Spitgate: The War Against Police Takes a Weird Turn

It's strange to me that a chain of coffee shops has become the center of our social and political discourse.

I've talked about Starbucks before. I understand how fundamental coffee is to our daily lives and has even become a staple of our culture. But the fact that a specific brand has been thrust into so much of our current, tumultuous climate is surprising and even hilarious to me.

I doubt the executives at Starbucks foresaw their stores becoming ground zero for the Trump cup movement when they pushed for stores in every corner of our country (except for my town, for some reason). I doubt they expected backlash from customers when they introduced a plain red cup for Christmas last year.

Although they were surely poking the bear when they introduced their doomed "Race Together," campaign, a pathetic attempt at forcing meaningful discussion between their baristas and people who haven't yet had their morning coffee.

Perhaps they've wanted this all along. Any press is good press, right? At least that adage was true at one point in time.

But when you walk into your nearest Starbucks shop, do you really consider it the right place for insightful, political discussion? Do you expect there to be events that capture America's attention? Should they be the place where our current social and racial tensions spill over to affect everyday people?

Regardless of how you feel about the matter, the fact remains that Starbucks is quickly becoming a place where regular Americans are expressing their controversial opinions, openly and defiantly. They've become the place where conservatives and liberals clash, where headline news becomes everyday occurrences.

Seriously, you'd think that would be happening at McDonald's or something.

In the wake of Donald Trump's historic win of the White House, conservatives were flooding Starbucks shops to order coffees with the name Trump written on them, just to hear the baristas shouting his name. It was a hilarious sign of support for the President-elect, one that only helped drive sales.

But that didn't stop a barista from calling the cops. Methinks that employee spent too much time in college safe spaces.

This move by the right to use Starbucks as a center to express their views has not gone unanswered by the left. It seems there are a few Starbucks you wouldn't want to go to if you are a Republican, or worse, a cop.

Unless you like the taste of spit in your Caramel Macchiato.

A local Black Lives Matter chapter in Stockton, California, has come out in defense of a disgruntled Starbucks employee who spat in a police officers’ coffee.

Originally deemed by both Starbucks and local police as a hoax story, the incident began when a photo was posted to an anti-cop Facebook page called “Stockton Police Department, Corruption Reporting Page.”

The picture showed one of the department’s officers posing with his family along with the caption, “We are happy to report that today this officer from the Stockton Police Department got to have coffee at Starbucks…served with a side of spit. They even gave it to him with a smile and a nice comment.” (via Milo)

Wow! You go, Black Lives Matter! Spitting in a cop's coffee? Well, that will surely end decades of systematic oppression of black Americans!

Seriously, is this the kind of thing BLM endorses? How can you expect Americans to get behind your cause when you encourage pointless and hate-driven behavior?

You see, a real political organization tries to appear professional. They work hard to win over public opinion with thoughtful discourse, public speeches, and books. They lobby local, state, and federal governments to pass new laws to prevent discrimination, create opportunities for minorities, or end real abuses. They strive to change the hearts and minds of fellow Americans with their intelligence, service, and sacrifice.

They don't spit in coffee.

The fact that this chapter of Black Lives Matter celebrated this juvenile and pointless act erodes any creditability that they have. How can you take their claims seriously, when the result is this kind of behavior?

It reminds me of the time former child actor Eddie Furlong "freed" a bunch of lobsters from a Kentucky grocery store. Animal rights group PETA not only applauded his actions- which got him arrested- but offered helpful tips in how others could steal lobsters from stores and restaurants to free them. To ultimately have them die by being trampled by customers and pedestrians.

It's that kind of stupidity that fuels critics of such radical groups. If you can't behave like adults, why are we listening to you at all?

The Spitgate incident was quickly deemed a hoax by police and even the local Starbucks. But according to the Black Lives Matter chapter, it was anything but.

And yet, members of the Black Lives Matter Stockton chapter eagerly told Fox40 off-camera that the prank did, in fact, occur, writing, “It really happened…we gave you all the proof we could without throwing someone under the bus.”

Perhaps this chapter of the racial hate group wants that spitting employee to keep his or her job, in hopes of continuing their crusade against the tyranny of coffee-drinking police officers!

You know, because spitting in their coffee will help the situation.

But the Stockton chapter of Black Lives Matter isn't just content with ruining people's coffee! It seems they have extended their efforts to other eateries in the region:

The BLM chapter also claimed that a separate diner in Stockton also makes a tradition out of spitting in officers’ food, while also warning Fox40 that members of the media could also be targets.

Oh noes! Even the good reporters of Fox40 might become targets. This chapter of BLM cannot be stopped!

Seriously, though. All this will do is make people avoid Stockton, California. The next time I'm driving through the area, I'll be far less likely to drink or eat in a town known for spitting servers. Congratulations BLM, you're harming your local economy! How fitting for a political activism group.

Is this the legacy that Black Lives Matter wants to leave behind? We all know that the group started from legitimate concerns over police brutality against black Americans. And we should bring to justice any police officer or leader who has been proven to mistreat black people- or anyone else. But after supporting actual criminals, staging deadly riots across America, and now this, I don't think BLM will be garnering too much support in the days ahead.

The real irony is that their childish and foolish actions will only undermine their goals: ending systematic racism in America.

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