If I ran a bar, I wouldn’t let my personal dislike of Donald Trump and those dopey Make America Great Again hats prevent me from taking somebody’s money. My business decision would be to serve Trumpkins and Hillbots and Bernie Bros and anybody else. I wouldn’t care. Moolah is moolah. But that’s just me.
Dean Balsamini, New York Post:
Bartenders at a West Village hot spot served up discrimination — with a liberal twist — refusing to serve a customer because he was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, according to a lawsuit.
Greg Piatek, 30, an accountant from Philadelphia, claims he was snubbed and eventually 86’d by workers at The Happiest Hour on West 10th Street over his conservative fashion statement…
“Anyone who supports Trump — or believes what you believe — is not welcome here! And you need to leave right now because we won’t serve you!” Piatek claims he was told as he was shown the door by a manager.
I had mixed feelings about this at first, but then I did a little thought experiment: Instead of a MAGA hat, imagine Piatek was wearing a t-shirt advocating gay marriage. Instead of a bar, imagine that he walked into a bakery. And instead of ordering an overpriced drink, let’s say he asked them to cater his gay wedding.
Are the owners of the establishment under any obligation to serve him? Y/N
Piatek has the right to wear his MAGA hat. He has the right to kick up a fuss about this in the press. And if you don’t like the way he was treated, you have the right to tell the people who run this bar. Write angry letters, post angry comments, organize angry boycotts, however you want to handle it within the bounds of the law.
But they don’t have to listen. They don’t have to do what you want them to do, just because you want them to do it. If they want to turn away paying customers, for any reason they want, it’s nobody’s business but their own. Literally.
This guy didn’t get beat up. Nobody stole his property. Nobody burned anything on his lawn. He just got kicked out of a bar for wearing a silly hat. It’s not fun and he doesn’t have to like it, but that’s the price of living in America.
I’m pretty sure there are plenty of other bars in New York City, right? I’ll bet you can find one that will take your money, no matter what you put on your head.
P.S. Yes, that goes for those stupid pussy hats too. If you get kicked out of an establishment for wearing one, too damn bad.