In an online discussion, Jay Gilbert
made the following insightful comment about the Chick-Fil-A controversy
and how government officials in Boston and Chicago are treating the
business:
"I fully support boycotting the
restaurant (I have for years), but I think no government official has
any business exerting this kind of pressure over someone's spoken
opinion. This is exactly what the First Amendment is about: letting
citizens say what they think, letting other citizens respond in
appropriate ways, and government staying the hell out of it. In Chicago
it's even worse, where an alderman is proudly blocking a long-standing
Chick-Fil-A building permit. Is that where we want this to go? 50 years
ago this would have meant you supported the government shutting down the
businesses of anyone who spoke in FAVOR of gay rights."