Cathy can say whatever he wants. I wouldn't eat at Chick-fill-a for two reasons: one is that the corporation gives lots of money to anti-civil rights campaigns. Two is the dumb-ass spelling of their name. The opinion of the owner is only important if it points to what the company does in the political arena.

I'm divided about mayors saying they don't want the restaurants in town. I don't think they should get to do anything about it other than opine. On the other hand, if there was a restaurant chain that had an owner who said that black folks were an inferior race, and if the corporation was giving lots of money to the KKK, I wouldn't want them in my city. But I don't think it wouldn't be Constitutional to deny them a permit for that reason. On the other hand, having public repercussions for people who bring hate speech (and money) into our political discourse is maybe not such a bad idea. Sort of like, "You have the right to say anything you like, but your monetary support of anti-civil rights groups means that you lose the right to do business in this town."

Another solution, of course, would be for the news media to stop repeating hate speech. Talk about playing into the hands of the bigots!