August 1, my husband and I drove to the local Chick-fil-A to have lunch. Our impetus was a call by the former governor of our state, Mike Huckabee, to support Dan Cathy and his belief in “traditional marriage.”
As we gazed down at the two lines snaking through the mall open area, I struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman who had been a Baptist preacher for years. We agreed people were voicing their opinions not just in support of “traditional marriage” but also their right to freedom of speech. We decided, though we may be worlds apart in religious beliefs, we both believe in the freedoms being eroded in America today.
Those holding conservative ideals are too often derided, shamed and mocked. As I stood, watched and visited with like-minded people who reside in communities just like mine, I didn’t feel so alone. There must have been many religions, different ethnicities and people whose ages spanned from seven to seventy.
The day of our visit to Chick-fil-A was also the day, ironically, “Obamacare” began to require private insurance plans to provide contraception coverage without charging a co-pay. This requirement includes all hospitals and agencies, including those whose religious tenets oppose birth control and abortion. Another headline on this day announced the United States has the highest deficit since the 1940s.
I will remember August 1 for the rest of my life. I was humbled to know people will stand up for what they feel is right and have the freedom to do so.
SHAUNA HART, BYU Alumni
North Little Rock, Ark.
