State Senator Chris McDaniel submitted this column to JJ yesterday on Chartered Financial Analysts. It is published in its entirety. Oops, I messed up. Its about Chick Fil A. Here it is.
Last Wednesday, (August 1, 2012), thousands of people visited their local Chick-fil-A stores, buying sandwiches to show their support of the restaurant president's right to freely oppose same-sex marriage. For most, their actions were an expression in support of free speech - that is, free speech without retaliation.
When Chick-fil-A's president dared to speak his mind, the backlash against his company was nasty. Just after the mayors of Chicago and Boston ridiculed his company, the mayor of Washington, DC, actually claimed it was selling “hate chicken." Liberal students from at least two colleges called for their campus Chick-fil-A restaurants to permanently close. Making matters worse, officials in several cities expressed their desire to keep the restaurant out of their towns.
Such leftist nonsense usually works to silence conservatives - But not this time. The left picked a public fight, and they lost in dramatic fashion.
The nationwide demonstrations were as much a stand against liberal intolerance and political correctness as they were a defense of traditional marriage, with turnout so diverse and widespread that many were surprised.
But the affirmation of what is generally a Christian position should come as no surprise to students of American history.
After all, it was French historian and author Alexis de Tocqueville who remarked 170 years ago, “There is no country in the world, where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.”
He was not unique in his defense of Christianity's place in a free society.
Remember, it was President Harry Truman who told an Attorney General's Conference in 1950, “The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.”
During his campaign for President, Woodrow Wilson expressed: “A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the tenets of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.”
Our seventh president, Andrew Jackson, pointed to a Bible as he lay sick near death in 1845 and said, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.”
These distinguished leaders, along with others including Roosevelt and Reagan, were simply verbalizing the shared universal language that has always enlightened the republic.
United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay also shared such sentiments when he wrote in 1816, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
In 1892, the Supreme Court case of Holy Trinity v. United States specifically noted the religious history of our country. After an examination of our traditions, declarations and customs, the Court wrote: “These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.” The Court’s finding that “this is a Christian nation” was followed by another ruling in 1931 which found that Americans are a “Christian people” and a 1952 opinion where Justice William O. Douglas, wrote that “we are a religious people and our institutions presupposes a Supreme Being.”
The national motto remains, “In God We Trust,” and it is proudly enshrined in our currency. In verse four of our National Anthem, we sing “In God is our trust” and “Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a Nation.”
To be sure, the republic does not have an official or legally-preferred religion or church, since the Constitution specifically and rightly forbids such intrusion.
But the lack of an established religion does not mean that Christians should be declared irrelevant. It is the responsibility of good people to exert cultural influence by speaking their minds and spending their money.
Fed up with being bullied, people of faith finally sent a powerful political message - one chicken sandwich at a time.
If you have any questions about this issue or any others, please feel free to contact me at cmcdaniel@senate.ms.gov or call me at 601-359-2220.
You can also contact me via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chris.mcdaniel1 or at Twitter by visiting https://twitter.com/#!/senatormcdaniel.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Senator Chris McDaniel on CFA
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30 comments:
Amen!
Amen Again!
I am tired of "political correctness", allowing anything and everything to be treated as "equal rights", when equal does not always mean it makes sense, nor is it safe. Tolerance of differences is one thing, but demanding every way of life, everything ungodly and perverted, to be treated as "equal" is not right.
To each his own, but please keep it out of my face day in and day out.
Why a country that is 4% gay and 11% black spends 90% of its time discussing or fooling with issues regarding both is beyond me.
I am a Christian and don't agree with gay marriage. I am an American and believe in free speech.
But, DAMN. Thousands upon thousands of people patting themselves on the back for eating chicken on Wednesday? For crying out loud, they need to get over themselves! I saw several people on FB post a picture of lines around a Chick-Fil-A somewhere, with the comment "You'll never see this many Christians lined up to help out at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter." That comment is 100% right on, I am ashamed to admit.
If Christ had been among those crowds on Wednesday, He wouldn't have gone in the restaurant, he would have gone to speak with the twenty-first century versions of "women at the well," the gays and lesbians who were protesting. He would have eaten with them and devoted his time to showing them the error of their ways, directing them to the beauty of marriage as God intended.
Eating a chicken sandwich on Wednesday was an empty gesture -- no reason to feel proud of an act that will ultimately impact no one for any good. And, sorry, Senator McDaniel, writing an essay in defense of Cathey and Wednesday's chicken eaters IN MISSISSIPPI isn't exactly going to be the next chapter in "Profiles in Courage."
