In a genius marketing move, a Cleveland music store owner has decided to ban all Trump supporters from his establishment. It’s unclear how he intends to enforce this illegal policy, but then again it’s unlikely anyone who cares about free speech and expression will ever shop their again. This is what is known as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez economics: drive away all business based on foolish ideology. Unless socialism suddenly kicks in, this guy is going to be out of a job.
Cleveland 19 sort of reports that a music store owner in suburban Cleveland won’t allow Trump supports to shop. I say “sort of” because the news only identified the owner as “joe” and wouldn’t put his face on TV in an interview where he doesn’t actually talk. In any case they did show the sign he posted in his store window:
“Dear Trump sympathizers, I am truly sorry, however I feel unclean and dirty accepting money from you. Please, politely shop somewhere else. Sorry, I would rather starve and close the store than participate in wrong-doing. Many blessings to you. I hope you understand,” reads the sign.
Joe says since posting the sign he’s been receiving death threats, but the only example he could give is this message somebody left:
“When I call cause you posted something stupid, that’s not a crime! Good luck, pal,” said a caller.
That’s not a death threat, bro.
Joe claims that the reason he banned Trump supporters from his store is because he doesn’t want people lecturing him on politics. Isn’t banning people from an establishment based on their politics a lecture on politics? Also, it’s not conservatives, Republicans, or Trump Supporters who run around pushing their beliefs on other people; that’s an exclusively liberal thing. All the proof you need is this dude’s anti-Trump sign.
And then get this, he claims he’s a Trump supporter. He told the reporter that he supports President Trump but not his policies, whatever the hell that means. So, he hate’s Trump’s positive economic polices, but likes his hair? This guy is clearly deranged.
“I did not do this for attention…I have posted things before about President Trump, so I didn’t expect this response,” said Joe.
He’s literally banning people from his store because he disagrees with their politics. What did he think was going to happen?
Apparently Joe had also posted his Trump supporter ban on his Facebook page, but deleted it due to the negative attention it was drawing. Actually, he deleted all content on his FB. His website is still up and so is his Google page. Here’s a pretty funny review of his store:
“The owners viewpoints are absolutely hateful, intolerant, and he is now a bigot. The owner believes that people who support our president are no longer allowed to shop here. I wonder how people would react if he decided not to sell his instruments to black people or people of a certain religious denomination. I wonder how he would feel if a store he shopped in no longer welcomed his political perspective. Good luck with your stand, I’m glad we live in a capitalist country where this will get fixed via the nature of free markets. Get your going out of business sale ready!! To anyone who doesn’t support our president and thinks this is something worthy of supporting, tread lightly. You are sending the message that free speech, open mindedness, and people with differing opinions are no longer welcome. On a libertarian note, I’m all for business owners expressing whatever viewpoint they want. Its unfortunate for this man and his family his ideology has consumed him so much that he truly believes this is the best course of action and the free markets will help correct him,” wrote user Josu.
To which Joe replied:
Let me be very clear this is not a ban. I am asking people to make a choice.There is a difference between asking and telling. i am not refusing service to anyone. retail stores are going out of business by the hundreds every day in this country. Especially, when small stores pay more in taxes than netflix. amazon gets tax relief for opening a business in a large city. How do small stores compete with them? Where are the tax breaks for the very small stores?
That being said, it saddens me that my fellow Americans support policies such as these: there are over 1,400 children of asylum seekers being held in detention centers. Our government has lost track of them. Now the president has declared a national emergency to construct a wall that will cost billions of dollars. meanwhile, infrastructure has been crumbling for decades and our educational systems are in dire need of attention. there are more than 25,000 people who are food insecure, in this county alone. Black people’s concerns and issues are being willfully ignored. allegedly, there isn’t any money for universal healthcare. I often feel that the people have little to no control of things. our vote has truly become symbolic as exemplified by the electoral college and gerrymandering. Calls to representatives go directly to voicemail. In the spirit of activism. I put up sign. let me be clear this is not a ban There is a difference in asking and telling. I politely asked the trump sympathizers, not republicans nor people who disagree with me to spend their money somewhere else. I espouse many conservative values such as only spending what you have earned. No one is vetted at the door. no one has been refused service nor was that my intention nor wording. My statement never said i would refuse service. I am truly sorry to the trump supporters that I have hurt. I made the mistake of being insensitive to your feelings. I didn’t realize how much this hurt you. To trample people who support president trump is cruel and mean, I am apologetic. Also, regardless of my position or view I do respect other people’s as I would want them to respect mine. The sign on my door was purposely worded as a request, not a demand so people to make their own choice. I have and will always treat kindly those who walk thru my door.
Hunter S. Thompson stated, “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” I guess I found the negative side. although i have received many emails and calls of support from strangers, family and friends, i am surprised by the response and quite frankly am amazed at the number of death threats and other aggressive messages i received from people all over the country who would never have shopped at my store anyway. the police will have these emails, posts and phone numbers.
Btw, channel 19 quoted one of my customers and not me. Unfortunate, that that particular channel decided not to write down what i said nor record it and therefore misrepresented my position. Even after showing up uninvited they were given great hospitality. Even then channell 19 misquoted me. Lydia, from channel 19, i am very disappointed in you. Maybe there is something to certain new services misrepresenting the facts to get more views. sensationalism, maybe? finally, There isn’t any money to be made in music retail business to really make this a monetary matter.
Lastly, “Take the lilies of the field. they neither toil nor do they spin and yet god takes care of them,”
Sincerely
Joe
I know that’s a lot to read, but it’s pretty f*cking funny. Not only is he walking back his anti-Trump store policy, he’s blaming it all on racism and a lack of socialism in this country. Hey, at least he understands his days as a business owner are numbered.
When celebrities have a Trump Derangement Syndrome meltdown like this, it doesn’t affect them financially and it might actually get them more work. For a small business owner to have a TDS episode, it can literally put him in the poor house. Once again, paying attention to what Hollywood says has tragic consequences.
