Fla. Reporter Goes to Chick-fil-A, Finds Astounding 'Level of Hatred, Unfounded Fear, and Misinformed People'

The media-news site JimRomenesko.com reports on Facebook comments by Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press reporter Mark Krzos, who summed up his disgust as he covered Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day: "Such a brave stand ... eating a g-ddamn sandwich."

"I have never felt so alien in my own country as I did today while covering the restaurant’s supporters. The level of hatred, unfounded fear and misinformed people was astoundingly sad. I can’t even print some of the things people said," he claimed. Then he bashed talk radio:

"It was like broken records of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and a recitation of half-truths and outright lies."

A friend asked: "And I bet they considered themselves christians. Don't know why these people don't take the advice of their spiritual teacher, Jesus whose name the religion contains....Could you ascertain what they're angry about, Mark?"

Krzos replied: "The President, Muslims, immigrants, poor people on welfare."

As for the unprintable comments, Krzos wrote:

You think "Fggt this" and "N-word" President that would fly? Not to mention that those who said those hateful things were -- excuse the pun -- TOO CHICKEN to give me their names when I asked for it....too bad there wasn't another reporter around to go with me and film it. I really wanted to do the interviews on camera while eating out of a bucket of KFC.

PS: The News-Press website has posted a neutral report written by someone else. It began: "They came for free speech, they came for traditional values and they came for waffle fries."

An accompanying video simply showed two women with religious-conservative signs being applauded by the people in line.

[Hat tip: Eric]