Those Nothern mayors are morons, making empty threats for no purpose other than to appeal to a base. The chicken-fest on Wednesday and today's supposed "kiss-in" are basically the same thing.
8:19, that is a 15% voting block that sticks together and when the 85% sticks together that is bigotry.We 85%s just need to quit the worry about what the 15% think of us..
I'm just hoping someone discovers the owner of Papa John's is a devout Catholic so I have an excuse to eat pizza next week. I'm also looking for an owner of a bbq chain with similar views as well that might be subjected to a boycott.
So when are the Liberals in Chicago going to protest the black churches for being against GAY MARRIAGE....i will tell you when...NEVER!!!! If they did they would get a lesson in the OLD TESTAMENT...
KF - I think you're confusing the owner of Papa John's with the owner of Domino's.
This article is so full of BS that I'm not even sure where to start. First of all - free speech without retaliation? Really? That's what conservatives believe these days? That someone should be able to say anything without consequences? Awww, poor little conservatives.....they can't hate on people any longer without consequences.
And liberal intolerance? People are lining up to keep gays from getting married and this is an issue of liberal intolerance? I'm pretty sure it's the other way around.
And free speech? That's not an issue here. Cathy said what he wanted to say and no one from the government stopped him. Apparently, conservatives have no idea what the issue of free speech is. Read the Constitution. The rights of free speech keep the government from infringing on such, it doesn't give people the right to say anything they want without any blowback.
History is going to look unkindly on those of you who are against equality in all its forms. The people lining up at Chick-Fil-A are no different from the screaming white hysterics who lined up to keep little black kids from entering public schools. Our society is going to look back one day in utter shame on this episode of (true) intolerance and hate. Conservatives: wrong about slavery, wrong about female suffrage, wrong about civil rights for blacks, and wrong about marriage equality for everyone.
What a bunch of bullshit. I do give credit for not repeating the typical baptist line that our founding fathers were flaming fundamentalists. Though I must subtract those points for not mentioning the treaty of tripoli, signed by founder and president John Adams, and ratified by the senate. The treaty explicitly states that thIs country "is in no sense a Christian nation.". But hey, what's a little revisionism between godly folk.
It is quite comical to see these hate-filled talibaptist douchebags whining about being persecuted.
Nice pandering job Mr. McDaniel. I'm sure you'll be cock of the walk in Sunday School.
11:41
Intellectual dishonesty in the form of ignorance or in the form of pure dishonesty both serve the same master.
you said:
And free speech? That's not an issue here. Cathy said what he wanted to say and no one from the government stopped him. Apparently, conservatives have no idea what the issue of free speech is. Read the Constitution. The rights of free speech keep the government from infringing on such, it doesn't give people the right to say anything they want without any blowback.
There were several cities/towns elected officials openly denying the business license or wanting to remove the business from their area over what the founder of the company said to a religious magazine.
There is no such thing as "equality in all its forms." Nature, God, physics, economics, communism, democracy, etc, through etc. has no such thing as "equality in all its forms."
As far as your attempt to malign "conservatives", it was the liberals of the Democratic Party that stood in the way of the civil rights you speak of, but don't let facts destroy your carefully crafted veil of hate
Chris McDaniel cannot help but want to show everyone how smart he is, with his incessant quoting of historians, philosophers and presidents like Alexis de Tocqueville and Truman.
He is just tiring. On the one hand, he talks down to people. On the other, he seeks to appeal to a certain type of voter who is used to it.
Or maybe he is just well-read.
Always a thrill to see the oh-so-eloquent Curt Crowley spit out his trite pejoratives and foul-mouthed rhetoric. The bitterness he exudes is only matched by his penchant for diving into the bowels of the lexicon for his metaphors.
Nice job, Bunky! Now go kiss your mom with that mouth.
Whoever said "free speech without retaliation" was a fundamental right? Anyone is free to say anything they wish in this country but not necessarily without some form of "retaliation" or rebuttal as in the case with Mr. Cathy's comment. Should we not be able to engage Mr. Cathy in healthy debate? Should people opposing his viewpoint not be able to say so and go further by refusing to visit his establishments?
And the notion that the "liberal left" is bullying the Christians is laughable at best. Are a bunch of gay people actually bullying people in Laurel, Mississippi Mr. McDaniel? And, if so, just where can I go watch this? Is it the two gay bullies from Seinfeld by any chance??
