Penzey's spices and political emails

I ordered from them recently and don't get any emails, what did it say?

A comment of hope from our last post: “I was a Republican from the time my dad pinned an ‘I like Ike’ button on my chest until Trump. I had to man up and make the change. Not easy but they changed first.”

At Penzeys, we believe cooking set our humanity in motion. Our nearly one million years gathered together around the fire taught us true strength does not come from driving others away, but from welcoming others in.

The kindness of tens of thousands of generations of Cooks created our humanity, but racism, sexism, and homophobia can all too easily undermine the goodness Cooks work so selflessly to create in the world. As a business of Cooks, we have decided, for better or worse, we won’t sit idly by while this happens.

Yesterday I was forwarded an email that stated that I had called all Republicans racists and anarchists. I also received another email that said, “Your comments echo those of the desperate left who have no message for the nation other than that of 'All Trump Supporters Are Racist!'”

First off, I don’t believe any human is truly an anarchist. How is anarchy something you can believe in? Not to say that people haven’t posed as anarchists to create a reason to justify crackdowns, or possibly simply to get dates, but no, I’ve never called Republicans anarchists. And on the charge that I’m somehow echoing others calling all supporters of the President racists, I don’t think I was echoing anyone on that notion, I’m pretty sure I was right there at the very beginning hitching the horses to that bandwagon.

One week after the 2016 election I wrote in an email: "The open embrace of racism by the Republican Party in this election is now unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades. The American people are taking notice. Let's commit to giving the people a better choice. Our kindness really is our strength."

In sifting through the replies to that email it was clear that, though not intended, a good number of people seemed to sincerely believe in my statement I was calling all Republicans racists. In the replies from those Republicans who did not vote for the party's nominee, I sensed genuine pain at having the strength of character to not go along with what was happening, but nonetheless be grouped in with those who did. I apologized and said “You are your party's future, and you deserve my admiration and respect, and your country's as well.”

I did go on: “For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidate's racism because, for most of you, the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. But the thing is, elections have their consequences. This is no longer sixty years ago.

“Whether any of us like it or not, for the next four years the 80% of this country who did not just vote for an openly racist candidate are going to treat you like you are the kind of person who would vote for an openly racist candidate. You can get angry at everyone else for treating you like you just did the thing you just did, or you can take responsibility for your actions and begin to make amends.”

Two years and tens of thousands of emails trying to convince me otherwise, haven’t. Voting in the 21st century for what House Speaker Paul Ryan labeled before the election “textbook” racism is indeed an act of racism. The impact on all Americans, whatever their skin tone, of saying you are fine with open racism, or at least don’t see how it should disqualify a candidate for the presidency of the “United” States of America, is a very real and very racist impact caused by your vote.

Does committing a racist act make you a racist? I think the answer to that comes in your response to what you have done and in what you do going forward. Where my thinking has changed in these past two years is that I no longer believe you have to go out of your way to make amends for who you voted for in the past election. All you have to do to make amends for helping to put this president into the White House is to stop supporting him and those who enable him.

For reasons I still have not quite figured out, our last Facebook post really took off and now has over 25,000 comments. In those comments are many much like the one this email starts with that speak to the difficulty of choosing the values the writer was raised with over loyalty to the party they were raised to believe in. That’s not an easy step—more of a leap really. It takes strength. As another customer put it: “Don’t let the label you have slapped on yourself not reflect the truth of what you believe. I grew up in a Republican family, and heck, even my mom isn’t Republican anymore.”

Right now the President is going to great lengths to distance himself from the language of hate that he uses towards immigrants, the press, his previous opponents, and pretty much any American that lives outside the narrow demographic of his support. Instead of taking responsibility for his words, he’s pushing the false notion that those who oppose him are the ones driven by hate and anger. This simply isn’t true. Hate doesn’t drive people to work for racial equality, transgender rights or the welcoming of asylum seekers. What drives us to care about others is our humanity, something Cooks have in abundance.

