National Review Nails Leftist Activists: 'The War on Chick-fil-A Is Chicken McCarthyism'

Rich Lowry, the editor of the National Review, has called out Chick-fil-A's opponents writing the recent bans from San Antonio and Buffalo's airports are not about social justice, but "about punishing the Georgia-based company for the faith of its leadership."

"The official bans are anti-Christian, unconstitutional and a harbinger of a larger effort to hunt down and punish any organization that has uncongenial views on sexual morality," Lowry writes in the April 9 op-ed. 

He points to San Antonio City Councilman Roberto Treviño's explanation of why Chick-fil-A was banned. "Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport," Treviño said. Lowry highlights how ironic this statement really is.

"The irony of discriminating against Chick-fil-A in order to demonstrate the city's famous open-ness was, of course, lost on him," he wrote.

Chick-fil-A's growth as the largest, fastest-growing restaurant chain in America is well-documented due to its good food and fast, friendly service.  

The hostility toward the company began in 2012 after CEO Dan Cathy's statements about his personal opposition to gay marriage and revelations that his foundation contributed to conservative groups.  Responding to the backlash at the time, Cathy said the company would back off the gay marriage debate and instead, focus on chicken.  

Despite the company's neutrality, according to Lowry, critics still detect the "lingering stench of Christianity" with their chicken.

The left-wing Think Progress issued a report widely circulated in the media accusing the company of "anti-equality" giving.  As Lowry explains this means the company donated to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (and a small Christian home for troubled young men in Vidalia, Georgia).

The editor also points out that since the Salvation Army raises about $2 billion a year, a lot of other people are guilty of the same offense.  

He goes even further, writing, "To consider all that the Salvation Army does — its thrift shops, aid for the homeless, disaster relief, anti-trafficking programs, Christmas gifts to needy children and much, much more — and reduce the organization to an allegedly anti-LGBTQ group is simply perverse."
 
Lowry says public officials participating in the current campaign against Chick-fil-A need to go back and read the Constitution.  

"Any public official joining the punitive campaign against Chick-fil-A needs a remedial lesson in the Constitution, which forbids discrimination against private companies on the basis of political or religious viewpoint. It is the enemies of Chick-fil-A who are intolerant and out of the mainstream. They desperately need to abandon their tawdry McCarthyite crusade — and Eat Mor Chikin," he wrote.