Chicago's Chicken Little

"The sky is falling; the sky is falling," said the little chicken.

You would think Henny Penny, or Chicken Little as she is also known, had taken over the soul of Rahm Emanuel.  The Chicago mayor, Obama's former right hand man, announced yesterday that "'Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values. They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values."

The frightful position that warrants this harsh and blatantly discriminatory stance by the mayor is the admission by Chick-fil-A's president, Dan Cathy, that he is in favor of traditional marriage. As reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cathy said, "We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."

So apparently traditional family values are no longer acceptable in Chicago if the city's mayor is correct. This is ironic on so many levels that it is hard to believe it is not pure fiction. One wants to ask what planet Rahm Emanuel comes from. You don't have to be homophobic to see that grandstanding against the lifestyle embraced by 90% of the population is ludicrous.

The news outlets seem to be focusing on the surface of this issue; no surprise there. They question whether it is a wise move by any company to offend those who support more liberal values. They wonder if the owner of a private concern has the right to express an opinion that may upset some of his patrons. Do anti-discrimination laws forbid private private business owners from public statements about their personal beliefs, they want to know.

I want to know if anybody sees the larger issue here. Emanuel is joined in his anti-family view by the mayor of Boston and, to read the blogs, every pro-gay spokesperson on the web. There may be an IED in the path of these people. This could blow up in their faces if supporters of traditional family values protest in sufficient numbers, in intelligent arguments that highlight the hypocrisy in this issue. The proponents of tolerance are revealing themselves as the most intolerant of all people.

The last time I wrote in this space I suggested Christians can be opposed to homosexuality for numerous "secular" reasons. Here again Christians, Muslims, anyone who believes in traditional family values can be genuinely outraged by Emanuel's statement with no reference to any religious bias. The position the gay lobby is trying to achieve is simply not constitutional. The First Amendment guarantees the right to hold and to express family values -- even in Chicago.

Ironically, the ACLU has come out on the side of Cathy. This is the first time in my memory that I have agreed with that institution. For once, a liberal outfit decries the unconstitutional treatment of Christian beliefs. If it were not so far to drive, I would go straight to the nearest Chick-fil-A for a celebratory meal in support of the company and the position expressed by Dan Cathy. Even better would be to visit a Chick-fil-A in Chicago (yes, they are there.)

There was a time when being banned in Boston was an honor; that time may have returned. I hope the family values people in Boston and Chicago (and everywhere else) raise a sky pounding noise. Then the sky may start falling as Chicken Little feared; I only hope it hits Rahm Emanuel, not us.