Rantz: Ballard’s ‘Dump Trump’ cookies fueling hate

A sign outside Ballard’s Porkchop & Co. restaurant caught my attention.

Bad parenting on display at Women’s March

It promoted a $3 “Dump Trump” cookie that would donate $2 dollars to Emily’s List for each one sold. They want the money to be used “…to support women running to throw the GOP out of office.” Oh how brave, calling out conservatives in Ballard.

This is an awfully sweet virtue signal, but let’s be clear: it’s a sign meant to keep conservatives out. Like an annoying Instagram post of your delicious dinner, this sign is meant to tell the neighborhood how woke they are, while simultaneously telling people who may not think like them that they’re not welcome.

On a Facebook post, Porkchop & Co. went a step further than simply calling on us to “Dump Trump” writing:

In response to the brazen corruption of the Republican tax plan, we’re introducing the #dumptrump cookie. For each sold, we’re donating $2 to Emily’s List to support Democratic women running for office.

I mean, they’re certainly entitled to their opinion on the GOP tax plan, but to call this “brazen corruption” details a stunning amount of ideological bigotry. What was the corruption? Passing a bill you dislike? Certainly, we can disagree on policies without calling the other side corrupt, right?

Can we keep politics out of these businesses? Now, I assume this restaurant thinks all Republicans (or Trump supporters) are evil and they would rather not serve them, but this kind of bigotry is no less disturbing than a restaurant wanting to keep me out for being Jewish or gay. You’re still judging someone based on your own prejudices. Though perhaps those behind the sign don’t want to come to terms with this reality but being a conservative or a Republican – or a Trump supporter – is very much within the mainstream of political thought. That should have been evident by the fact that, you know, Trump was elected President.

Porkchop & Co. use the f-word in the post: fascists. Indeed, I’m sure they’ve convinced themselves that Trump supporters — or tax plan supporters — are fascists but their irrational and unreasonable feelings do not magically evolve into truth. They tell us they love and support women with this sign – so long as they’re Democrats trying to “dump Trump.” all those other women are just part of the problem, I guess. And while I’m hardly a Trump supporter, I am a Republican and supported the GOP tax plan. I’d never want to eat at a restaurant like this.

Does this kind of sign have an impact on clientele? Probably not. Sure, some dude in the comments section from Sumner will say he’ll never go to this restaurant or someone from Bainbridge Island will claim she’ll take the ferry over three times a week just to eat here — all citing the sign as their reason. But both are posturing. And my goal in writing this isn’t to flood their Facebook page with bad reviews or to get them to take the sign down. But it seems like they’re helping to create an Us vs. Them political mentality which does the opposite of what they ought to be doing.

A good meal can bring to the table all sides for some great conversations that lead to common ground. I remember a recent meal with an old college friend who currently works for a Seattle union that I’m quite critical of. We got together over tapas and debated a host of issues. I agreed with him from time to time and he agreed with me. We found common ground as well as solidified where we each disagree. This was a benefit to us both.

Don’t we want people to come together, particularly if you’re passionate about politics? Shouldn’t Porkchop & Co. want to convince the other side to see things differently, not simply demonize them as fascists? Maybe. But for this to happen, we have to be willing to invite the other side to break bread (or pork, I guess) with us.

It’s too bad this restaurant seems unwilling to do that, influenced too much by their blind hatred of the other side.

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