NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Friday, Family Council President Jerry Cox thanked former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s decision to spearhead a nationwide Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, which will take place all day Wednesday, August 1.
“I want to thank my friend, Governor Huckabee, for using his influence to amass national support for Chick-fil-A,” Cox said. “They have been viciously attacked simply because their President and COO, Dan Cathy, publicly reaffirmed his company’s Christian principles. We are encouraging Arkansans to eat at the nearest Chick-fil-A on August first to show support for this great American company. We are also asking folks to write a note of appreciation to Chick-fil-A at FamilyCouncil.org. Every note that we collect will be delivered to each restaurant in Arkansas and to the corporate office in Atlanta. These simple actions will show Chick-fil-A that they are appreciated. In the end, we hope that their strong stand for Christian values will encourage other businesses to do the same.
“The Family Council staff will be having lunch at one of the Chick-fil-A locations in Little Rock on August first,” Cox said. “We are proud to support this company and also help local business at the same time.”
Governor Huckabee issued a statement, saying, “When I heard of the vicious hate speech and economic bullying being directed toward the Cathy family and their Chick-Fil-A company, it was stunning. In the name of ‘tolerance’ a group was exercising extreme intolerance and trying to censor a citizen by threatening his business. When mayors of major cities like Boston and Chicago actually went on the record to say they would stop a business from opening in their city because they didn’t agree with the fact that the CEO of the company supported Biblical marriage, it was time to take a stand. I’m thrilled that the Family Council is expressing affirmation for the rights of citizens to be free of being bullied by illegal government threats.”
Cox said he really does not see why Mr. Cathy’s position should be treated as controversially as it has been. “In 2004, more than seventy-percent of Arkansas voters affirmed the traditional definition of marriage when they passed the Arkansas Marriage Amendment. Some forty states, including Illinois, have laws and amendments to that same effect. Mr. Cathy is not the one who is outside the mainstream on this issue. Those trying to censor him are. All we want to do, between allowing people to write to Chick-fil-A via our website and promoting Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, is give people a way to reiterate that support.”
Cheryl
c oglesby
Janice