CSotD: Quick: Hand out the moral compasses!
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This Jim Morin panel isn't exactly the best comic of the day. For one thing, it was the company's COO, not CEO, who kicked off this whole kerfuffle.
But it's still about the only Chick-fil-A comic that makes a coherent point without relying either on purposefully misreading the facts or on reinforcing the initial bigotry. This has apparently been a tough topic for cartoonists to get their heads around.
There's been some rightwing kneejerkism following statements from various mayors about not wanting Chick-fil-A in their cities. The problem is, there's a difference between saying they aren't welcome and threatening to actively bend the law to exclude them from doing business there.
Boston's Menino said something about using zoning laws to keep them away, but quickly backed off that idea, calling it a mistake and tempering it with a more moderate “It’s my personal opinion, as mayor I can express myself as well and anybody else, but I just hope they don’t come to Boston …"
And apparently it was a Chicago alderman, not Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who threatened a similar bureaucratic barrier game there. But, since that alderman was never chief of staff to Barack Hussein Obama, the fire was directed at the guy who was, despite Emanuel's actual stated position: “Chick-Fil-A values are not Chicago values… They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents… This would be a bad investment, since it would be empty.”
Two points:
1. As Laurence Peter said, "Speak when you're angry and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." Yes, someone may have responded in a flash. It happens. They all seem to have backed off those initial, intemperate remarks, except for those who never actually made them.
2. Commentators, certainly including political cartoonists, have a duty to do a little research. Recycling what you heard on Fox or MSNBC is not "research." It's knee-jerking. Worse, it's like sitting next to the class clown so you can copy off his paper.
And I think Morin adequately covers Point One in his cartoon — no matter how offended you are, making that kind of threat is stupid. And every statement from a public figure since, including from liberals, has emphasized that point, though, even when they say there is no basis for actively blocking the business, some commentators continue to misrepresent their remarks. (Whether this is purposeful propaganda or simply ineptitude is, in the end, a distinction without a difference.)
The sticking point in this is that, while the personal views of COO Dan Cathy are reflected in various policies of the company, including Sunday closures, the company does not appear to discriminate based on sexual orientation.
This differentiates him from, say, Lester Maddox, who not only stated his support for segregation but actively worked to keep black customers out of his Pickrick Restaurant.
Nor is it similar to the controversy over the name of "Sambo's" back when that chain was still around. People objected to the name on the restaurant, not to the private views of the management, except, perhaps, for their continued defense of the ill-chosen monicker. (The company said the name was a combination of the names of its founders: "Sam Battistone" and "Newell Bohnett." It's good they weren't named "Nigel" and "Gerald.")
Which leaves Free Speech in an interesting and parlous place. I don't expect to hear praise for the ACLU, which spoke up in support of Chick-fil-A, and I'm not surprised at the flogging of Ron Emanuel.
But it seems transparently ridiculous for the Christian Taliban to insist that public officials should keep their personal values to themselves.
Yet, there they are, declaring that mayors should not speak out on moral issues while various conservative icons loudly praise Chick-fil-A's COO and urge people to buy the sandwiches to show their support for anti-gay positions and laws.
Come on, man.
And Now For Something Completely Different:
This week, Doonesbury has announced that they are retiring the older generation and letting Alex become the lead Doonesbury in the strip. But I can't tell if Trudeau is just playing with us, or making a serious shift. Given the playfulness of the arc, I suspect he's just goofing, but, on the other hand, he's done a lot to develop Alex and Toggle, including getting them married.
Your guess is as good as mine.
On the other hand, today's Dick Tracy suggests a retro move to which one can only respond "Egad!"
Mike Peterson has posted his "Comic Strip of the Day" column every day since 2010. His opinions are his own, but we welcome comments either agreeing or in opposition.
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