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Subscribe to RSSWe’ve received a lot of great cartoons about Chick-fil-A from both sides of the argument. Some cartoonists supported the First Amendment rights of a CEO voicing his own personal opinion, while other cartoonists thought spending corporate profits on anti-gay causes was bigotry that deserved to be called out.
The largest response came in reaction to this tough cartoon by Jimmy Margulies of The Record:
I asked Jimmy to comment on the cartoon, and here’s what he wrote:
I received both praise and condemnation for this cartoon. Those who agreed with me seemed to really like it. Those who did not expressed their disagreement in a few different ways. Some took the cartoon literally, suggesting I was saying that Chick-fil-A discriminates against its gay customers. I explained the cartoon was an exaggeration. Others felt that I was supporting the boycott of the restaurant and that I was denying the owner his freedom of speech. I explained that the cartoon took no position on the boycott, and that the owner is free to express his views, as well as give money to fund opposition to same sex marriage, but that I found this position objectionable, so I was using my cartoon to speak out about the injustice on the issue of same sex marriage.
Given the potency of the issue, I was glad my cartoon became part of the debate.
As you can imagine, readers on both sides of the argument weighed in on this polarizing cartoon:
Edward Bartunek: Disguesting and a insult to honest, god fearing, hardworking, Americans!
Teri Lesesne: I elect to boycott companies that spew inaccurate information and use their “fame” as a platform for hate. You are free to support them. That is what freedom is all about. But freedom has to be for everyone.
Kerry Wilson Cook: It doesn’t matter. Us gay people don’t go to chickfila anyway. We are all too health conscious to eat the slop that is fast food!!
Jamie Lockett: I wonder how political cartoonists would feel about mayors banning newspapers that carry their cartoons simply because those mayors didn’t like the content.
Robot Anna: Let’s please not appropriate the civil rights movement, thanks.
Jordan Fouts: I like how the same people who suck the invisible thumb of the free market get so mad about boycotts.
Joyce Linnae Crady: I hate boycotts. They hurt innocent workers & the economy. I vote for religious freedom and freedom of speech. As long as Chick-fil-A doesn’t discriminate in their establishments, they have a constitutional right to their beliefs and a right to express them.
Sunny Arts: This comic is an affront to the efforts of the civil rights movement – when segregation was truly being preached and enforced. Nobody is shoving gays to the ‘back of the bus’.
Steve Paysen: Have you seen the support of Chic Fil A today? I’d say you first of all are wrong in your portrayal, and who are you to take away the right of any man to answer a question with his conscience?
Terry Lee: Talk about rhetoric. Let’s be clear. People aren’t upset or up in arms about a man’s opinion or religious belief. People are boycotting this business because the BUSINESS donates large sums of money to anti-gay political/hate groups. He is free to express his opinion, certainly. I also am free to take my money elsewhere and encourage others to do the same.
What’s your opinion of the cartoon? Comment below, or drop us a note on our Facebook page.
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Great Cartoon by-the-way!
A United States History review:
The preamble to our Declaration of Independence, dated July 4, 1776 states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Many United States citizens still do not believe in unalienable Rights or Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Emancipation Proclamation was granted to blacks and slaves on January 1, 1863 during the Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln as an executive order while utilizing his war powers and it took 146 years until January 20, 2009 when a man of color namely Barack Obama could be elected to the highest office in our land. Many United States citizens still do not believe in equality and wish that President Obama had not been elected.
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office, the movement's modern origins can be traced to late-18th century France. In the United States however, it was not until 1920 with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which prohibited state or federal sex-based restrictions on voting where women obtained the right as a citizen to vote. Many United States citizens still do not believe in equality and wish that women still did not have the right to vote.
The civil rights movement in the United States was a political movement for equality before the law and included legislation and organized efforts to abolish public and private acts of racial discrimination directed at African Americans and other disadvantaged groups between 1954 to 1968 particularly in the southern United States. Many United States citizens do not believe in equality and wish that the civil rights movement had never taken place such that public and private acts of racial discrimination could still exist.
The recognition of same-sex relationships by our United States Government continues to be an issue and the heart of the issue is equality. Equality in the eyes of the law at both the state and federal level from hospital visitation and next of kin to taxes and inheritance to same sex marriage and the list goes on. Many United States citizens still do not believe in unalienable Rights or Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Unfortunately, most Americans are bigots who exist to deprive others aside from their own rigid beliefs. Don't forget that America was founded by fundamental religious people.
Someday, when this equality issue is all sorted out what and when the people turn their heads to focus on something else which they feel denied of I hope there will be a new focus or perhaps a new awakening -like how the United States Government has been spending the majority of our tax money on secret stuff that we have no access to or no direct beneficial use of such as expensive military bases and expensive military technology. I actually believe that all this orchestrated self-evident civil and self-evident constitutional right denial by our government is removing our focus from what is really going on like the economics of how our government is ruining our economy by printing money with reckless abandon and manipulating our markets to buy the goods and services it needs while leaving US people in the rear view mirror and the dust behind its own driving agenda - headed to where?
Well a chicken restaurant called Beaver's in Houston, TX just made a sandwitch alternative to Chick-Fil-A. The owner supports marriage equality. I can't wait to see all the CFA supporters call for a boycott against this "sinful, perverted" restaurant. Their hypocrisy will be quite funny to watch!
I loved the cartoon, although I must admit it made my jaw drop. It definitely added to the debate.
I am puzzled at people who are "outraged" when the fight for gay marriage equality is compared to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. How is the struggle of one minority for equality under the law any different from another group being denied equality?
People are born with their skin color and also with their sexual orientation. People are making a choice to be a bigot.