A showdown over the "ethics" of Chick-fil-A has pitted woke students at a private university against one of the United States Senate's most outspoken Republicans.
An op-ed in the pages of the University of Notre Dame's student-run publication The Observer made the case to "Keep Chick-fil-A away" earlier this month after students learned that a franchise may open on campus.
"We have serious ethical concerns regarding Chick-fil-A and believe that a variety of other restaurants would better fit Notre Dame’s mission and our student body’s needs," the student letter declared. Their allegations include "Chick-fil-A’s long history of antagonism toward the LGBTQ+ community" and the fact that "animal agriculture is environmentally unsustainable."
The op-ed's authors call on members of the Notre Dame community to sign an open letter urging school administrators to remove Chick-fil-A from consideration before ludicrously claiming even Chick-fil-A's menu makes it unfit for their campus:
Consisting primarily of fried chicken and potatoes, the menu at Chick-fil-A does not supply an array of options suitable for a diverse campus community. Vegetarians and vegans, a growing minority of the student body, would receive little benefit from a fried chicken restaurant. Also, a restaurant closed on Sundays is not best for a bustling, hungry college campus.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) caught wind of the fragile Notre Dame students' efforts to block Chick-fil-A from having a presence on campus and sounded off in a Twitter thread.
"I have always thought Notre Dame was one of the greatest universities in America, if not the world," he noted "I want everyone in South Carolina and Across America to know I have Chick fil-A's back. I hope we don't have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for," Graham added.
It’s disappointing to hear some ND students and faculty want to ban Chick-fil-A from doing business on campus because they disagree with the values held by the Chick-fil-A founders.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 14, 2021
What a dangerous precedent to set.
I want everyone in South Carolina and across America to know I have Chick fil-A’s back.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 14, 2021
I hope we don’t have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for.
Great food.
Great service.
Great values.
God bless Chick fil-A!