The Blogosphere, Twitterland and Facebookworld is alive with talk about why you should or shouldn't boycott Chik-Fil-A. For those of you with a life or good filters it is because the president/CEO owner of Chik-Fil-A has expressed his wish to run his company on biblical principles. He claims that he does not discriminate and that he is just exercising his right of free speech. Whats the big deal?
First of all, Chick Fil A does discriminate. It just does so by not hiring. And firing 'at will'. A difficult thing to prove but already in several places, their hiring practices are bring tested as well as the language used by their HR manuals when people apply. The courts and government will move slowly to prove this and here he is not alone and even silent or 'liberal' corporations practice this discrimination. He is not alone in fearing that he will have to have insurance for the new spouses when gay marriage is legalized. Single employees are cheaper than 'married' ones. That discrimination applies to many who 'cost more' in the private world of insurance who are empowered to discriminate for a host of reasons. That is a whole other blog.
More important though is the idea that he is just exercising his right of Free Speech and we should all just leave him alone. It is certainly the owners right to believe whatever he wants but in the light of 'Citizens United', money spent on antigay legislation is political speech. Also protected but different. He is not speaking as an individual. He is speaking for a new 'person'. One that includes all shareholders, stockholders and, this is important, stake holders. He is talking for his workforce. His employees. And that is the difference.
The courts have recently ruled that unions could not exercise their rights specifically given to them under Citizens United without polling and receiving a majority of the membership. They have also ruled that they cannot speak for non-members obligated to pay dues in a duly constituted bargaining unit. This is obviously unfair as it is not their words but where their money goes that is in question. That money is generated from employees in both cases and union coffers are held to be no different than 'profits'. What is good for the hen is good for the rooster. Or the Koch or whatever you call it. Citizens applies to the principle that organized groups are 'persons' that have the same rights as you or I.
The owner of Chik-Fil-A would not have made his statements in the world before 'Citizens'. Could not.
So what about boycotting? Surely that wont work. Has it ever? Here too, 'Citizens' puts us in a New World. Of course people can exercise their rights to not eat or buy anything. That is also a form of speech. As consumers you can choose not to have your money support anything you want. That's just speech. But in this New World, 'speech' is money and money is speech.
And that is weird. It isn't all bad though. Bear with me here. When someone pays politicians to change laws to allow him to discriminate that is lobbying. 'Citizens' is now protecting speech that was formerly specifically and rightfully regulated. As an individual you have limits on your money speech. Hiding as a corporation, Chik-Fil-A does not. Your purchase funds an unfair access and influence on the political process.
It does so with the expressed purpose of being able to discriminate in the course of commerce. Namely in the area of hiring, collective bargaining and benefits. It's not just one man's beliefs but a corporate lobbying, SuperPac spending and influence buying that was formerly illegal. And you're paying for it. With your money. Your speech. In the New World every purchase is a unit of speech and a tacet sign of your approval of the works of that 'person'. You trade your voice for food. Abdication of your own beliefs for your birthright of Free Speech tastes like chicken.
So the owner isn't 'just sayin'. As the mouth and money of a corporation he should be held to the same standard as unions. Particularly when you deny their right to representation and now claim the sole right to represent your employees. You should have to poll them if you speak for them. A corporation is not a CEO. It is not buildings or equipment. It is people. All of the people. Shareholders, stockholders and stakeholders. Corporations are people. I guarantee you that no polling of his people would render he results he wants.
As a customer that feeds this 'person' who now has extraordinary and unfair speech powers I can vote too. With my voice and my money. I can boycott. I will. Or, I would, if Chik-Fil-A was around here. But the Koch Bros are and so are so many other homophobic, ALEC funding discriminatory and anti-employee companies.
But there is more. More that I can do. Ultimately, if dollars are now speech, I can also choose not to fund hate when it has more power than my one voice. And it does. So we should. You see, we are Chik Fil A. It does not exist unless we pay it our speech. Our money. Our speech is our money but so is our speech. We can make our voices heard by talking about what we will and wont pay for. What we will say and what we are 'not' saying. That is why 'Citizens' gives unprecedented power to bloggers. To Facebook Users and Twitterers. These blogs are being mined by programs to poll the viability, saleability, marketabilty and shareability of corporations. Your voice is being used to drive stocks, sell media, advertising and signal the public's feelings every time a corporation type person makes a statement. Liking, sharing and commenting is more powerful than money. Ask Libya. Ask Egypt. Ask Wall Street and ask Chik-Fil-A. Ask Mitt Romney.
If it weren't true they wouldn't be buying bloggers and creating fake Facebook pages. They wouldn't be buying fake twitter followers. The wouldn't be buying your vote. Are you for sale?
You see, we too have a new speech. Social Media. Every time I write the words 'Chik-Fil-A' Twitter, Google and Facebook registers it as well as the positive, negative gist and size of the posts. It counts the likes, shares, reposts and judges the info. That info tells advertisers and media the relative worth of your corporation. It is sold to stock companies. Media outlets and advertisers. Ask the Muppets why they finally took such a principled stand. Do you think Disney didn't know what Chik-Fil-A 'believes'. They just saw what was trending and didn't want to be in the Tsunami. They, themselves, own Marvel, Pixar, Henson and other 'hip' properties to counter the notion of their own 'beliefs'.
Talk of boycott and trending negative backlash makes a difference and 'Speech', real speech, is now the antidote to money and corporate speech. Your speech. Sharing, liking, posting, quoting, commenting matters. It is money. Your speech is cold hard cash.
We need to boycott more. All of us. The Right as well. We need to talk about it. And we need to hold CEOs accountable as long as they insist that corporations are people. Allowing them to have your money, your time and your attention is to say that you agree. Not with the owner but with the unlimited speech powers of the corporation. 'Vote' with your money. 'Spend' with your Voice.
Think about it. This all started when some smart guy decided to convince the court that a corporation was really just a bunch of 'citizens, united'. Are you one of Chik-Fil-A's 'citizens'? If not, then dont sell your birthright for a bowl of chicken. You are a person. A citizen. A real one. Perhaps the chikin will cross the road...