On that Facebook post, from the likes and warm, positive comments received by those coming to grips with the reality that holding onto their beliefs means letting go of their party, I can tell you that you won’t find any hate on the other side, just kind decent people looking to support you for your courage. With the election less than a week away, now really is the time to choose who you want to be and what you want to stand for. And my thanks to all the Penzeys supporters for the kindness, strength, and compassion found in your comments. Your spirit makes what we do possible.

Don’t forget, through Monday regularly $2.95 Turkish Oregano just $1 and regularly $3.95 Bavarian Seasoning just $1 as well. Tuesday we will be closed and giving our people a paid holiday to vote. If you have a business you should do this, too. No coupons or codes needed for this in our stores or online at penzeys.com. Feel free to forward this email along.

The Turkish Oregano is great, and great Oregano makes for a good life. The Turkish people do a good job with so much, including Oregano and investigating the murder of journalists. Was a reporter for an American newspaper killed because, with America’s reduced standing in the world these past two years, they thought they could get away with it? Or did they do this to win favor with a President that, time and again, has encouraged his supporters to commit violence against those that report on his actions? Either way, this is not good. Our thanks to the quality investigative work of the Turkish government for exposing this in a way where our president has to deal with it.

And Bavarian Seasoning, too. I love how so many Americans have tried to figure out how to respond to what is happening and how to use their skill set to make a difference. A customer sent me this link to a truly great example from PBS travel host Rick Steves: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/fascism

Maybe it’s just coincidence that has Mr. Steves addressing so very effectively the rise of fascism in Europe at just this time, but I’m guessing it’s not. One of the points he makes is our belief that it can’t happen here, it can only happen in places like Germany, is simply wrong. Germany had great art, they cared enough to create a great food culture, they invented kindergarten. The reality is, if it could happen there, it could happen anywhere. Watch this if you have the chance and pass it along to others. This is amazing work. Thanks for the recommendation.


And thanks for having the kindness to care for the world around you. You really do heal the world,





Bill

I couldn't read all that. I'm sure it's a nice message and all. But if you want a platform to share essays, then create a following just for it. My dance studio started doing that a few years ago, the owner started emailing us personal essays but I couldn't unsubscribe because I'd miss the actual important emails and couldn't complain because it's a small class. I felt I just signed up for dance classes, not your personal development thoughts.

I suspect the level of annoyance is inversely proportional to how much you agree with their political viewpoint.

When I wholeheartedly agree with the politics being spouted, then I am generally not annoyed by the company expressing those views.
If their views are opposite to mine, then I get very annoyed.

On some level though you have to admire them for doing it, they know it will lose them some customers yet they feel strongly enough to make their views known anyway.
If I disagree with those views, then I'm somewhat thankful as it makes it easier to avoid dealing with that company in the future.

I love Penzey's and I've been enjoying their e-mails. They are fully aware that people are opting not to do business with them because of their stance and are OK with. People are free to choose to move on if they want.

Is anyone forced to read their emails? No.

As tracyarts said, for me it’s a feature, not a bug. There are other companies who share or support political messages I disagree with, but with whom I still shop for various reasons. You can’t go very far in Texas without tripping over some company’s bible verse or the pro-gun message on their door.

YMMV

I love their product, since they preach tolerance, not hate I will continue to support them. If they were sending out emails supporting the misogynistic, anti LGBTQ, and racist POTUS I would absolutely have no choice but to shop elsewhere.
I want to support companies who support LGBTQ rights. I want to support companies standing up for immigrants. I want to support companies who believe in a woman’s right to govern her own body. I believe in what they are saying, so I am fine with it. I am not fine with companies who would spout their beliefs against any of those “causes”.

Yep, never heard of them until the post here in 2016!

I even force it upon my children! - GASP- 

I'm even more subversive - I put their left-wing-radical frozen pizza seasoning on a pizza that I made at work and then shared with the guys in the office - many of whom vote republican. 

High five! That pizza seasoning is like a straight up gateway drug to happiness. Good job pushing that on anybody who probably watches Fox News. They need to feel good about something in their life.