With a side of political turmoil, please.

I'm a big fan of politics. My morning ritual involves CNN, Politico and HuffPost. Every day I receive about 15 emails from the Obama campaign and actually open some of them. I'm excited to vote; I've got my absentee ballot request ready to go and last week I set up my TV just to watch the DNC. Despite my passion for political issues and appreciate for civic duty and action there is one place I'm deeply saddened could not stay politics free: Chick-fil-a.

I don't know if everyone is familiar with Chick-fil-a but it is by far my favorite "fast food" restaurant. Their speciality is the "original" chicken sandwich: a piece of fried chicken on a buttery bun with butter and pickles. A side of waffle fries and a sweet tea and you're in chicken-induced heaven. Chick-fil-a isn't just delicious, it's a little different. Chicken is the only meat product offered, the restaurant is clean, the employees are friendly, and all locations are closed on Sunday. They make no apologies for this Sunday closing and are quick to explain that it is for "spiritual reasons". Anyone who knows Chick-fil-a knows that it was founded by conservative, Southern Christians with a passion for a good chicken sandwich.

Yet despite being a "raging liberal" (as my Grandfather says) I always kind of liked this aspect of the enterprise. It seemed wholesome and traditional, not just a marketing scheme. At Chick-fil-a I always feel like a customer, not a consumer. So why am I now "deeply saddened"? Because in late July the CEO of Chick-fil-a, Dan Cathy, had to go and run his mouth about the "traditional family unit" and his disapproval of gay marriage. The radio sound-bite spread like wildfire and anti-gay marriage groups and pro-gay groups alike are still up in arms. Mike Huckabee started a "Chick-fil-a Appreciation Day" and GLADD organized a boycott and "Same Sex Kiss Day" at Chick-fil-a's across the country. Now, I can't roll up to the Chick-fil-a window and order my number #1 and sweet-tea without thinking, "What does this say about me? Will someone see me with this bag and think I'm anti-gay marriage?!".

To be clear, Chick-fil-a does not discriminate against gays. But, to read the backlash from his comment you might think they have a "No Gays Allowed" sign on the front door. I can tell you for sure though, there is no such sign. I went home this weekend and ate at Chick-fil-a. I loved every bite and though it crossed my mind, I did not let Dan Cathy's statement tarnish my experience. As much as I believe in voting with your wallet, I do not believe that boycotting Chick-fil-a is going to change Cathy's mind nor is his product inherently against gay marriage. Plus, it's delicious. Really, really delicious.

Ironically, as I was preparing to type up this blog post I saw a NY Times article about a Florida pizza shop owner caught up in a political storm all because he lifted President Obama into a giant bear hug on a recent visit. According to the NY Times, the shop's Yelp page has been taken over by political debates and people hundreds of miles from the Florida shop are chipping in with fake positive or negative reviews, depending on their feelings about the President. I truly hope the regulars of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant can put there politics aside and continue to enjoy food sans a side of politics. After all, political scandals come and go - good food is here to stay.