Flags and Chikfila
Jun. 21st, 2016 02:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Last Monday, as we were driving in Tampa, I saw a Chikfila with its flag half-staff!
It was the first half-staff flag I had ever seen after Orlando and it was CHIKFILA!!!
I mean...you remember Chikfila, right? They fought against gay rights. They gave money to causes that battled gays. They talked about how they hated having gays marry. There were protests and counter-protests...
and four years later, their flag was half-staff and not just that location, ALL LOCATIONS!
That's actually not the best part. For those of you who don't know, since Chikfila is a very Christian based business, they believe the Sabbath to them a.k.a. Sunday is holy and it's closed.
Last Sunday, June 12, corporate ordered ALL THREE Orlando restaurants to bring in their employees to make chicken sandwiches and iced tea...free of charge...for those waiting in line to give blood. !!!
On that same Monday, I noticed that most apartment complexes in Tampa also had their flag half-staff. My mom explained that Obama had ASKED that flags be lowered. On Facebook, people weren't impressed by Chikfila because the president had ordered it but they didn't see what I saw. Florida Hospital, right across the street from the University of South Florida who counted a graduate among the victims, had their flag FULLSTAFF! In fact, they had two or three flags all at the highest height they could be. Florida Hospital is run by Seventh-day Adventists. My BFF had told me once how they were rude to him in the hospital. I thought it was a bias against young men but now I know it was his sexuality.
Two other nearby locations for Florida Hospital don't even have their flags visible from the road.
In the town I live, just 72 miles away from The Pulse...Walmart had their flag half-staff...
"At least for a little while-"
"A day or two?"
"Probably."
So, after Walmart stopped, there was Florida Medical Clinic, not affiliated with Florida Hospital, the banks and Betmar offices. THAT'S IT! Not even McDonalds lowered their flag to half-staff.
Then, yesterday, June 19, it seemed like everyone in my town decided that enough time had passed for everything to be fullstaff again.
But do you know who's still flying their flag halfstaff?
Chikfila and those residential communities in Tampa. I'm definitely going to be looking into whether they can leave my boycott list.
To further make my town look absolutely ridiculous and bigoted, Sons of Confederate Veterans has a Confederate flag it flies near the interstate and 301 by Brandon. It used to be the battle flag but they changed it to one of the actual Confederacy flags. It was lowered to half-staff "out of respect".
However, the president of the Hillsborough county chapter is also a county commissioner and he voted against flying the rainbow flag at the Hillsborough County Center. He lost. It was raised. I wish the reasons could have been better but it was still a victory considering the Hillsborough County Commission, under the evil guidance of Rhonda Storms, had voted to ban all gay pride events or markers in 2005.
So, of course, an anonymous employee is complaining that the flag has created a hostile work environment for her "strong Christian beliefs".
Obviously, her strong Christian beliefs don't include reading the Bible.
Romans 14:10
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Let them be happy and if they're being happy in a way God doesn't like, that's GOD's problem, NOT YOURS.
Yes, I realize my hypocrisy, but we're all sinners, that's the freaking point. Equals.
It was the first half-staff flag I had ever seen after Orlando and it was CHIKFILA!!!
I mean...you remember Chikfila, right? They fought against gay rights. They gave money to causes that battled gays. They talked about how they hated having gays marry. There were protests and counter-protests...
and four years later, their flag was half-staff and not just that location, ALL LOCATIONS!
That's actually not the best part. For those of you who don't know, since Chikfila is a very Christian based business, they believe the Sabbath to them a.k.a. Sunday is holy and it's closed.
Last Sunday, June 12, corporate ordered ALL THREE Orlando restaurants to bring in their employees to make chicken sandwiches and iced tea...free of charge...for those waiting in line to give blood. !!!
On that same Monday, I noticed that most apartment complexes in Tampa also had their flag half-staff. My mom explained that Obama had ASKED that flags be lowered. On Facebook, people weren't impressed by Chikfila because the president had ordered it but they didn't see what I saw. Florida Hospital, right across the street from the University of South Florida who counted a graduate among the victims, had their flag FULLSTAFF! In fact, they had two or three flags all at the highest height they could be. Florida Hospital is run by Seventh-day Adventists. My BFF had told me once how they were rude to him in the hospital. I thought it was a bias against young men but now I know it was his sexuality.
Two other nearby locations for Florida Hospital don't even have their flags visible from the road.
In the town I live, just 72 miles away from The Pulse...Walmart had their flag half-staff...
"At least for a little while-"
"A day or two?"
"Probably."
So, after Walmart stopped, there was Florida Medical Clinic, not affiliated with Florida Hospital, the banks and Betmar offices. THAT'S IT! Not even McDonalds lowered their flag to half-staff.
Then, yesterday, June 19, it seemed like everyone in my town decided that enough time had passed for everything to be fullstaff again.
But do you know who's still flying their flag halfstaff?
Chikfila and those residential communities in Tampa. I'm definitely going to be looking into whether they can leave my boycott list.
To further make my town look absolutely ridiculous and bigoted, Sons of Confederate Veterans has a Confederate flag it flies near the interstate and 301 by Brandon. It used to be the battle flag but they changed it to one of the actual Confederacy flags. It was lowered to half-staff "out of respect".
However, the president of the Hillsborough county chapter is also a county commissioner and he voted against flying the rainbow flag at the Hillsborough County Center. He lost. It was raised. I wish the reasons could have been better but it was still a victory considering the Hillsborough County Commission, under the evil guidance of Rhonda Storms, had voted to ban all gay pride events or markers in 2005.
So, of course, an anonymous employee is complaining that the flag has created a hostile work environment for her "strong Christian beliefs".
Obviously, her strong Christian beliefs don't include reading the Bible.
Romans 14:10
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Let them be happy and if they're being happy in a way God doesn't like, that's GOD's problem, NOT YOURS.
Yes, I realize my hypocrisy, but we're all sinners, that's the freaking point. Equals.
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no subject
Date: 2016-06-21 12:57 pm (UTC)Also, David and Jonathan.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-21 01:24 pm (UTC)I don't know if you have Perkins restaurants down there. Their big simple is a HUGE American flag at all their restaurants, and their's was at half mast for the shooting. That this is so impressive when it's lowered to half. WOW...
I can't say I noticed a lot of other flags, but my driving route doesn't really have many to see.
HUGS, Jon
no subject
Date: 2016-06-22 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-22 01:53 am (UTC)LOL It's GOD's problem, NOT YOURS. I love that. I want to say that to every single person who tries to use their religion to justify poor behavior. Your God will take care of it, how about you just stop being RUDE? LOL. :)
Good points all around and very interesting read.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-22 06:04 am (UTC)I was in Ottawa at the time; Canada lowered its main flag -- the one atop the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, our equivalent of the capitol, while Ottawa City Hall flew the rainbow flag at half staff. Both were down for the week. Many of our embassies abroad, including the one where I work, lowered their flags as well; those who had a rainbow flag added that.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 05:33 am (UTC)It was removed entirely instead.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 05:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 05:36 am (UTC)And thank you to everyone who did lower their flags and put up the rainbow flag. It really does mean a lot that people in others countries care.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 08:17 am (UTC)I remember one time when it was at half for some thing and there was a strong enough wind to keep it standing straight out, very impressive. :o
no subject
Date: 2016-06-23 11:36 am (UTC)