Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is blocking Chick-fil-A from building a restaurant in the city, saying the fast-food chain does not share "Chicago's values." Emanuel's opposition comes in response to Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's recent declaration that he does not support gay marriage. Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff, is not alone in combating the company, with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino taking a similar stand. However, the strong-arm tactics are ticking off conservatives, who say Cathy is merely expressing his religious views. Is Emanuel taking his objections too far?
Yes. Cathy is entitled to his opinion: Emanuel's "sanctimonious dissing of Chick-fil-A" is problematic because "there is no proof the business has discriminated against gay couples, let alone any of its customers or employees," says Mary Mitchell at The Chicago Sun-Times. Emanuel and his allies are denying Chick-fil-A the "right to do business" in Chicago because they don't "like Cathy's religious beliefs, and that's just wrong." Is Emanuel going to apply the same pressure to Muslim, Jewish, and Christian business owners who feel the same as Cathy?
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