Family Foundation decries U of L officials’ stance on Chick-fil-A
By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com
FRANKFORT — A conservative group called the University of Louisville politically “intolerant” and “Orwellian” on Monday after school officials said they may oust Chick-fil-A from campus because of comments made by the restaurant’s president.
The Family Foundation, a non-profit conservative group, said U of L was “turning its nose up” at Kentucky taxpayers who voted overwhelmingly in 2004 for a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy told a religious publication earlier this month that his company backs the traditional family unit.
Last week, U of L President James Ramsey and provost Shirley Willihnganz issued a statement saying they personally did not plan to eat at Chick-fil-A anytime soon. Willihnganz later said the university was talking with its food vendor to determine if the university could cancel its contract with Chick-fil-A, which has a restaurant in the university’s student center.
The move was prompted by an online petition by U of L students.
U of L is not the only public university to consider removing the eatery from campus because of statements by Cathy. Wichita State and the University of Kansas also are reportedly considering removing Chick-fil-A after student protests.
“If James Ramsey and U of L have no use for a private business that supports traditional marriage, then they have no business asking for funds from taxpayers in a state whose voters approved by a 75 percent margin a 2004 constitutional amendment saying virtually the same thing,” said Martin Cothran, a senior policy analyst for the Family Foundation.
Trying to remove the restaurant because of Cathy’s stance on traditional marriage is “simply Orwellian,” said Cothran, referring to George Orwell’s novel “1984.”
“It’s 2012 almost everywhere else,” Cothran said, “but at U of L it seems to be 1984.”
Mark Hebert, a spokesman for U of L, said the university has not made any decisions yet on whether it will or can terminate Chick-fil-A’s contract. Willihnganz is meeting with student groups this week to determine their views on the issue, Hebert said.
Filed Under: Education • State Government
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And at the Family Foundation, it’s fictional 1954, Leave it To Beaver, forever and ever!
It appears that UofL is ensuring that it does not sponsor organizations that are intolerant and promote hate-speech; regardless what the values of a multi-million dollar business are.
Family Foundation tolerance of hate-speech is not appropriate in the 21st century; regardless of your values. I’m willing to bet that a number of Family Foundation members are friends individuals in same-sex relationship, stop being holier-than-thou.
It is sad to see Chick-fil-a come under fire for their support of traditional family values & sad to see how intolerant some are toward those who support such views. It is not hate speech to disagree with same sex marriage. Kentucky voters demonstrated that there are still many of us who don’t support same sex marriage.
U of L wants to kick Chic-Fil-A off campus, yet they continue to employ one Rick Pitino. Guess we know what their moral values (or lack thereof) are.
Since when it is wrong to have your own opinion? Do we all agree about everything that goes on in this world? I don’t think so. If we stop doing business with people that have a different opinion than ourselves, we probably need to become self sufficent because we wouldn’t be able to do business with very many people! Everyone knows this estalishment is Christian based, so why is this a shock?
Why would you go and financially support a business that has contrasting views than you own, when you know full well that they inturn take a portion of their profits and support a group like Family Foundation. That is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Cathy made his comment and no one is squelching his freedom of speech, but he is learning that his comments can have both negative and positive effects now on his business. I you agree with Cathy you will go and eat there and if you don’t, you won’t.
Tolerance and free speech today seems only to work in one direction. I have personally met Mr. Truett Cathy many times and the founder of Chik-fil-A is one honorable man, who has done much work for homeless children and has established many homes for them also at his expense. Say what you want about this business but many times those who criticize for tolerances sake and see the speck, very seldom look in the mirror and see the plank! I will support Chik-fil-A and eat at their establishment more now than I have ever before.
I’ve made it a point to eat at Chik-Fil-A as much as possible lately. I also support the Family Foundation. People can accept morality now or they can regret accepting it when it’s too late. Their choice if they decide to be of the world instead of with the Lord.
The issue with Family Foundation’s challenge that there was a constitutional vote is that the perspective that a vote somehow legitimizes intolerance; the vote was a legal ratification and not that intolerance is acceptable. The United States is a society that is supposed to support minorities and not suppress and promote intolerance just because their beliefs are different. Let’s not confuse religious opinion with legal requirements; family units is a legal requirement. There were many same-sex couples in the bible that had legal wives.