there is a jimmy johns downtown and frankly i really enjoy their sandwiches. the service is impeccable; the guy would see me come in, holler my order (because I always get the same thing) and I’d usually have my sandwich set down in front of me of as I received my card receipt. best service in town. i even have a friend or two that work there so I’d be able to chat with them sometimes. anyway, i came to learn that the head-guy is a big game hunter and I haven’t eaten there since.
I was a little ahead of the curve on the chick-fil-a phenomenon. in high school a friend of a friend worked at one in the mall, and so he’d hook us up with free food. never paid. I always felt uncomfortable in there with the bible verses and the closed on Sunday all the employees were a little off or strange. idk I just got weird vibes from that place so I’ve always limited my access to it.
so, the idea of protesting with our dollars is a thing now and without getting into a lot of psychologies that surround these emotions and reasons, I’m going to talk about the ‘ignorance is bliss part’ because I miss going to jimmy johns but I would feel terrible if I did. I couldn’t bring myself to help that guy kill big game as belligerently as he does. inevitably the comeback is, ‘we’ll if you research enough companies enough you will find all kinds improprieties’ while yes that’s probably true, i’m a cynic and think that people always have the worst intention, esp. capitalists.. but once new, blatant information surfaces we have to act. you can no longer play the ‘bliss’ card, that kind of statement crosses into a willful ignorance, as you are no longer ignorant… so it almost becomes a malicious intent and not caring. not caring that you can make a difference and obviously not caring that you have to make the hard choices. what if making the hard choices were easy? what if this jerk couldn’t find people to slang sandwiches for him? what is it when you are no longer ignorant? yet seek or claim that type of bliss? who cares-type attitude… the ‘but if you research every company you can find something to disagree with (but what are the examples anyway?)’
my protest isn’t about animal rights nor religion nor anything but about NOT being a jerk. I don’t like giving my money to jerks and I avoid it as often as I can, anywhere… i know my little sandwich doesn’t matter in the grand scheme, maybe I should be buying his sandwiches because my friends work there… i dont know. bottom line, i would know that every time im in there im contributing to this guys delinquency and i dont want to do that.
– oskar
Good read. I like that HuffPo link. I know that feeling. Almost went to Taco Bell for lunch yesterday because it was right *there,* before remembering I’m boycotting all major fast food chains due to the current labor disputes. Seriously, the thought just failed to occur to me for a minute. We are programmed so well.
yeah man I hear that… j/j is right downstairs from where I work.. it’s so easy.
– oskar