Saturday, January 14, 2012

Honor?

So I'm writing this from the couch in my basement rec room.  The TV is hidden by our pained-looking Christmas tree, but I am listening to the shringing of blade on blade.  My husband is watching Rob Roy.  The main character of this film seems to be honor.  It is so prominent in the lives of the characters.  It doesn't really seem to come up much in my life.  Maybe that is an artifact of modern life? 
To what degree do we have to depend on that in modern American society?  I am thinking as I write.  But then I have no real contact with the military.  It seems to me that those who serve and their families still function around the honor of the old code.  My closest contact seems to be whether or not I immediately return to customer service upon discovering the item in my cart that I missed when checking out at Safeway.  Of course I am trying to teach my children right from wrong and to do right for its own sake, I'm not sure I've specifically thought on instilling a sense of honor as such.  It will bear more thought.

This brings up a specific issue that is languishing on my mental back burner.  The Chic-fil-A problem.  If you are not a mother in proximity to a Chic-Fil-A, you may not be familiar with how precious they are to us.  They are very service-oriented and their staff will often carry your tray to your table for you and fetch the highchair you need without your needing to ask.  You can get fruit instead of fries in your kid's meals, they now have grilled chicken nuggets as an option instead of fried, the toys in the meals are often educational, and if you return them in the wrapper you can exchange a toy for an ice cream.  I don't know a single mother who is not a fan. This song sums it up nicely.

But yes, they are closed on Sunday.  They are openly a Christian operation.  Perhaps you are aware of the revelation of a year ago regarding their corporate opposition to gay marriage?
Over the years, the company’s operators, its WinShape Foundation and the Cathy family [which owns the company] have given millions of dollars to a variety of causes and programs, including scholarships that require a pledge to follow Christian values, a string of Christian-based foster homes and groups working to defeat same-sex marriage initiatives.  -- New York Times, January 2011
So the question is, do I continue to take my kids to Chic-fil-A for lunch or snacks and to play in their very popular inside play area when I am needing a break and free Dr. Pepper refills?  I, personally, am for gay marriage being legal and giving all people the right to marry whomever they choose.  But so far, when it comes to my comfort, convenience, and mental survival I've chosen to benefit myself directly and not put my money where my mouth is on this issue.  Of course I can tell myself that I'm simply choosing what is best for me as an individual in the immediate moment, as any other animal does.  But then there is that thing about honor.  So at the moment going there bothers me when I'm not in the car with hungry, whiny kids jumping on my last nerve but in the heat of the moment I keep folding.  It's addictive behavior.  Have you tried their "Chic-fil-A sauce?"

4 comments:

  1. I did not know they were against gay marriage...but that would not stop me from going. They have good food and good service and when I'm in a pinch with my kiddos in tow, like you I beeline for that place. It's a no-brainer for me.

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  2. I'm sure Worf would agree: Chic-fil-A is without honor.

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  3. I should have listed police, firefighters (especially volunteer), and the like along with the military. Perhaps the offices of the President, Secretary of State, etc. Very high level, though that's the honor of the country, not so much of the individual (ex. Clinton).

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  4. Dawn & I stopped going there when we heard about the kinds of organizations they support. They can support whom they want, but so can we.

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