Mr. McDaniel is simply pandering to his constituents and using religion to advance his political career.
History is going to look unkindly on those of you who are against equality in all its forms. The people lining up at Chick-Fil-A are no different from the screaming white hysterics who lined up to keep little black kids from entering public schools.
Let's hope history is equally suspect of those prone to hyperbole such as yourself.
Love the article. Well done.
"Give me a chicken sandwich in the name of Je-sus! Give me a chicken sandwich to stop the queers! Give me a chicken sandwich, uh, to let the world know that I, I think, I'm goin' have a heart attack -- give me a chicken sandwich because queers shouldn't get married! Give me some waffle fries! Give me one of them peach milkshakes!
Amen, by God, amen, ain't no queer ever going to get married as long as I can buy a chicken sandwich! You morons! You thick-headed idiotic morons! Oh my God! Some people lined up in the summer heat, lines all around the building to get inside a store, while others waited in cars as far as the eye could see for a chance to place their order at the drive-through window. Hi, I'm a lard ass! And I'm here to stop the queers! Give me two chicken sandwiches! I'm going to eat here every day 'til either I die or we have a Defense of Marriage Act, goddammit, marriage is under assault here! Give me a chicken sandwich, give me another one! Dumb-assery at its peak!"
@ 11:41...hold on to your skirt and heels Fem-O-Crat...obviously like most Libs you missed alot of school...probably due to your substance abuse habit. The Fem-o-crats were the ones that bought-sold-owned slaves...the Fem-o-crats were the ones that started the Klan...the Fem-o-crats were the ones that kept little black kids from entering schools....and if you think for one minute by trying to side with the black community on this issue is going to help your argument you are, as usuall, a Fem-o-crat idiot. They dont like you...they want nothing to do with you....if you dont belive me go to one of the black neighborhoods and go door to door soliciting support....i say you get to about the fourth house for you get shot at!!!!
The way I see it: the incredible outpouring of support for CFA was, for all intents and purposes, to marginalize the gay intolerance of the CFA founder's position on marriage (the same position, I might add, that ObaMao has had until he "evolved" a few months ago.) The public's involvement in this exercise was simply to say, "Gays, you can express your opposition to CFA, and we can express our support." Seems fair to me.......or am I just a "hater?"
@1:50, come on now. It takes quite a bit of intellect and talent to quote the Treaty of Tripoli from memory *and* use words like "bullshit" and "cock" (as in gamecock, of course) in the discussion, *and* make so much darn sense, *and* look so good doing it.
My style is like a mixture of Barry Goldwater, Bob Knight and Suge Knight. And you like it. Otherwise, you wouldn't read it.
You can ask me for my autograph later.
I agree with Crowley,he said everything but "Four score and seven years ago". He is not a credible player in the system and neither are his 1,200 Facebook followers and if you don't think he's involved, look at that photo they've got up with him tucking a child's head (I presume his) under his chin. Ridiculous. So we've got this guy and Hosemann who say they might run against Cochran. Note to these two clowns, keep this up and you are out of any long term conversation.
@ 9:29
Let's see.
He's wealthy. A two term senator. Phil Bryant's lawyer. Hosts radio shows. Writes for papers. Is on every list in the state for rising stars.
And he has a troll like you commenting about him.
Seems pretty credible to me.
9:29am, I disagree. McDaniel is a very viable candidate for whatever office he wants. As this article proves, he knows how to pander to America's village idiot (fundamentalist Christianity). His lips are firmly pressed to the backside of the Wildmon Family Association. He's a Gideon, a southern baptist and wears Jesus on his sleeve.
He is everything a bible-thumping, less-than-intelligent electorate could want in a fake-conservative candidate. With his qualifications, he could get elected to any office he wants in this state.
I may be a troll but listen now, you step out of line like McDaniel and Hosemann and it will not happen for you...trust me.
McDaniel is an intellectual lightweight. Which probably means he will do quite well politically.
McDaniel has been surfing the net for prez quotes.
He's a punk, but he is the best tea party guy to beat Cochran!
I know McDaniel. He and I attended law school together. I have tried cases against him. He is no intellectual lightweight. Dude is scary smart.
9:06, have to agree with you. Cocky, but smart. And I think he is smart enough to know to blow off this Tea Party bs about challenging Cochran. That would be the death of his political career. Better to sit back and wait for the right time - don't jump in because 1/10 of 1% think it needs to be done.
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