Christ’s Chicken Bloomington

Bloomington is special for a lot of reasons.  

The most obvious of these is that the city of Bloomington is home to IU. With a university as large as ours, many people from all over the world with many different ideas have come to Bloomington and contributed to the open-minded and intellectual atmosphere that the city is known for.

Therefore, Bloomington is special in another regard: it’s one of Indiana’s few liberal bubbles in a state known for hard line conservatism and bigotry.

Thursday, Chick-fil-A, the controversial fast-food franchise, opened a new location by the College Mall.

The company’s arrival is objectionable at best.

Last summer Chick-fil-A ignited a firestorm when its corporate body released comments opposing gay marriage. That was followed by findings that the company had donated millions to its charitable arm, the WinShape Foundation. The foundation, in turn, gave millions to organizations opposing LGBT rights, which sparked national outcry and, in the process, created another front in the Culture Wars that still rage today.

Chick-fil-A’s presence in Bloomington is messed up in the sense that — regardless of whatever the company’s PR team wants you to believe — some of those dollars you spend buying delicious sandwiches are going to likely end up in the coffers of political organizations hell-bent on opposing my rights.

And that’s fine.

One of the beautiful things about America is that second to being citizens, the most important thing we are is consumers. Money is power, and ultimately our pocketbooks are the way we exercise that power.

The fact that even what we eat and what we buy has become politicized, and as unfortunate as that may be, speaks volumes about how divided as a country we currently are.

Even then, some things are worth fighting for.

If that means someone resists the urge to buy a tasty chicken sandwich from a company willing to pull America backward, then so be it.

You obviously don’t have to do the same.

But now you can’t hide behind ignorance since, after reading my column, you now know.

At the end of the day, Chick-fil-A now has a new, independent business in Bloomington.

It’s unfortunate. But as educated members of society, we now must make informed decisions regarding whether we want to move this country forward or indirectly encourage outdated and backward social norms.  

Hopefully, since you’re a part of this vibrant, progressive community, you’ll make the right decision.

­— edsalas@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Eduardo Salas on Twitter @seibbe.