After hearing about the big “Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day” action announced by Mike Huckabee and reading in various blogs about the throngs of people across the country who were flocking to their local Chicks to support owner Dan Cathy’s right to speak in support of Christian marriage and stand up to thuggish, intolerant liberal morons like Boston mayor “Mumbles” Menino and others of his ilk in New York, Chicago, and elsewhere, I just had to go out and grab lunch to see what was going on.

Our local Chick is a few miles away, right on a main north-south street, and even before I had reached the main intersection prior to where the restaurant sat you could already tell it was absolute bedlam. I counted the minutes it took me from the moment I got in line for the drive-thru until I drove away from the pick-up window: 79 minutes. Cars and people were everywhere, and what a festive gathering it was: young, old, families, singles, businessmen, cars, trucks, you name it – it seemed like all of Gilbert was there. A long line of people snaked from the restaurant entrance out into the parking lot, many standing under the hot sun on a 100+ degree day. It was amazing. And then something really astounding happened: a lady drove up in a SUV, parked it on the side of the lot, and she and her teenage daughter opened the back up and started handing out bottles of water to anyone in line who wanted one. Very cool.

My experience matched that of National Review Online’s Corner blog correspondent John O’Sullivan‘s:

At 3.15 p.m. there was still a line of cars around the Chick-Fil-A building with a second line of people spreading out from the restaurant into the parking lot, where the temperature had to be well over 90 degrees. The line went quickly, thank goodness, because the staff was both incredibly energetic and cheerful.

The atmosphere was a festive one. No one seemed in the grip of any of the darker emotions. I witnessed nothing hateful. Some people said they believed in “Biblical marriage” — that was the most shocking remark I heard. Most of those I spoke to declared that they had turned up to show their support for the company’s rights to free speech. Overall the sense was that of a cheerful community rebellion against political correctness and the intolerance of the professionally tolerant. Maybe, too, they were slightly surprised at how many people felt as they did. I would take it seriously if I were a politician. That’s how Hope and Change begin.

It was really something to see – a real community of folks coming together to celebrate – and make a statement about – the right to religious belief and freedom of speech and thought in this country. And it was heartwarming to see regular folks – the real silent majority in this country – stand up to the militant gay rights agenda and the politicians and elitists in the lamestream dino-media who would make you think 80% of the world is gay and it’s just us dumb, ignorant heterosexuals who are the intolerant ones. And while this scene was played out in hundreds upon hundreds of other locations across the US, don’t expect to read anything nearly accurate about it in the lamestream dino-media. Because it doesn’t fit their agenda or political and/or elitist worldviews. But that’s OK by me. I’d rather the Democrats, the Obama campaign, and their Beltway bum-kissers all huddle together with their heads in the sand – it will be much more fun come November 7th.

Oh, and the small order of nuggets and the spicy chicken sandwich I ordered were awesome.