It is nice to see that our fast food vendors have decided to air their views on the issues of today such as same sex marriage. Seems they should be focused on making their businesses open to all Americans, instead of polarizing the citizens of the San Fernando Valley. Chick-fil-A is a fast food concern and not a bastion for political teachings or thought. They have marshaled the local bovine population to prevail upon the public to "eat more Chik'n," but should we have a cow about the issue of same sex marriage?
Poll results suggest Americans are becoming more receptive about same sex marriages the same way Americans have been more accepting of medical marijuana use. The real issue is not morality here, because our diversity has certainly changed morality, plus the debacles on Wall Street certainly have clouded that concept, and there are 'moral hazards' to speak of, however we need to look beyond the Bible Belt and recognize that same sex couples are Americans, who should be entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples in marital relationships. This issue goes beyond 'Adam and Steve,' and focuses on the rights of same sex partners to Federal Benefits under Social Security and various pension systems. Recently, we discovered that Sally Ride was gay and that others have been in same sex relationships. Mayor Bloomberg pointed to $260 Million in business brought into the City of New York arising from same sex marriages, although I have no statistics on how many of these couplings had Chick-fil-A as the caterer.
The point here is that we, as Americans, need to move on to the real issues of the day and stop making a Northridge chicken stand the nexus for social debates over the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is a pronouncement reserved for the states, however, we should make it easier for partners to enjoy Federal and other benefits long denied to them because of their same sex affiliations. The Chick-fil-A controversy will fly away as the elections come near, while we focus on the economy and the financial future of our aging population. Let's leave the moral issues to someone who does not make chicken sandwiches. Let's move on to the issues that affect all Americans and get the helicopters out of the skies of Northridge.
