When a liberal store owner in a small conservative town decided to post a nasty billboard of the President, she learned how quickly backlash can happen. But in an age of short tempers and quick fuses, can anyone express their opinion without irreparable damage?
I admit, I haven’t been very nice to liberals. Most of my articles criticize the very worst examples of their views and behaviors. I’ve torn into their politics, lifestyles, and frequent examples of hypocrisy. But for every article I’ve written bashing the left, there are plenty more bashing the right, even on this site. It’s a fair give and take.
Agreeing to disagree is pretty important. And everyone that visits this site is welcome to express their dissent over my views openly, via the comments and other means. But what happens when our most deeply held beliefs cause serious damage to our livelihoods, careers, or even our lives?
That’s just what’s happening right now in the small town of Chico, California. You may never have heard of this town of 90,000 folks. It’s nestled in the northern reaches of one of the U.S.’s largest states. A decidedly red town, which in the last election voted for Donald Trump.
But, as in most parts of the country, there are liberals living in Chico. Including Nicholle Haber, owner of Rouse and Revolt used clothing store. This little chic boutique, as you can imagine by the name, is run by a very opinionated lady. So much so, that she decided to promote her business and at the same time, express her political views.
Okay, not a terrible idea. This is the land of free speech, after all, right? I mean, even a liberal in a conservative town should be able to let her views own. Except, this is the billboard she made:
Graphic design flaws aside, it’s pretty bad. I mean, damn girl. What were you thinking?
As you can imagine, the reaction was not good.
Rouse & Revolt owner Nicholle [Haber] told Newsweek that she didn’t sleep much last night. Her phone wouldn’t stop going off with the persistent buzzing of death threats for her sign, which stylizes the number 45 into a swastika and features Trump posed in a Hitler-esque stance.
“I’m living in a small, podunk red town and I’m already getting death threats,” said [Haber], whose store is in right-leaning Chico, population 90,000. “My business has completely floundered. Overnight I had more one-star reviews than all the reviews I’ve received in a year.” (Source: Newsweek)
I’ll say this right now: I don’t support death threats. There is never a time when you should threaten someone’s life, unless you’re a soldier confronting ISIS. Then go crazy. But Haber was quick to focus on the death threats after she posted a violent, hate-driven, ugly image of the President.
Of course, this is in no way as shocking as Kathy Griffin’s little photo op. But she had to realize what posting a picture full of Nazi-like imagery would do. At the very worst, it could inspire violence towards the President and his supporters. We’ve seen this strategy out of the extreme left this entire year. They call us Nazi’s in an effort to justify violence against us. Steven Crowder recently revealed this with an undercover exposition of an Antifa group, who was arming their people with knives and guns.
Posting a billboard of Trump looking like Adolf’s right-hand man is only throw copious amounts of fuel on the flames. Haber is going full Antifa, social justice warrior with this billboard, all but confirming the hate these terrorists embrace. If that doesn’t lead to violence, I don’t know what will.
Yet she acts like the victim when the obviously negative responses come pouring in. Death threats are unacceptable, but it’s not a huge surprise that her business took a hit. I know I would never put money into a business whose owner approved that kind of imagery to depict a President I voted for.
And I support liberal-owned businesses all the time, but Target and Starbucks have yet to portray number 45 as a Nazi.
You don’t have to be a conservative to be upset about this kind of behavior. As one user posted to Haber’s Facebook page:
“WOW you have some cute clothing,” someone posted on the store’s Facebook page. “I never heard of your business until you put up your poster board. I would never support your business because clearly you are a divider and a hater.” (Source: Newsweek)
Notice what that person said. They didn’t mention if they liked Trump or not. What bothered them? The fact that Haber was being divisive and hateful.
There are many important issues that liberals care very deeply about. Even with a conservative President, there are positive ways to express those views. Spreading ugly, badly designed, hate-driven messages like Rouse and Revolt’s won’t help the liberal cause at all. It only confirms the very worst opinions conservatives like me have about you.
I mean, I’m writing an entire article about it, after all.
What’s even worse is how Haber describes her own town. She called it “small” and “podunk.” Oh, thanks Nicholle. First, you insult the President, then when your customers don’t like your billboard, you call them small and stupid. Wow, that liberal elitism just doesn’t go away, huh?
This is an all too common tactic of the left. When they don’t see things going their way, they insult the very people they should be winning over. As when Governor of California, Jerry Brown, called Trump voters cave dwellers, comparing them to primitive troglodytes. Wow, that’s a great way to win over the voter base, Jerry. Or when Michelle Obama slammed female Trump supporters for voting against “their own voice.”
Um, I think being able to vote for whomever they want means they are using their voice. I guess to liberals unless you vote for their party, you have no voice.
But let’s take a step back and think about this. Shop owner Haber has a right to express her views. As a liberal in a conservative town, that might be hard, but she still has that freedom. But is expressing her views in such a vitriolic, violent, and aggressive way acceptable? Sure. Does that mean she should be spared any negative fallout from posting that billboard?
Of course not. She shouldn’t have done it. Free speech comes at a price and if you’re not ready to pay for it, keep your opinions to yourself.
Next time though, kid, hire a better graphic designer.
