Chick Fil A is known as much for the CEO’s Christian beliefs as its chicken sandwiches.
In-n-Out Burger has Bible verses printed on their cups and bags.
Nearly every storefront window in my college town displays a pride flag or “Free Palestine” message.
At some point, it gets a little exhausting. Do I really need to know the political views of the barista making my latte? Sure, it would be nice if my OBGYN shared my views on abortion, but does she have the skills to deliver my baby after a high-risk pregnancy? Would my hair stylist no longer wish to cut my hair if she disagreed with the beliefs I’ve shared on this blog (even though 90% of our conversations have to do with motherhood and what we’re currently watching on Hulu)?
In principle, I support using your platform – which, for most people, is their livelihood – to make a statement about something you strongly believe in. But at what point is it worth sacrificing certain clients, whose money is just as green as the “opposing” side?
If my pipes are leaking, I don’t really care if the plumber has Bible verses printed on his truck. I care that he’s a good plumber. I care that the service I’m paying for matches the Yelp reviews I read. I don’t need to know who my child’s pediatrician voted for.
There’s a local bookstore I used to frequent all the time. Despite being far more convenient to order books online, I’d order from them directly, and drive the 30 minutes to pick them up when they arrived. Ever since October 7th, 2023, however, the political messaging that was once very general became more specific. The books chosen for the “Staff recommends” shelf were all about genocide in Gaza and the colonizing evils of Israel. There were a select number of recent publications from Jewish authors – anti-zionist ones.
For a business that, ideally, should promote critical thinking, the message being shared was awfully one-sided. As my readers well know, this is an issue that has personal meaning for me, so of course my emotions will cloud my thinking a bit. Still, I had to wonder: would this store want my business if they knew I believe in Israel’s right to exist (which is not blind endorsement of everything its government does)?
Heck, as a conservative Christian, would they welcome my patronage in a store that calls itself a “safe space for all”?
My personal biases can sometimes affect my ability to think clearly, but I couldn’t help getting the feeling that my presence was being edged out. And that’s a shame, because I’m passionate about supporting local businesses over putting more money in billionaire pockets by shopping on Amazon.
This is the new purity test of our era. If our views do not align, I don’t want your patronage. Somehow more suspiciously, if your views aren’t posted anywhere on your storefront or related business pages, then you must be one of those wishy washy, people-pleasing types who promote superficial kindness, without taking a stand on anything. Silence is read as complicity.
Supporting free speech clearly means supporting the right of business owners to share their beliefs as they please. I just have to wonder if the division is worth it.
Photo by Aleksandra on Unsplash
