Should Chick Fil-A Be Forced to Open On Sunday?— It's About The Pursuit of Happiness

Louis: You know, there are some people that, because Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday. - Yes. - They actually buy extra on Saturday to tide them over.

Stephen: - Yeah. –

Louis: You know anybody like this? -

Stephen: Well, I don't know anybody who does it, but I know a lot of people in my family who work with me. we did do that because we find that the day of the week when we're most likely to want to have Chick-fil-A is on Sunday.

Louis: Do you think that's good business on their side?

Stephen: I think it's amazing. You know what? No. Here's what I think it is.

Louis: Because absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Stephen: No, that's not the point of it. The point of it is it's good business because it's founded in their why. Simon Sinek wrote the book. book, Start With Why, right?

Louis:- He certainly did. –

Stephen: Chick-fil-A believes that if you're gonna operate a business, you have to operate the way that God intended. That is one of their foremost whys. So the reason why they don't open up on Sunday isn't a business decision. It is a moral decision on their part.

 They want their employees to be able to have a Sabbath, to be able to have-- time to spend with God, to be able to go to church with their families.

Louis: And that's why there are cars wrapped around the building two and three times, right? And the reason we say that is, is yes, I'm sure the food is very good. Actually, I have partaken many, many times.

Stephen: Delicious.

Louis: But here's the point is where you're getting at is with regards to Simon Sinek and his book Start With Why is that people don't generally follow someone because of what they do or how they do it. They do it, they follow those who know their why. –

Stephen: And part of it is that when you know your why, your what, and your how change.

Louis:- It's like an Apple computer, for example.

Stephen:- Great example. Well, old Apple computer, but go ahead. –

Louis: No, well, I mean Apple, their why is “Think different.”

Stephen: That it was under Steve Jobs Absolutely agree.

Louis: And, and so that's why a lot of folks They're not only going to buy a computer

Stephen: Yep

Louis: From Apple, but they'll buy a watch

Stephen: And the phone

Louis: And the phone

Stephen: Sign up for Apple TV and Apple streaming and music and all

Louis: Buy whatever sure that is offered

Stephen: Except for maybe the goggles cuz those are got awful

Louis: Well not yet Hold on. Why you gotta be so judgmental?

Stephen: Have you seen them?

Louis: They just got released

Stephen: They're nasty Okay, like four thousand bucks.

Louis: You know a lot of folks... What are y'all talking about here?  Well, first of all I was trying to talk about Chick-fil-A.

 Stephen: Yes, you were

Louis: And how they were closed.

Stephen: Mm -hmm

Louis: On Sundays Well in New York State.

Stephen: Mm -hmm.

Louis: They apparently are going to pass a law requiring Chick -fil -A to open on Sunday.

 Stephen: See …

Louis: And have you heard this?

Stephen: I have heard this and they I don't know They're they're going to be able to pass it one. They've written the law absolutely.

Louis: I mean there's some people listening right now that say you know what I think I could get a get right behind this New York state legislature proposed law.

Stephen: Really you would? You'd get behind let's again I say you should run all of your political beliefs for the second sense of the Declaration of Independence.

Louis: I'm talking about those die-hard Chick-fi-A folks that I understand but we should run all of our political beliefs.

Stephen: Through the second sense decoration of independence right absolutely the second sense decoration of independence we are each given every one of us created equally we have been given by the creator the right to life to liberty and to the pursuit of happiness now if I want to have a business and I want I decide you know what my pursuit of happiness means that I want all of my employees to be able to go to church on Sunday or do whatever they want to do on Sunday if they're able to have that day off that's going to enhance my life pursuit of happiness because I'm going to believe I'm doing the right thing. Or I have the right, the liberty to decide when I want to work and when I don't want to work. That's my liberty. Now, I'll have to deal with those consequences and if I don't work on Sunday, then I don't get any money. But that's my liberty, right? Government's job is to secure those rights. This law in New York would force people to work when they don't want to work and it would force businesses to do things that would be opposite of their pursuit of happiness. This law takes away people's rights that were granted by the creator.

Louis: Can I explain why? What the rationale is?

Stephen: Well, the rationale is he hates Chick -fil -A and he doesn't like them.

Louis: No, no, no, no. Come on. I don't know that that's it at all.

Stephen: Come on.

Louis: What they're saying is, is look, there's nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week. However, they say, say when you are on an interstate, for example.

Stephen: Okay.

Louis: That they should be open because that benefits the public and allowing retail space to go unused for one seventh of the week or more is a disservice and an unnecessary convenience to inconvenience to travelers who rely on those service areas.

Stephen: So okay, let's follow this logic here. for just a second So they're saying we've got retail space. It's not being used. So that's a disservice to people that that space could be used Is that that's the logic right?

Louis: Okay. Okay.

Stephen: Well, what about this? Your apartment? Oh my gosh in New York City There's so many people in your apartment during the middle of the day You aren't home and you've locked your apartment and you've closed it off to other people There are people who might want to have a nap it would benefit society if you would be forced to let other people sleep in your apartment while you're not there.

 Same logic.

Louis: Hold on. Hold on. Here's the rationale from the author of this bill in the New York State Legislature.

Stephen: From the person who hates the fact that Chick -fil -A is grounded in its own morality and grounded in the rule of God.

Louis: They're not saying that it has anything to do with religion.

Stephen: Well, of course they're not saying that. They're saying. They're going after Chick -fil -A on purpose. There's a reason they're going after Chick -fil -A. -A And it's not because they really like their chicken is because they hate their philosophy.

Louis: And they say that these through ways These interstate states are meant to serve New York travelers and so therefore you should be open, but hold on Let me this is a direct quote from the author of the legislation

Stephen: Uh -huh.

Louis: And he says, you know, we get hungry when we're traveling

Stephen: Uh -huh.

Louis: We may not like our brother -in -law or sister -in -laws cook cooking and want to get a snack on Christmas Eve. To find one of the restaurants closed on the through way is just not in the public good.

Stephen: One of how many? One of how many? How many Chick -fil -A's are there? Is every single store on a New York interstate a Chick -fil -A? No, you hungry? Stop off at a quickie mart and pick up some fruit loops. I don't care. There's something else that you can eat.

Louis: But as crazy as this sounds i think this has the possibility of passing yeah it does your state legislature and the governor there and it has the possibility of signing the bill it has the possibility of being struck down for violating the chick filet's first amendment rights pretty damn fast

Louis: So Chick fil-A has made no public statement on the case but on its company website it explains explains why it's closed on Sunday.

 And I quote, "Having worked seven days a week in restaurants, opened 24 hours, the chain's founder, Truett Cathy, saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest or worship if they choose a practice we uphold today."

Stephen: So it's a First Amendment belief. That is the way that Chick -fil -A chooses to allow its employees to follow their religion. That is a First Amendment issue. The state of New York does not have the right to violate the First Amendment of the First Amendment rights of Chick -fil -A.

 The state of New York also doesn't have the right to seize Chick -fil -A's time. That is Chick -fil -A's property, they're paying for it. New York doesn't have the right to seize it and force them to open it.

Louis:- So anyway, as you pointed out, I think this proposed law, if it were in fact to be passed by the legislature, signed by the governor, Governor Hochul, I think it would run afoul of the Supreme Court's rulings, especially in recent years, where they've upheld religious freedom in commerce, such as the Masterpiece Cake Shop case.

Stephen: - But look, you know, this bill comes out just before Christmas because that That lawmaker hates that Chick -fil -A follows a Christian mindset as part of their why .

National, Religious FreedomMatthew HollowayNew York, Religious Freedom