the Gay Pride parade in his state in August. The truth is none of really know for sure.

Nice posting Jean-I learned a lot! Thanks for taking the high road and for those that stay away, more chocoloate for the rest of us! : )

You are pretty awesome Anython P. :-)

There's something that will evoke even more ire from the cyber world....(but thanks!)