Carroll County Shows Up, Speaks Out on Chick-fil-A Controversy

The Westminster Chick-fil-A saw lines out the door much of the day Wednesday, and if you've been paying attention, you know the hype has nothing to do with a cow. 

A national conversation has exploded recently due to Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy's comments on his opposition to gay marriage.

Do you think in the long run this controversy will help or hurt Chick-fil-A, or do you think it will be forgotten in a few weeks? Tell us in comments.

 Westminster joined locations across the country Wednesday that participated in Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, a day created by former Arkansas governor and former Rebuplican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

He created an event on Facebook encouraging people to show their support and appreciation for Chick-fil-A on Aug. 1.

"The goal is simple: Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, August 1," he wrote on the event page. 

And show up they did in Westminster. Lines were out the door at the Westminster store for much of the day.

Expect demonstrations to continue. GLADD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is planning "National Same-Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A" on Friday.

The Washington Post reported that in a recent interview on the Ken Coleman radio show, Cathy said that “we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.”

In response to Cathy's comments, the mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, told the Boston Herald he would keep Chick-fil-A out of the city.

“If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult — unless they open up their policies,”  Menino said.

Meanwhile, a Chick-fil-A has , and staff and commissioners in Carroll County said there is support for the chain to bring a third location to the area.

"As an individual commissioner, I welcome Chick-fil-A into Carroll County, Maryland, and will defend their first amendment rights to express their political views to the maximum of my ability as a county commissioner," wrote Richard Rothschild, vice president of the Carrroll County Board of Commissioners, to Patch 

Same-sex marriage has been a hot topic for Marylanders as legislators have debated the topic for the past couple years. Same-sex marriage will go to referendum in November, giving Maryland voters the opportunity to overturn the law legalizing same-sex marriage passed earlier this year.

Chick-fil-A supporters in the area took their opinions to social media Wednesday.

bigdoggmc tweeted at 1:21 p.m. "Great crowds and super spirit at Chick in Westminster MD since breakfast started."

 Delegate Justin Ready tweeted at 3:34 p.m. "Del. Ready & Del. Stocksdale stand with @chickfila"

Amy Gilford tweeted at 6:57 p.m. "#Chick-fil-A is still packed to the gills here in Carroll County!"

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- With reporting from editor Lisa Rossi