or why I left your seafood market without buying fish.
I live on the north fork of Long Island- a very "red" part of NY. There are democrats here but most of them just keep their views to themselves. Having a different view in a small town can cost you in more ways than one.
Having been born in a different part of Long island, I wear my heart on my sleeve and my t-shirts and my car etc . During the Bush years, some people would come up to me on the sly and tell me they liked my t-shirts etc. Others would just give me dirty looks.
I also own my own financial services firm. I don't usually talk politics with clients because it can cost me money. It is the 3rd rail in my business, so I was kind of surprised to see a huge sign on a local business yesterday that read: " Yes, I did build this and not the government[the "o" in governement was the Obama "o". ] Save American businesses!"
I went into the fish market and the person behind the counter asked me what I wanted. I ordered some salad and was about to order some fish when I changed my mind and told the counterperson that because of the sign outside, I was going to buy my fish elsewhere. I got a glare.
When she handed me my coleslaw, she stated the the people in the market didnt agree with the sentiments expressed by the sign. I responded that someone should tell the owner he is losing business because of it and she replied "oh, he knows and he doesnt care." I replied that if he could afford to snub business in this economy(fresh fish is NOT cheap], that he must be in Mr. Romney's tax bracket. I took my coleslaw and left but that sign bothered me all night.
So, today I went and emailed the owner of the seafood market(see below). Will it make a difference? Probabaly not but I feel better. Now it's off to the Post Office in my t- shirt that says "Democracy is not a state in which people act like sheep" while driving in my car with the Dogs against Romney bumperstickers.
My Email:
To The owner:
You did NOT build the road that allowed me to get to your business yesterday. And, without our tax dollars and our government maintaining that road, your business would likely not exist. I will, however, concede it is likely you did build the driveway in which I turned around in and left without buying any fish as I had planned.
As a business owner, you know that when you bring politics into your business, you risk losing customers. As a small business owner myself, I wanted to tell you why you lost my business and it is not why you might think.
Had the sign up on your building been a Romney campaign sign, I would not have been pleased but I feel everyone has the right to express who they want for our next president. Why you lost my business was that the sign you had up is based on a lie, as fact checked by every news organization in the country. Take for example, today's report from the Associated Press:
THE FACTS: Ryan, like Romney and scores of Republicans in recent weeks, has used comments Obama made at July 13 campaign appearance in Virginia against him. But the rhetorical jab takes Obama out of context. Republicans have seized on only part of Obama's quote — "If you've got a business, you didn't build that" — but the full quote makes clear Obama is talking about the conditions that help businesses and individuals succeed, such as teachers and infrastructure.
In fact, Mr. Romney agrees with President Obama on this. Here are comments from a campaign speech last month by Mr. Romney:
"There are a lot of people in government who help us and allow us to have an economy that works and allow entrepreneurs and business leaders of various kinds to start businesses and create jobs. We all recognize that. That's an important thing. ..I know that you recognize that a lot of people help you in a business. Perhaps the banks, the investors. There's no question your mom and dad. Your school teachers. The people that provide roads, the fire, and the police. A lot of people help."
So, it seems one either believes both Mr. Romney and President Obama are incorrect or one agrees with both of them. The sign on your business takes President Obama to task for something that not only he didn't say but for comments that Mr. Romney has also made.
I should also point out that I did go inside to express my concerns about the sign and how I was not going to buy fish from XXXX because of it. The staff behind the counter told me they did not agree with the sign and that the owner knew he was losing business because of it and didn't care.
I have taken the extra ordinary step of contacting you because you may not know the facts about the sign you have up. Perhaps if you knew the sign was a lie, then perhaps you would replace it with a regular Romney campaign sign. Your Democratic customers still wont like it but they will respect your right to express your support for Mr. Romney without lying about the other candidate. What people dont respect is dishonesty and that's why I wont buy fish from XXXX's as long as the sign remains.
Respectfully,
KC
