Liberal Democrats who believe in bullying people and/or corporations into submission ought to feel proud today, ladies and gentlemen, because thanks to the bullying of David Hogg and his peers, one major Florida company has just abdicated its free speech rights.
The bullying started this week after Hogg, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Florida three months earlier, began targeting a popular employee-owned supermarket chain that employees over 190,000 Americans.
Publix supermarket chain attracted the 18-year-old gun control zealot’s ire after he learned that it had contributed over half a million dollars to the Florida gubernatorial campaign of Adam Putnam, a Second Amendment advocate and proud NRA member.
In a tweets posted earlier this week, Hogg urged his supporters across the country to hold a “die in” at their local Publix store starting Friday because of this:
Anyone who supports an NRA sellout is an NRA sellout. That is why I am calling on everyone to stop shopping at Publix until they pull their endorsement of Putnam publicly. Publix is supporting the inaction after pulse, strozier, Douglas, liberty city. Don’t support an NRA sellout
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) May 23, 2018
.@Publix is a #NRASellOut
In Parkland we will have a die in the Friday (the 25th) before memorial day weekend. Starting at 4pm for 12 min inside our 2 Publix stores. Just go an lie down starting at 4. Feel free to die in with us at as many other @Publix as possible.— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) May 23, 2018
God forbid an employee-owned corporation exercise its First Amendment rights by donating to the campaign of someone whose values align with those of its employees.
Back in July, Putnam showed pride in his NRA ranking, tweeting, “The liberal media recently called me a sellout to the NRA. I’m a proud #NRASellout!”
Never mind that Publix is the largest employee-owned grocery chain in America, or that it was ranked in third place for “Best Job Security” by Indeed.com last year. The supermarket chain is so good to its employees that it’s never even laid one off before. And never mind the numerous awards the corporation has notched for its impressive charity work.
To Hogg, only one thing mattered: Publix, which again is an employee-owned grocery chain, had chosen to back a candidate whom he disliked. Oh, no!
Here are pictures and video footage from some of the die-in protests held at Publix stores this Friday:
#Publix protesters in Orlando now outside chanting. Event peaceful, no one arrested. Publix staff didn’t confront anyone, but activists say a customer did run into them with cart pic.twitter.com/U2fgf18Mop
— Monivette Cordeiro (@monivettec) May 25, 2018
Guac’s parents Manuel and Patricia lied down together at “die in “ protest to Publix’s contributions to pro-NRA Adam Putnam’s campaign #ChangeTheRef #MarchForOurLives #parklandstrong pic.twitter.com/dYZSd6u9M7
— Change the Ref (@ChangeTheRef) May 25, 2018
This is America. #PublixDieIn #neveragainmsd pic.twitter.com/Atsau5uWXh
— Emilee McGovern (@EmileeRose) May 26, 2018
@Publix is a #NRASellOut @davidhogg111 @ChangeTheRef @MomsDemand #BoycottPublix pic.twitter.com/4DlGrdtolh
— Dave Lotz (@Davelotz1) May 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/toddtongen/status/1000106377686249473
Together we can do anything. Together the young people will win by choosing love. pic.twitter.com/TRrfTJL2Wb
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) May 26, 2018
Does he genuinely believe that “choosing love” means using sketchy tactics to bully others into accepting his warped political ideology?
Hogg could have simply urged his followers to not shop at Publix, much like conservatives have been urging patriotic Americas to not watch football. But instead the kid decided to violate the company’s private property rights with his silly die-in.
He even reportedly draw chalk outlines of dead children at one Publix store:
Join @ChangeTheRef, @davidhogg111 & others as we #ProtestPublix by staging a "die-in" at the #CoralSprings @Publix pic.twitter.com/yQO1qzaSWC
— Change the Ref (@ChangeTheRef) May 25, 2018
Early this morning @davidhogg111 teamed up with @ChangeTheRef to create an art instillation outside of @publix in protest of the corporation and their support of Adam Putnam. 17 chalk outlines in multiple parking spots were drawn and wrapped in caution tape. #msd #neveragain pic.twitter.com/043cC2o6kA
— Emilee McGovern (@EmileeRose) May 25, 2018
“I think it’s a really good symbolism of what our politicians do to our kids,” Hogg reportedly said later as clean-up crews washed away his mess. “They are literally wiping them away and pretending it never happened.”
We know for a fact that his proposals would do nothing to stop mass shootings, let alone bombings, knife attacks and whatever else.
It’s no wonder that counter-protesters showed up to challenge Hogg’s agenda. They reportedly chanted President Donald Trump’s name, as well as “NRA! NRA! NRA!” They also expressed to the media what they thought about the kid’s protest.
“Biggest herd of sheep I’ve seen in Florida,” one said to the Sun-Sentinel.
“I like Publix,” local resident Diane Lanoie told the Detroit Free Press. “This really pisses me off. Do you know how much Publix does for the community? The homeless? I’ll probably shop there more now.”
Tragically, despite the irrationality and puerility of Hogg’s protests, they managed to work. On Friday the supermarket chain issued a statement pledging to “suspend corporate-funded political contributions as we reevaluate our giving process.”
“At Publix, we respect the students and members of the community who have chosen to express their voices on these issues. We regret our contributions have led to a divide in our community,” the store wrote.
“We would never knowingly disappoint our customers or the communities we serve. As a result, we decided earlier this week to suspend corporate-funded political contributions as we re-evaluate our giving processes.”
Sighs …
Yet even after notching this win, Hogg still isn’t satisfied.
“Wait a minute-@publix is reviewing their political contributions, but they already gave $670,000 to a pro-NRA candidate. That is why we stand with @DavidHogg111 to demand at least a matching contribution to the Parkland Victims Fund…put your money where your mouth is,” reads a retweet he posted Friday evening.
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, the punk kid now wants Publix to give HIM money. Gee, why not just ask America to make you president too while you’re at it, Captain Arrogant?
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Vivek@bizpacreview.com
V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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