Fast Food Politics

Memories Pizza and More looks so innocent with its Olive Gardens-inspired sign on the main street of Walkerton, Indiana.  However, it has become "ground zero" for the new war on religion, at least in cyberspace.

It's appropriately symbolic that a pizza parlor has become the focal point of these new religion bigotry, er I mean religious freedom laws being passed around the country.  We are a country that loves its fast food, especially pizza, and apparently would even have a pizza parlor cater our weddings, since Memories Pizza has placed a ban on catering gay weddings, not who comes into its pizza parlor.  I assume that's because it is hard to differentiate between customers, unless a gay couple were too make an obvious show of their affection to each other when entering this fine establishment.

Since this particular pizza parlor announced itself, it has received over $40,000 in donations, thanks to GoFundMe, which apparently allows persons to fund their bigotry.  Owners were so worried after they got a couple of angry phone calls that they shut down their parlor, resorting to Glenn Beck's The Blaze to vent their outrage.

I would have thought Glenn would have been more circumspect.  After all, he voiced his concerns over another bigot, Clive Bundy, when his story broke nationally.  Seems Glenn has no beef (or should I say pepperoni) when it comes to fuming over homosexuals.

Of course, you have to ask yourself whether a gay couple ever asked Memories Pizza to cater their wedding.  As we know from Queer Eye for a Straight Guy, the last thing a gay couple would want at their wedding is a table full of pizza.  How gauche!

You might call this "Fast Food Politics" because it is generated on the spur of the moment.   It has little substance, much less thought behind it, and is meant to satisfy our immediate craving for controversy.  Those $40,000 rang up in less than 6 hours.  But, unlike the indigestion and gas from an acidy pizza or burger, such open bigotry has a much more lingering impact on society.

Bring back the days of Jim Crow boys, because that is exactly what this legislation has inspired.  Fortunately, both the Indiana and Arkansas state legislatures seem to have recognized their folly and are busy amending their so-called "religious freedom" laws so that establishments like Memories Pizza can't get away with this bullshit.   Of course, Ann Coulter (remember her?) was quick to point out what a bunch of cowards they are for not sticking by their guns.

This is a religious war dammit!  Former Governor Huck knows this.  First the cake shops, then the pizza parlors, next our churches.  This is part and parcel of an orchestrated plan to strip away the very fabric of our Christian society, and leave us all bare to the pernicious evil these homosexuals represent.

The news media has of course jumped all over this, because they have become the purveyors of this "junk news."  No controversy is too big or too small for them to peddle on the airwaves.  After all CNN, MSNBC and Fox News have 24 hours to fill.  News pundits offer little insight, not that there is much to give in this case, preferring instead to host discussions, where panelists can vent their anger one way or the other on the "pressing issue" of the moment.

I suppose President Obama should be thankful to some degree, because all this media attention on Memories Pizza has helped deflect attention away from the historic breakthrough in relations with Iran.  Our GOP bully boys haven't had time to digest this news, preferring instead to line up in defense of Indiana and Arkansas's Religious Bigotry Restoration Act.

What a way to celebrate Easter!