From Farm-to-Table to War

The Red Hen Restaurant, Lexington, VA. The name sounds quiet and homey and quite honestly, it might be on many of our dining lists if we were in the Lexington, VA area. It boasts a cozy atmosphere with farm-to-table dining. Yep! I'm in! The owner is Stephanie Wilkinson and not only does she own and run this quaint little establishment, but she is also director of Main Street Lexington. Wow! She owns a great little restaurant and is active in her community. Bonus! Honestly though, you had me at farm-to-table dining. 

Then Friday, June 22, 2018 happened and by a decision that Wilkinson claims she put to a vote among her staff, she may single-handedly have imploded not only her own business, but much of the business in Historic Downtown Lexington. WHAT......You ask could have caused this? Wilkinson refused service as a business owner to a customer. WHAT? You ask again! Factually, this hot mess is not nearly that simple. The customer that was refused service was Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and since Sanders was there with a group of family members, it wasn't just about her, but a whole table. To make it a bit worse, Sanders and her group had come in, been seated and had ordered. She had been recognized by the wait staff who called Wilkinson who was at home at the time and Wilkinson rushed over. Apparently Wilkinson and much of her staff have a liberal leaning politically and having the Republican press secretary dining in their establishment ruffled their feathers.

Upon arriving and seeing the situation, Wilkinson decided to put Sanders ability to stay or go to a vote among her employees and apparently it was decided that Sanders would be given the boot. Wilkinson then asked to speak to Sanders outside and told her that morally and politically she was against Sanders political stance and therefore she would like her to leave. (Apparently the rest of the party were welcome to stay). Sanders politely left and even offered to pay. Wilkinson said their non-served and non-eaten meals were on the house. Needless to say, when the most high profile person at your table is asked to leave an establishment, the rest of the table then follows suit.

All-in-all, it was quite a civil exchange and although I am sure Sanders left feeling a little disrespected not to mention hungry and Wilkinson and her staff probably felt justified and jubilant, all of the civilness wore off the next day when Sanders tweeted about her dining experience the night before. All the civility from the previous night, between the two political factions became an all out war and the center of the this battle was Lexington, VA, a town all too familiar with  civil war of the past. Ironic don't you think?

So three days later, the war continues. There are those commending Wilkinson for standing her ground and just as many if not more, ready to tar and feather her out of her business, her community and maybe even her state. To all of this I say......KNOCK OFF THE CRAP!

I am sure that my opinion is not going to be a popular one as I have seen many conservatives sharpening their proverbial pitch forks ready to see Wilkinson left with nothing except her "misguided" convictions. As a conservative though, I think this is wrong. In my humble opinion, Wilkinson had every right to refuse Sanders service for any reason she chose. This is America people and the right to refuse service for any reason has been a landmark mantra of businesses, especially small businesses for decades. You start a business, build it up and work hard to make it a success and if you want to refuse service to anyone....then you have that right and I really thought my conservative friends realized this back with the whole bakery situation a few years ago.

You all remember the bakery situation..... where the Christian bakery refused to bake a gay wedding cake. I supported that. Not the gay wedding cake, but their right as a business to refuse to do it. That was their business and they had the right to refuse service to anyone they chose. Again.....why shouldn't they have that right? Why should the government, politics or society tell them what their moral compass should be or what they should view as right and wrong?

I am really shocked and amazed at the double standard here and more so, I am shocked that just like before when the couple lost their bakery, their livelihood and had to go through the court of public opinion to the point of almost losing their minds that now Wilkinson and her family are  having to go through the same. How is this right and more so, how do conservatives and liberals alike look themselves in the mirror when they are both so ridiculously hypocritical?

So let me pull out my soapbox here for a minute. Wilkinson! Her business! Her rules! Do I agree with her politics? No, but then again I get along with a lot of people that I don't agree with politically but I learned long ago....people are more than just their political stance. What I do agree with is that she is a hard worker who built up a business and by doing so, she is helping to support a community. Because she chose to refuse service to Sanders does that mean I would never eat at the Red Hen Restaurant? Chances are, I likely would if it were still open and I was in the Lexington area. I did mention that they had me at "farm-to-table," right?  Of course, I would also have gone and bought cakes from the bakery who was forced out of business for their political stance too. Why? Because I support both businesses right to refuse service to anyone they choose! 

I am tired of people pushing their political agendas down peoples throats to the point that they are trying to take our rights away from us. It doesn't matter whether it is your right to own a fire arm, speak freely or turn down a customer, those rights should be not only supported but fought for, because if we don't.....someday those rights will no longer exist.