Baby, I’m Just Society’s Child

I wanted to write about the movie Unplanned, and I wanted to write about the current controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A. Then I realized that what I really want to write about is where those two stories intersect.

Did that sentence make you stop and shake your head? I agree, the way they intersect is not obvious. But at a deeper level, they are both about the same thing: two sides of society, each seeing an issue through their own viewpoint, and each thinking the other side must change sides.

Let’s look at Unplanned and Chick-fil-A separately first.

With Unplanned, the issue is whether or not abortion is acceptable. Personally, I believe that life begins at conception, and so all abortions take a life, and not just a life, but an innocent life. The movie does not make a definitive statement on that specific issue, but, clearly, Abby Johnson comes to believe that abortion takes a life, and ends up working for the right to life. Those of us who agree with that are, of course, thrilled with the movie, think it is factual and hard hitting, and hope that everyone sees it. Those who disagree may see the movie, but they may not see it the same way I do; they may so strongly believe that the right to abortion is paramount, and not believe the evidence of the movie. They may not see the movie, preferring to boycott a movie that disagrees with their position. And, regardless of how wrong I (and others) think they are, they have the right to boycott the movie and they have the right to support Planned Parenthood, vocally and financially. What they do not have is the right to demand that I (and those who agree with my stance on abortion) boycott the movie and support Planned Parenthood. Conversely, I and others on the anti-abortion side dos not have the right to demand they see the movie and stop supporting Planned Parenthood. Even though we believe that every abortion is murder, and that the civil rights of the baby are being taken away, we can’t demand others act the way we want. We can’t, and have no right to, force others to operate according to our beliefs instead of our own.

With Chick-fil-A, the issue is whether or not the owners’ have the right to spend their money in accordance with their own beliefs. I am not addressing the issue “they don’t serve gay people” because neither I nor anyone I know has ever been asked their sexual preference upon placing an order. Nor am I addressing the issue “they don’t hire gay people”, because they can’t legally refuse to hire someone on that basis.

Personally, I don’t have an issue with LGBT Q+ civil rights to marriage and its various benefits. I understand the nexus of the issue, from the era of rampant AIDS, and feel that people deserve to have as their closest family whomever they want. I am, of course, conflicted because of the stance of the Catholic Church, but I don’t believe it’s any of my business what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom. And just like I believe people have the right to form their own family without interference, I believe people have the right to spend their money as they wish. And this is where it gets complicated.

Just as I don’t have the right to demand that those who are pro-abortion not donate money to their preferred cause, I don’t believe that I, or anybody else, have the right to demand that Chick-fil-A support only those causes I agree with. That means that Chick-fil-A has the right to open stores at various locations, including, say, airports, and have the location succeed or fail based on the level of business done. I may choose to not visit Chick-fil-A because I don’t want to participate, even in a minor sense, to those donations to a cause I do not support. But I don’t have the right to tell other people that they can’t visit Chick-fil-A, and I don’t have the right to stop Chick-fil-A from opening locations as they desire. That’s what a free market is about, isn’t it?

Those who disagree with Chick-fil-A do not have the right to demand that others boycott Chick-fil-A and block them from opening stores. Conversely, those who agree with Chick-fil-A do not have the right to demand others eat there and support their opening stores. Even though we may believe that Chick-fil-A is working to take away the civil rights of others, we can’t demand others act the way we want. We can’t, and have no right to, force others to operate according to our beliefs instead of our own.

Private enterprise works in a free market. I support each individual’s right to fight to change laws that they believe to be unfair, unjust, or just plain wrong-headed. I don’t support actions to force other people to agree with you. We each have the right to use our words to try to change the beliefs of others. We don’t have the right to demand they change their beliefs to suit us.