Chick Fil A is not a safe space

Chick Fil-A is not a safe space for children,

…at least my children.

This sentence almost seems like an oxymoron.  For years I have enjoyed their Deluxe Chicken Sandwiches’ slathered in Polynesian sauce.  Waffle fries dipped in honey mustard only provided a cherry on top of an excellent prepared meal with over the top customer service.  The Christian values that are held so close to the company that it still remains closed on Sundays is reflected in the character of each employee.  I can 100% say that I have never had a less than perfect experience at Chick-Fil-A. 

This evening shortly after swapping kids, I asked Kaia how her day was with Mommy(Mandi)?   She said it was ok, almost sunken in her words.  I pressed and asked what they did today.  “Not much, we went to Chick-Fil-A, oh but daddy… this girl on the playground, she said… that she doesn’t like to play with black kids… cause they are smelly”.  My heart sank.   She continued, then this other girl said, “Hey, I have black friends, they don’t stink.”  I listened and let her finish the story, “So I climbed up the latter and got away from her, then I told Mommy what she said.  Mommy came back to look for her, but we didn’t see her so we just left”

I wish this story wasn’t true, like my last post, I wish this was just an allegorical or hypothetical situation.  I wish this was like my allusion to a circumstance like this happening that I made a couple of years ago, but it is not.  It happened on July 19^th in 2019.  Not 1969…. 2019.

First and foremost, Kaia is ok.  She was sad that it happened, but Mandi quickly addressed the issue that some people in this world will never know how wonderful of a person she is.  It is their lost not hers.  These sentiments are all very true, and Kaia has much more love in her life that will make this singular incident seem miniscule, yet it happened.  I am careful not to project my frustration and disgust of the situation onto her tender heart who sees the world with amazement and wonder, not bitterness and jade that was projected on me as a child. 

Girl 1.  Children are sponges.  In talking with Mandi later in the evening, I learned that girl was 10 or 11 according to Kaia.  An age where she is old enough to hear conversations her parents say, and definitely old enough to hear or see news clips.  It was just this Monday morning on my way to work, that I had to explain to Kaia why the President would tell people who look like her and I, to go back to the countries that we came from.  I explained that some people do not have Jesus in their heart, although they pretend too.  Children do not naturally hate; it is a learned behavior from the parents.

Girl 2.  If I were at this Chick-Fil-A, I would like to think that I would seek girl #2 over girl #1.  I would like to thank her for sticking up for what is right and not being afraid to call out racism when she hears it.  She deserves more than an ice cream cone, she deserves respect from a little girl who now has to look in the mirror and wonder why someone would say a mean thing to a person they never met.  Just as there are hateful people in the world, there are equal good people who are not afraid to speak up and stand up for what is right. 

Soapbox:

Over the past few weeks I have vowed not be silent.  I have vowed to use my voice and circle of influence to call out hatred as I see it.  So here goes.  If you are still reading this, and you have a MAGA hat, you are girl 1.  If you attend a rally where persons of brown skin are disparaged and berated for seeking the American dream, you are girl 1.  If you like a tweet where the sitting President of the United States of America alludes to persons of darker melanin to go back to there countries, you are girl 1.  If you turn your head to basic human rights violations because you care more for the green in your pocket, you are girl 1.  I have learned that people have a shut off mechanism when they are called the “R” word, so from here on out, Girl 1 will be my personal dog whistle.  Unlike Mandi and Kaia, I’m not going anywhere.  You will be called out and exposed for your hate, then I will leave it between you and your creator.

Now, for all the Girl 2’s out there.   The ones who stand up at work when someone makes an insensitive joke… even though no one of color is around.  The ones who look past their party lines to see the humanity in all people.  The Girl 2’s who walked lock step, arm in arm across the Pettis Bridge.  Please feel free to meet me at downtown Deland any Tuesday night, I would like to buy you a scoop of ice cream.