You Actually CAN Fight City Hall
Whoever coined the phrase “you can’t fight city hall” wasn’t really an American—not in any meaningful sense of the term. Governments derive their authority by “the consent of the people” and not the other way around. There is a reason we use terms like “public servant” and “civil servant,” because both those who are elected, and those who have the privilege of working for the people, should spend their days with a healthy fear of and respect for those they serve.
Why should you help me?
First of all, not everyone can engage in this kind of fight. (Read the background here.) Dozens of teachers have told me they are afraid for their jobs if they mention their faith, or their political convictions, even on their own time. A few close friends and family members have told me that my own decision to engage in freedom of expression is “just dumb.” I should be silent, friendly, neutral and go along with whatever nonsense the state, or the media peddle. “No one wants to hear from a farmer.” “Stick to Patrick Henry.”
Well, that’s exactly why I’m doing what I’m doing. I don’t want to live in either North Korea or the modern United Kingdom, for that matter. I don’t want my children to live under some sort of totalitarian Chinese social index system, where the wrong opinions keep you from using public transit or building a home. I WOULD RATHER DIE. I believe, profoundly, that our economic prosperity and our political liberty is based on the notion you can express your opinion without the state taking reprisals against you. If you agree, help me win the battle.
But Can’t anyone engage in a boycott?
Private citizens can boycott anything they like. Claremont Unified School District, however, just like any public agency, is not allowed to pick and choose their employees or vendors based on their political opinions. If they could, you could end up living in a town where only members of the right political party got a public service job. You could be told, literally, to forfeit your most cherished beliefs to keep your job as a peace officer or fireman. I know a businessman in my area who was told by the union president of the local school district that unless he stopped opposing the school district’s curriculum choices, he would lose all their business.
Do we want to reward thug tactics of that sort? If you don’t want that kind of America, join me.
Claremont School District is Blatantly Racist
I criticized — get this — Louis Farrakhan, a grossly unrepentant, Jew-hating bigot and racist of the worst sort. I questioned the casual racism of LeBron James and the implied racism of a Barack Obama for seeking Farrakhan’s favor. I expect ALL PEOPLE, of all colors to abide by a common standard. I questioned the double standard, and for that I was labeled insensitive, crude, and unsafe for children.
Since that time, there has been an outbreak of antisemitic violence in New York and around the country – motivated by the exact same ideology voiced by Louis Farrakhan. How can we expect this to stop if we make the absurd claim that people of color can’t be racist? If you like Claremont’s double standard don’t support me. If you think they need to be called to account, help me.
My Enemies Lie About Me
We now know that a public school teacher, likely on public time, began an anonymous campaign against me, quoting Twitter conversations of mine out of context. I was being called every vile name in the book for defending Columbus Day, and the progress of Western Civilization. Some of my correspondents asserted that my children were in danger, just because I was their father. Consider your own families. How would you feel under such attack? Yes I fought back. Yes, I insulted them. What would you do? The public school teacher in question didn’t bother telling her friends how I was being insulted or ridiculed. She only produced one side of the conversation, because she doesn’t care about the whole truth. She’s one of those self-appointed “white liberal saviors,” who think people of color can’t succeed without her help.
Well, as a result of her campaign our business was lied about on Twitter, Yelp and Facebook. People who had never been to our farm accused our employees of using the “N” word and being dismissive of minorities. The “madness of mobs” set in and, in addition to me, my family and staff had to suffer the attack. The fact that it was all an absurd lie didn’t matter. The damage had been done.
The truth is I hire the best people for the job. Quite a few of them don’t share my faith or my politics. I married the daughter of a Greek resistance fighter in World War II and my kids joke they are the “brown Rileys.” I think that racism is just stupid, and I have proven that by the way I live my life, so these accusations were particularly galling. It’s one thing to take them from anonymous internet idiots, but to have a 20 year customer, Claremont Unified, validate this hate campaign — well, it’s a testimony to the reality of witch hunts.
If you agree, help me fight back.
I see skies of blue, red roses too..
It really can be a wonderful world. We are going to win this case. The facts, and the case law, are on our side. An Obama-appointed federal judge has ruled in our favor, time after time, against ridiculous assertions by the opposition that, essentially, peasants should bow before the local authorities.
Ponder that wonderful world: Imagine public servants who are DEEPLY AFRAID of denying the Constitutional rights of their citizens. The only way that can happen is if you make them pay for their misdeeds. Help me make them pay.
