Eat Mor Freedum

posted by Erik

It was hard to ignore the Chik-fil-A hype this past week. So was the logic, or lack thereof.

Some common arguments on comment threads were:

1. this is a "free speech" issue
2. stop whining
3. marriage is between a man and a woman
4. we need to "take our country back"
5. "if you don't like it you can leave"
6. random stuff about the intentions of a god

Its hard for me to even begin, because I'm prejudice, I'm a libertarian (not in the lib-party sense). So at its core both sides are off-base in this debate, let people do and say what they want, but the caveat is "keep your mitts off others."

So with that in mind, people can whine, people can support hate groups, and pro/anti-rights groups, but the money should stop there. Keep the state out of my business, keep your nose out of my business, let people do what they want, again the caveat being "keep your mitts off others." However, back to reality, not my utopia, Chik-fil-A supports groups that want state involvement, and legislative policy to restrict freedoms, not grow them. Beyond my utter disgust in the very idea of a state, or money in politics for that matter, I have to side with neither. Both sides are arguing that the other is restricting freedom, but in the act of arguing they are looking right past freedom, and arguing that the other side's freedom should be restricted...sorta.

1. so what if it is-- and corporations are people now too right?
2. everyone is whining
3. whatever-- circular reasoning squabbles about definitions are pointless
4. how does "our" become "your" by the way?
5. see #4. and leave "me" alone
6. see video below

Marriage is "supported" by making your marriage work with your spouse, and keeping your nose out of the business of other people's marriage. When you interfere with other people's right to support each other in marriage, you have crossed the line of hypocrisy. What bothers me, is why the state even recognizes marriage, and gives perks for marriage (or kids) period; to me this is state-sanctioned prejudice, but again I'm not for states to begin with so my opinion doesn't count, and I should take my mitts and "leave."

Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the "wall of separation between church and state," therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society. Thomas Jefferson, to the Virginia Baptists (1808)

Damn, now if I could just erect that wall on all sides of the state to make it irrelevant, this whole freakin' debate would not have occurred, but as it stands, both sides are outside the wall trying to get in. They want in so they can make the state into themselves and what they think is right; they want to get their mitts into other people's business in the name of freedom because they are the vanguard that knows what's best for you.



To change gears and stay on topic, did I mention that I like science, as it pretty much flies in the face of idiocracy:
6.

To move father off topic, but perhaps to the bottom of all this...I have to wonder about the morality or ethical mind-set of a person that participates in factory farming, and the suffering and death of millions. Sure, he gets paid for this, and that could be reason enough to do it, but there's gotta be some disconnect in Samuel Truett Cathy's mind. Of course there is a slim chance he hasn't seen the suffering, or the massive piles of waste. Maybe he hasn't considered the resources used for feed as wasteful either. Is he heartless, blind, dumb, or just a business man after money in-spite of the repercussions? I'm guessing all the above, as he seems to view some people as less than human, like chickens, and is willing to spend money to make them suffer inhumane conditions. He has values, but what are they worth? Beyond the debate and rights issues, what I really care about are the chickens, as I've written most humans off as insufferable primitive barbarians capable of better, but somehow one egg short.