From the President, Brian S. Brown:
I am profoundly grateful to Gov. Mike Huckabee for his leadership in sponsoring and promoting last week's "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." No politician has the right to discriminate against private business owners simply because they believe what God says about marriage.
At my own local Chick-fil-A here in Philadelphia, I was struck how the turnout reflected the breadth and diversity of support for marriage in our community. Blacks, whites and Hispanics, Catholics and evangelicals—all coming together in a unified show of support for a good man who dared to speak out about the meaning of marriage.
This was an important moment for America. Even the media was forced to acknowledge the amazing turnout as hundreds of thousands lined up at Chick-fil-A stores across the nation.
But I think the media missed the most important part of the day.
While Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day sent an important message to company president Dan Cathy (and to the liberal activists trying to shut his company down), it sent an equally important message to the hundreds of thousands of supporters who showed up: "You are not alone."
This important day was a cultural turning point as hundreds of thousands of Americans realized just how many of their neighbors share their support for marriage. In today's media-saturated culture, it's easy for marriage supporters to feel as if they are all alone, isolated outposts standing for the truth against aggressive forces determined to coerce them into silence. But for one day at least, these silent thousands were unified, reminded that we are not just a remnant—we are a majority.
I know that at the end of the day, the American people will put aside their differences and stand up for marriage.
And that is why I'm urging you to continue your support for Chick-fil-A every Wednesday through the remainder of 2012. We're calling them "Chick-fil-A Wednesdays."
The attacks on Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A aren't going away. And we will continue to stand strong in solidarity with anyone who feels pressured by the gay marriage bullies.