Eat More Chicken and The Young Generation

            Well now that we are a day removed from Chick Fil A appreciation day I hope everybody enjoyed their chicken and freedom of speech. It was amazing to see all of the people who went to the restaurant. It was also amazing to see the cars wrapped around the building and into the streets. The company said it was a great day and the company made a ton of money. Mike Huckabee said it was beyond anything he could imagine. (No I did not go and no I did not support the appreciation day). But here is the million dollar question: What have we taught the younger generation?

            Working with teens and being one myself I know they can be impressionable. I remember being an 11 year old and telling others why we should vote for George Bush and not Bill Clinton. I did not know what taxes were or any other political issue but I heard it and thought it would be true. If I could have voted then I would have voted for Bush. What impression was burned into the mind of teens that saw this event?

            Let’s face it: Homosexuality is a hot topic button in the United States and in the world today. Youth are not ignorant to what is going on in the world today. Through television shows, music (Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl), the internet and social media they hear the comments, both good and bad, made about this issue. One show, Secret Life of the American Teenager, has dealt with this topic over the past few weeks. It is an issue that youth face in their school and amongst their friends.

            There are many teens who are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit. This included one’s sexual orientation. It was not easy for me to be a teen. I didn’t want to stand out and peer pressure was great. Teens coming out in middle school or high school are still not highly accepted. There is fear because it is different. Youth feel like out casts and feel different.

Here are some stats:

- 30% of all teen suicides were related to a teen’s sexual identity

- Homosexuals are five times as likely to be bullied. This leads to 28% of these youth to drop out of school.

- In 2005 the 2^nd reason students were bullied was due to sexual orientation.

- 9 out of 10 LGBT teens have been bullied at least once.

            Bullying is not acceptable! Yes, the appreciation day was a chance for freedom of speech but what did it say to a younger generation? I am not saying that bullying will increase because of this day but what if it did? Would it be worth it?

            Teens are impressionable. What are we teaching them? More importantly what is the church and Christians teaching teens in regards to how one treats someone who is different from them?

            So many went to Eat More Chicken but the question is was it worth it?