How many times and in how many ways can I count my blessings for living in a big blue city. Especially my big blue city.
Daily Kos nudged me toward reviving my Don’t spend your money where? category, with this mind-boggling story about an Oklahoma restauranteur (who looks exactly the way you’d expect him to look): Daily Kos: Oklahoma Restaurant: No Freaks, F*ggots, N*ggers, Disabled or Welfare “Freeloaders”.
Here’s the beginning of the Daily Kos piece (I advise you not to eat — especially not at Gary’s Chicaros — before reading this):
[Disabled Former Customer] Matt Gard claims that the owner of Gary’s Chicaros restaurant, Gary James, banned him from the restaurant because of his wheelchair. James, however, says otherwise: “He created an issue. You only have one time here. You create an issue, you’re out forever.”
…
James doesn’t deny that he thinks some people shouldn’t patronize his restaurant. “Well if you work, you own a business, pay your taxes, you’re more than welcome here,” he told KFOR. “If you’re on welfare, stay at home and spend my money, there. I don’t deal with these people walking down the street with no jobs on welfare.”
Gard also claims that James has routinely turned away customers for decades. “He doesn’t like certain people of race, color, ethnicity,” Gard said of James.
James told KFOR that he’s owned Gary’s Chicaros for 44 years, so he “think[s] I can spot a freak or a f*ggot.”
The restaurant’s official t-shirt [“Where Great Whites Gather”] makes it clear that a “f*ggot” isn’t welcome in James’s establishment. It features that word, the N-word [“Nigger Free Zone”] , and threatens violence against Muslims, Democrats, and members of many minority groups.
Lucky guy: he won’t be seeing me in his restaurant ever.
But more than just this one episode, Mother Jones recently got hold of (that Mother! she just keeps getting hold of secret info that thoroughly embarrasses hideously rich people) the confidential attendance list for a Koch brothers’ secret strategy and, presumably, fund-raising political function dedicated to invading and occupying countries, states, cities and towns and getting rid of the governments we depend upon.
The collection of very rich people who attended has gotten a certain amount of notice. The Mother Jones internet posting of this list attracted a slew of enthusiastic comments along the lines of Let’s Boycott.
I agree. Although most of our power as individuals in this country comes from voting, there’s no reason not to buy stuff produced by people whose characters we deplore.
So every one in a while, when I get a chance, I’ll give you a list of things you don’t want to spend your money on, since your money will go into the pockets of bad people.
I did once post a Koch Brothers do-not-buy list. Here it is again:
GEORGIA PACIFIC PRODUCTS: Brawny paper towels; Angel Soft and Quilted Northern toilet papers.