Kindness trumps hate
If the battle between bile and benevolence that was recently waged on a P.E.I. pub’s social media platforms is anything to go by, goodwill is winning out this time.
The firestorm erupted after Lone Oak Brewing Co. posted a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he visited their restaurant in Charlottetown on July 22 and posed with staff.
Reaction was swift, with detractors blowing up on Facebook, blasting the company for welcoming Trudeau’s visit and publicizing it.
There was plenty of trash talk, and some of the comments are too vulgar to print, but here’s a sampling:
Curtis White: “Sorry that happened to your business, but are you really surprised?? Trudeau is hated around the whole country by more people than you realize. He promoted hate and division amongst us and this is the result. Choices indeed have consequences.”
Robert Cohen: “Just goes to show how much this jackass is hated.”
Kevin Nielsen: “Your choices come with consequences, you should have known better.”
Lisa Keyes: “I wouldn’t support a Trudeau loving traitor.”
Sean Peacock: “Politicize your business. Pay the Price.”
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and soon the company was receiving messages and shows of support, including from Progressive Conservative P.E.I. Premier Dennis King and his wife, Jana Hemphill, who showed up for a meal.
But on July 30, one of the pub’s delivery vans was discovered with its windshield smashed, and co-owner Jared Murphy doesn’t think it was a coincidence or a random act of destruction.
“It’s unfortunate to see someone take it as far as vandalizing our property, but we’re hoping that is the extent to which a small group of people are willing to go,” he told SaltWire Network.
If the smashed windshield is an extension of the hateful messages the brewpub was receiving online and by phone, we’ve come to a sorry state in this country.
The idea that if a business publicly welcomes a high-profile, democratically elected guest to its establishment, it is opening itself up to a barrage of abuse is just wrong.
By all means, if seeing the PM at a particular pub goes against the grain, people can certainly decide not to frequent that business, or they can make their objections known at the ballot box, but do they really need to attack with hateful comments, foul-mouthed insults and condemnation?
Thankfully, in this instance, the pool of hate seems to have been largely subsumed by a strong tide of encouragement.
Bill Shepherd was one of many who sent out a message of positivity on Facebook: “Stay strong and proud. I’m thousands of (kilometres) away but you have my support. Freedom is being able to run your own business without hate. The loud and angry minority have never been to an oppressed country so they don’t cherish what we have.”
Disagreeing is one thing; lashing out with hate is quite another.
Perspective, people. Check your outrage at the door.
“If the smashed windshield is an extension of the hateful messages the brewpub was receiving online and by phone, we’ve come to a sorry state in this country.”