Gizmo guy wired into wacky GOP hate
Vows to turn away Republicans, #Resist fixing phones
Billy Williams of the Used Apple Store in Derry, N.H., wants you to know that he is not refusing to serve Republicans because he thinks they’re Nazis, absolutely not. So why did his electronics repair business announce on Facebook that it won’t take money from Republican customers?
“Schindler’s List,” Williams said.
That’s just one part of a fascinating, exclusive interview I had with Williams yesterday, in which he repeatedly invoked the Third Reich, decried religions that practice animal sacrifice and expressly supported the right to refuse service to, well, anyone.
“Say, for example, somebody was raped by a black person and doesn’t want to serve black people for that reason. I think that should be left up to the freedom of anybody,” Williams told me.
In a moment when businesses such as Delta and FedEx are trying to find ways to avoid political entanglement, this small New Hampshire business (“Normal Apple stores don’t work on anything that’s older than three years old,” Williams says. “We have a pretty niche market”) is leaping into the fray.
“Most people believe that you vote and your effect on the political world ends there,” Williams said. “What we’re trying to say is, that shouldn’t be true. Why not make a choice based on, OK, this company or business aligns with my beliefs? So I will or won’t shop there.”
“Well, businesses should do it, too,” Williams believes. “They should say ‘These customers align with me and my beliefs, so I will or won’t let them shop with me.’”
Williams is quick to point out that party affiliation is not one of the protected classes covered by anti-discrimination laws, so he’s not doing anything illegal. And he’s proud of his decision to take on the GOP.
His Facebook post claims that Republicans “have an uptight, closed energy, negative aura… and to be honest, usually evil. … If you affiliate with the Republican Party, you are not welcome into our store. We will not offer you service. If you come in anyway, I suppose you could sneak in, but we will probably know. In fact, we can point out a Republican just from the way you look.”
So leave the “Bernie Bro” T-shirt at home, folks. You’ve heard of “gay-dar?” The Used Apple Store has “GOP-dar.”
If you picked up an oddly Trumpian tone in Williams’ comments, you’re onto something. He told me that he was a huge fan of Trump when he was young, and he bragged about meeting Ivanka Trump at Marian’s Diner in Derry on primary Election Day. (“She gave me a pin.”)
There’s also Trumpism in his disjointed arguments for discriminating against Republican customers. At one point he evoked their policies on immigration and pot legalization (you’ll be stunned to learn he’s for it). At another he railed against religion — singling out religions that practice animal sacrifice. I’m not sure how big the iPhone-carrying, Santeria-practicing market is in the Derry area, but apparently they aren’t welcome at his store either.
What’s clear is that Williams and Co. have consumed the #Resist KoolAid. Merely voting for your party or supporting your cause is no longer enough. You must punish others for their political sins. And how can it be, when the “Nazi Party of 2018,” aka “the GOP” is on the rise?
When I asked him point blank if he believes Donald Trump and the Republicans are the newest version of Nazism, he said, “We will never know. If some of us believe it’s true, then why not speak up?”
And does he really believe it’s OK if “Spanish business owners who want to serve only Hispanics turn away white or black people? Or people who are uncomfortable around black people turn away black people?” “Yep,” Williams replied. Which begs the question: Are there any Republicans who want to do business with him?