Rob Halford, the iconic banshee behind the metal mic of Judas Priest, articulated his thoughts on the Chick-Fil-A controversy over at Noisecreep while promoting the upcoming 30th anniversary re-release of his group’s celebrated album, “Screaming for Vengeance.”
Halford, who himself is openly gay, offered up some intelligent commentary:
“Before I get into this, I just want to say that I love America. I love the American Constitution and the First Amendment,” says Halford, 60, whose main residence is in Phoenix, Ariz. “I’m actually watching a PBS documentary that I got on DVD about the life of John Adams. If you really get into the heart and soul of this great country, it’s all about the constitution and the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
“Everybody in this country has the right to say what they think and feel and what best represents them. The people at Chick-fil-A have the absolute right to say and do what they want. It doesn’t matter that all of these people disagree with their opinion. The question was how would the people that agree with what that man said do to support the company and how would the ones against his anti-gay remarks protest.
“The supporters have been showing up in droves, to spend money at the restaurants and peacefully assemble. But there has obviously been so many people who have gone out and boycotted the company. I think it’s great. That’s our right here. What you’re seeing here are the elements of the American Constitution in all of their glory. It’s a wonderful thing to see happening and talk about and the fact that everyone is discussing the gay rights issue is great.”
Halford originally hails from England, yet as the article states, he resides in Arizona and clearly has a deep appreciation what is so appealing about this country. Many of us who were born here simply take our liberties for granted, and a fraction of us would happily shred them in order to silence those who disagree with their agenda.
Halford continues:
“I don’t think that man thought too much about the business consequences of what he said, but I think he was standing for what he believes in. I don’t agree with him at all, but God bless the man. It’s as simple as that.”
Friends of mine who find Chick-fil-A’s position offensive tend to instantly resort to shrill terms designed to shame and silence, often going so far as to label Chick-fil-A a “hate group,” despite the fact that they don’t discriminate against their customers or employees based on gender, race, or sexual orientation.
Calling Chick-fil-A a “hate group” not only trivializes the term “hate,” but trivializes the suffering of those who have actually bled under the fangs of true hatred, the kind of hatred we saw toward Jews in Europe, women in the Middle East, and blacks in this country prior to the Civil Rights movement.
Halford sees this controversy for what it is: a difference of opinion, which is something we’re allowed to have, express, and react to peacefully.
God bless him for seeing the wisdom in allowing that.
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