Quick Analogy for Troubled Times...

Let's say a store is giving away free turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Now let's imagine that someone goes to that store and qualifies for a free turkey with their purchase.
When the cashier tries to give them a free turkey, the customer says: "But I'm a vegetarian. I choose not to eat turkeys. Give me something else."
The cashier explains that the deal is really just for free turkeys, and that there is nothing else to give away.
The customer replies that it isn't fair to give away turkeys to customers who eat turkeys without providing alternative for customers who are vegetarians.
The store manager interjects that it is fair for the store to do, because everyone who qualifies gets a free turkey. It's up to the customer to decide whether they want to eat it. Plus, Thanksgiving is coming up so it's a holiday thing.
The customer explains that's it's not his tradition to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, so it's not right for the store to assume that he does.
The manager tries to explain that most people do eat turkey on Thanksgiving...so maybe the customer could give away the turkey to someone else who wants it...but the customer still complains that his dinner won't be free since the store isn't giving away what he prefers to eat.
Annoyed, the customer starts a petition among vegetarians and complains to the CEO of the store franchise about how he feels unfairly mistreated. Enough people complain that the store starts giving away vegetarian lasagna for Thanksgiving as an alternative to the turkey.

But this isn't enough...by the following year, the vegetarians complain that it makes them feel ostracized that the advertisements in the store feature a picture of a giant turkey and only mention the vegetarian lasagna in the small print. They feel like they are asking for special treatment whenever they request the lasagna, and that they often get funny looks from cashiers or other customers when they make their request. So then they demand that all of the advertisements provide equally large images of turkey and lasagna to help make lasagna seem like an equally preferable choice.

Before long, every Thanksgiving display begins to feature an Italian chef alongside a pilgrim where the Native American used to stand.

Then, some vegetarians start complaining that they are lactose intolerant, and that they can't eat lasagna...and, eventually, stores have to start simply issuing gift cards for $20 off any food in the store with certain purchases during Thanksgiving week.

Both the turkey and the lasagna are replaced with the store's mascot holding out a twenty-dollar bill...which may or may not be used to purchase food for a Thanksgiving dinner...

...not that anyone really remembers what one of those is at this point, anyway.

Comments

[John]

I'm seeing an analogy for the gay "marriage" issue. Is that what you intended to put forth?

[PeterTerp]

The "gay marriage" analogy is what I'm getting the most from people...
I wonder what makes that seem the obvious reference...