The Wall Street Journal (paywall) is reporting that an heiress to the Publix supermarket chain was the largest donor to the January 6 Trump “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol, and according to the WSJ she did this in cooperation with Alex Jones.
I’ve done a large portion of my grocery shopping with Publix over the years. I never had issues with them, always got good service… but no more. Here’s the text of the email I sent to them over their website’s customer service portal:
I am a longtime customer who purchased my groceries from Publix this morning. I've always gotten exemplary service, have never had an issue with your company, and for me Publix has always been "where shopping is a pleasure". However, I am extremely concerned this morning about a report I read in the Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/.../jan-6-rally-funded-by-top-trump...) and other news outlets about a major figure with your company, Julie Jenkins Facelli, and her role in the events of January 6, 2021. To be clear, I really don't care what Ms. Facelli's political leanings are or who she voted for, but contributing $300,000 toward an event where participants erected gallows on the grounds of the Capitol, some participants called for the murder of the Vice President of the United States and desecrated the US Capitol in events that also led to the murder of a police officer, all in the service of violently overturning the results of an election and thus the US government, is beyond the pale.
I am the son of a World War II veteran, and I'm very proud of my dad's service. I know that men and women of my father's generation sacrificed the years of their youth for the freedoms we enjoy including the right to vote, and for elections to actually mean something, up to and including the peaceful transfer of power.
It is Ms. Facelli's right to believe in anything she wants to, including values that contradict the values of my father's generation and of those that are bedrock principles of our country if she so wishes. If she wishes to say "to hell with democracy because my guy lost an election", that's her right, and she's apparently let her money show where her convictions lie.
That doesn't mean that I should dishonor the memory of my father and members of his generation that fought for and some of whom died to defend our right to cast a ballot and for our votes to actually mean something by doing business with someone who doesn't share those simple values.
I am saddened by this - I really like doing business with Publix - but this leaves me with no choice but to end my relationship with Publix as a loyal customer. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter, and it is my sincere hope that Publix will repudiate the horror that was attendant to the events of the morning and afternoon of January 6, 2021 on the grounds of the US Capitol.
Best regards and most sincerely,
...
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Obviously, I’m not in synch with all of Publix’s political stances. Still, I’ve always liked their service and proximity to where I live.
This is a deal-breaker, and while “shopping is a pleasure”, feathering the pockets of enablers of anti-democracy mayhem isn’t.
Boycott Publix.
