#van duzer

[ralphlorenzo]

[ralphlorenzo]

[litpine]

I helped contribute to this budding online magazine today during a five hour workshop with Mindy, the creator and Editor in Chief of Tom Tom Magazine and a wonderful human being. The entire project so far has taken just a little over 5 hours.

[thecynicalcenter]

Hypocrisy at It's Finest

So awhile back we witnessed what was thankfully a short lived controversy in the whole Chick-Fil-A debacle.  Naturally a lot of people were upset because some crazy old coot decided to remind the American public that he was old and out-of-touch when he said "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that." AND “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake out fist at him and say ‘we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage’ and I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”  Now it wasn’t only his ignorant  statements that caused an uproar, it was also the fact that his corporation donates large amounts of money to anti-gay organizations including The Family Research Council which was certified by The Southern Poverty  Law Center as a hate group.  Another one of these groups that goes by the name Exodus International even claims that they can ‘pray away the gay’ which I’m sure has had plenty of success. I sure as hell hope they have a satisfaction guarantee with that service because something tells me that they have had some issues.

First I have to remind the few that have probably read any of my earlier post that I didn’t agree with the initial boycott of Chick-Fil-A because this is America…where the freedom to be stupid is not only a right, but it’s encouraged.  One thing that I left out and I feel like venting about is the massive hypocrisy that is being displayed by OUR country’s right wing.  First, they harped on and on about freedom and our first amendment, and Chick-Fil-A has a right to voice it’s opinion, but when The Jim Henson Company decided it didn’t want to be associated with such pathetic views, all of a sudden it was completely proper to criticize a major corporation.  Apparently an old rich douchebag is entitled to his opinion, but a talking green frog isn’t.

Now we have the news today about a small business owner in Florida named Scott Van Duzer, who over the weekend was fortunate enough to be visited by the current POTUS.  He was informed about the visit earlier in the day and the Secret Service showed up early to check the place out and inform the business of what was going to be taking place.  Regardless of politics it is totally understandable as to why this man would be very excited about what was happening.  When Obama showed up, he was greeted with a huge smile and a hand shake, and then some pictures were taken while they talked a bit.  Then he gave him a hug and right after decided to wrap his arms around the Pres. and lift him up in a bear hug.  Nothing harmless, just a simple, humble moment from an excited small business owner  and a politician…right?  Wrong!!!

Cue the right wing morons who have no sense of shame in how ignorant and hypocritical they can be.  The “real patriots” in our society that are now going online to call for a boycott of this guy’s business just because he had the audacity to not disrespect our CIC.  How dare he greet the leader of the free world with a smile?  Doesn’t Mr. Duzer know that Obama is a Nazi, Communist, Muslim, Kenyan, Hitler lover?  Awhile back I realized that I no longer had guilt about how I feel about these types of people…the small minded bigots who feel their beliefs should be the law of the land.

What’s worse is why this small business owner was being payed a visit in the first place.  After all why would the POTUS decide to show up here during a political campaign?  Well Mr. Duzer runs The Van Duzer  Foundation http://thevanduzerfoundation.org/  which is a charity that helps low income families that have been struck by tragedy.  The President even praised Mr. Duzer for his blood drives in front of the cameras, and regardless of your politics, a charity of that kind getting national press should not be a bad thing.  Is there no middle anymore?  Is this what our country has become?  You can spew hate and discrimination, and even put large amounts of money behind it…but this poor guy deserves a boycott?  And where are all the First Amendment defenders who claim to be out fighting for our freedom stuffing their faces with deep fried garbage?  I take it this small business owner is not going to get Mike Huckabee to show support and have a “Van Duzer Day” the way that the Bigot at Chick-Fil-A did.

So the ball is in your court Mr. Huckabee, and I’m sure you’ll be on Fox News soon to voice your support for small business.  Besides, I know at least one of your chins is fond of pizza…so why not round up your freedom fighters and get them down to  The Big Apple Pizza & Pasta to show what America is really about?  Unless it really has nothing to do with freedom, and you just choose to support hateful bigots such as yourself.  Na, that’s not it at all.