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Some have this thing against “the man,” the corporate giants who step on the little guy to force their form of business down the throats of decent, hard-working Americans. They have this notion that big equals bad, completely ignoring that big equals powerful, as in able to influence change. They miss the fact that their neighborhood Subway and Applebee’s units are likely owned and run by their neighbors. Not to mention all the people who benefit from working there.

Others are food snobs. They believe if a menu is replicated place to place, it can’t possibly be as good as one created by a chef who picked the produce and herbs from their own fields that very morning. OK, chain menus aren’t like that, but neither are 99.9 percent of independent restaurants’ menus. There are mom-and-pops that stock mostly number 10 cans and pre-portioned frozen proteins, and there are chains that purchase organic meat from local purveyors.

The list is long of restaurant chains that have unique, trend-forward and just plain delicious food on their menu. And I’m confident that restaurant chains played a role in demanding higher quality for those frozen proteins.

Likewise, chain food is not inherently bad for you. Yes, most restaurant chains sell food that has a lot of fat, sugar and salt. Most restaurants do, too, as do supermarkets, convenience stores and Little League concession stands. Most restaurant chains also have choices—and lay them out in detail—for consumers who want them.

“Choice” is the correct word, too. Choice is something restaurants offer, and choose is something customers do. Those unable to choose have parents to choose for them. Restaurant chains are not responsible for obesity in children. They don’t order kids’ food. Nor did they take recess and gym class out of public schools, give kids motorized ride-in cars rather than pedal-driven ones, or encourage them to play PS2 rather than soccer.

Restaurant chains also are not responsible for illegal immigration (though there are some scofflaws who take advantage of it) or for keeping low-skilled workers below the poverty line (though some could do a better job of ensuring their employees are paid enough that they don’t have to take advantage of the generous donations they make to food banks). They are responsible for hiring and training America’s teenagers, giving them their first taste of the working world. And for giving individuals with special needs an opportunity to use their skills and giving ex-cons a second chance to build theirs.

My parents taught me to be kind, so I don’t spout all this out when I hear “I don’t eat in chains.” But it sure feels good to get it off my chest.