Translator: Suen Meng Reviewer: Denise RQ
I own two restaurants in our community,
and this June, I wrote a 202-word Facebook post
about gun violence in America, and why we must together say, "No more."
(Applause)
But all anyone heard or saw was one line,
"If you own or condone the ownership of assault rifles for private use,
you may no longer enter either of my restaurants
because all I want to teach my children is love."
So I post this on both pages at 11:30 at night and go to sleep.
But the Internet doesn't sleep,
so by the next morning,
I had been bullied, and harassed, and threatened
both online and on the phone.
Just as quickly the media arrived,
and I had to ask myself, "Is this going to hurt my business?
Are my children at risk? Are my employees at risk?
Do they actually know where I live?"
This wasn't the first time I had done this.
After Newtown, I had made a similar post.
But I had recently opened my second restaurant,
and the trolls were so cruel,
and I was too vulnerable, and I took it down.
But this time I knew I was staying.
I was in college in Boulder, Colorado when Columbine happened.
I was a young mother when Newtown happened,
and the threat of gun violence has entered my own domestic life.
My restaurant had just thrown the dance party of the year
to celebrate Portland Pride when Orlando happened.
So this post the day after Orlando was all I could do to shout, "Enough!"
as a mother, as a restaurant owner living in a small town in Maine;
"Enough!"
And in Maine, it was June, the beginning of tourist season,
and everyone was asking me if I was afraid this was going to hurt my business.
It was the fake Yelp preview
claiming that I hit somebody in the genitals with a fish carcass
going to actually impact my bottom line.
(Laughter)
And I had considered that; briefly, and after the fact.
For as long as I owned restaurants, I've talked to my employees
about staying away from politics and religion.
It just doesn't play well on the bar; but to me, this was neither.
This is a human rights issue.
I realized I have been speaking through my restaurants for a long time.
If I, as a business owner, buy local, put sustainable food on our menu,
pay my staff fair wages,
how was advocating for the safety
of my family, and my employees, and my patrons any different?
My business doesn't buy a certain brand of strawberries
because it mistreats their pickers.
My business doesn't believe in civilians and assault rifles, period.
And I make a point to know where my money is going
because it's valuable to me, and it's valuable to all of us.
There is power there.
I support you making a decision where your money goes,
and if you want to join the boycott,
Grace and the Foreside Tavern on the Facebook page, great.
I could do without the fake reviews and reservations,
but I'm on to A. Merican party of six
with a special note to "suck a bag of dicks."
(Laughter)
Because while the hateful messages are scary,
and a lot of them are truly enerving,
they've impacted my bottom line not at all; zero.
(Applause)
(Cheers)
And it's the phone calls, and the letters, and even the respectful conversations
I've had with people who don't agree with me,
and the community of people who've come in to both my restaurants
and stood by me;
that's far outweigh the hate, both emotionally and financially.
I don't have to stay silent because I run a business.
My voice is not mute because I serve you the food that you order.
My position on the lack of meaningful gun control legislation in this country
is no different now than before my post;
people just know about it.
My restaurants are a reflection of my values,
and myself, and the team of people I assemble
craft the experience past the patron everyday.
From the paint colors to the place settings,
you are dinning in my house.
In this day and age transparency is almost mandatory,
and I can take it a step further.
My restaurants are part of my community,
and I have an obligation to participate in its growth and prosperity;
and yes, it translates into sales tax revenue,
but it also means taking care of each other.
It means providing a safe, warm space for comfort and celebration.
And to be genuine in that,
I have to stand up for what I believe strengthens my community.
I can do that.
You could do that.
I really believe your community will show up,
and they’ll be standing there, right with you.
Thank you.
(Applause)