September 2, 2014

Winooski, Vermont and the Dismantling of America’s Values

As a talk show host, I have no choice but to keep up with what’s happening in America and the world. I am therefore submerged in depressing and often angering fare. It is hard to read about and discuss the progressives who dominate American media and academia who morally equate Israel and Hamas; who describe America – the most tolerant multi-ethnic country in the world – as racist; and who characterize American universities as a “rape culture.” But there was a barely reported story that came out of a small city in Vermont last week that, for reasons to be explained, really got to me. The story isn’t comparable to the beheading of innocent people or as dramatic as the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri. But if it typifies what is happening in America, it is difficult not to be pessimistic about America’s future.

As a talk show host, I have no choice but to keep up with what’s happening in America and the world. I am therefore submerged in depressing and often angering fare.

It is hard to read about and discuss the progressives who dominate American media and academia who morally equate Israel and Hamas; who describe America – the most tolerant multi-ethnic country in the world – as racist; and who characterize American universities as a “rape culture.”

But there was a barely reported story that came out of a small city in Vermont last week that, for reasons to be explained, really got to me. The story isn’t comparable to the beheading of innocent people or as dramatic as the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri. But if it typifies what is happening in America, it is difficult not to be pessimistic about America’s future.

The facts of the story are not in dispute.

As reported in the Burlington Free Press, a restaurant in the town of Winooski, Vermont, population 7,000, “removed a sign reading ‘Yield for Sneakers Bacon’ from a garden at the Winooski Rotary.”

Why did the Sneakers Bistro and Cafe remove the sign?

Because “a woman who described herself as ‘a vegan and a member of a Muslim household’ called the sign offensive in a post” on a local Internet forum.

“Given the large number of Muslim families in Winooski, as well as many others who do not eat pork for a variety of reasons,” the woman wrote, “it seems unnecessary for this insensitive business sign to be at the city’s main crosswalk.”

The Free Press reported that “Sneakers owner Marc Dysinger replied that the sign was meant to be fun and to show that the restaurant cares about Winooski. … He apologized for the controversy.”

After “a swarm of Internet comments followed the decision,” Dysinger wrote on Facebook:

“We are here to serve people BREAKFAST, not politics. We removed the sign that was located on public property as a gesture of respect for our diverse community. … Removing it was not a difficult decision. We still love bacon. We still love eggs. Please have the political conversation elsewhere.”

Everything about this story is depressing.

First, the complaint.

The woman who wrote this totalitarian drivel is the worst combination of fake victimhood, political correctness (which itself is a PC euphemism for “that which offends the left”), and Muslims who seek to impose sharia law on non-Muslims. It is also highly likely this woman graduated college, probably with a major in the liberal arts. Our universities teach non-white, non-Christian, and female students to find offense everywhere. American students get degrees in Finding Offense.

As a Jew who refrains from eating bacon or any pork product, it would never occur to me or to Jews far more observant than I to tell a non-Jewish restaurant to take down a sign advertising bacon. Nor would it occur to any Jew to find such an ad “offensive.”

The woman possesses yet another vile trait – one of the ugliest in the human pantheon: ingratitude. There is a Somali refugee community in Winooski. These people were saved from the murderous horrors of Somalia; yet this woman, whether or not she is a member of that specific community, has the gall to tell the city that saved this Muslim community’s life that it dare not advertise a food she doesn’t eat. Such ingratitude doesn’t come naturally. It has to be learned.

Second, the restaurant owner’s reaction.

This woman should have been ignored or told in the same social media in which her complaint appeared to seek psychotherapy and/or be reminded that she’s free to move to a society that bans bacon, and that this society is free and wishes to remain so.

Instead the restaurant owner immediately gave in to this woman.

This man typifies the moral weakening of America taking place over the last generation. Throughout our history we prided ourselves in being the “Home of the Brave.” The restaurant owner’s reaction exemplifies the opposite of bravery. He actually “apologized for the controversy.” In a morally ordered universe, one apologizes for a wrong done. Yet he did nothing wrong. She did.

Why did he apologize even though he was the wronged party? Because he has imbibed the left’s poisonous doctrine of “diversity,” one of the left’s fig leaves behind which it dismantles American values and unifying identity.

Third, the city manager.

A feature of Political Correctness is lying on its behalf. This was exemplified by Winooski’s city manager, Katherine Decarreau, who wrote, ‘As I read her post, her request came as a vegan, not as a Muslim.’“

This comment is breathtaking in its mendacity. The complaining woman described herself as "a member of a Muslim household” and wrote that the sign is offensive to Muslims. Yet the city manager publicly denies that the complaint emanated from the woman’s being a Muslim.

No one has called her out on this lie, let alone called for her resignation. Because in the Brave New World in which we live, truth doesn’t have an objective existence. Everything, even truth, is relative.

When leftism (aka political correctness) corrupts as small and Middle American a town as Winooski, Vermont, it is time to be very concerned.

And to fight back.

This means, among other things, getting Muslim organizations to disassociate themselves from the original message. I could not find one that has, including the Winooski Islamic Community Center.

And it means explaining to the restaurant owner why his apology was morally wrong, undermined American values, and was not “a gesture of respect for our diverse community.” It was gesture of disrespect to the vast majority of the citizens of Winooski who enjoy bacon and to the vast majority of Americans outside of Winnoski, whether or not we eat bacon.

COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM

Who We Are

The Patriot Post is a highly acclaimed weekday digest of news analysis, policy and opinion written from the heartland — as opposed to the MSM’s ubiquitous Beltway echo chambers — for grassroots leaders nationwide. More

What We Offer

On the Web

We provide solid conservative perspective on the most important issues, including analysis, opinion columns, headline summaries, memes, cartoons and much more.

Via Email

Choose our full-length Digest or our quick-reading Snapshot for a summary of important news. We also offer Cartoons & Memes on Monday and Alexander’s column on Wednesday.

Our Mission

The Patriot Post is steadfast in our mission to extend the endowment of Liberty to the next generation by advocating for individual rights and responsibilities, supporting the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and promoting free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. We are a rock-solid conservative touchstone for the expanding ranks of grassroots Americans Patriots from all walks of life. Our mission and operation budgets are not financed by any political or special interest groups, and to protect our editorial integrity, we accept no advertising. We are sustained solely by you. Please support The Patriot Fund today!


The Patriot Post and Patriot Foundation Trust, in keeping with our Military Mission of Service to our uniformed service members and veterans, are proud to support and promote the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, both the Honoring the Sacrifice and Warrior Freedom Service Dogs aiding wounded veterans, the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, the Folds of Honor outreach, and Officer Christian Fellowship, the Air University Foundation, and Naval War College Foundation, and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

★ PUBLIUS ★

“Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!” —George Washington

Please join us in prayer for our nation — that righteous leaders would rise and prevail and we would be united as Americans. Pray also for the protection of our Military Patriots, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Please lift up your Patriot team and our mission to support and defend our Republic's Founding Principle of Liberty, that the fires of freedom would be ignited in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

The Patriot Post is protected speech, as enumerated in the First Amendment and enforced by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, in accordance with the endowed and unalienable Rights of All Mankind.

Copyright © 2024 The Patriot Post. All Rights Reserved.

The Patriot Post does not support Internet Explorer. We recommend installing the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome.