GOLD BAR, Wash. — In Snohomish County, some residents told KIRO 7 they feel unsafe going to their local grocery store. Over the weekend, controversial photos of a cashier at Gold Bar Family Grocer appeared on social media. The photos show a man with a KKK shirt and a loaded holster checking out customers.
The shirt bears the words “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.”
“The world’s a scary place right now. And Gold Bar should be a safe haven for those of us who live here,” said Gold Bar resident Lynne Kelly. “That’s crossing a line. That’s not okay.”
She believes the grocery store needs to take action. Meanwhile, fellow resident Jessica believes the man should be allowed to wear what he wants.
“Freedom of speech,” said Jessica. “Didn’t everyone fight for our freedoms for free speech so we could do what we want here? If the company’s not against it, the company’s not against it.”
We spoke with an expert on hate speech. Caitlin Carlson is a professor of communications at Seattle University and has published a book called ‘Hate Speech’.
“The KKK is a hate group,” said Carlson. “And so this messaging is very much hate speech, but it is allowed under the First Amendment.” But she adds that employers do have a right to intervene.
“If the employer wanted to tell the employee not to wear that, again, to wear a particular uniform, not to engage in potentially open carry, right, they would they would be well within their rights to do that,” said Carlson. “I would definitely be asking the employer, why it is there allowing this person to come to work and potentially offend or upset customers with this this attire?”
We spoke with the manager at Family Grocer who told us repeatedly “no comment.” They did add that they do not condone their employee’s actions.
“Freedom of speech,” said Jessica. “Didn’t everyone fight for our freedoms for free speech so we could do what we want here?"
Also breaking news: Jessica is a bitch
No, freedom of speech doesn’t mean “do what you want” it means the government can’t tell you to shut up because it doesn’t like you. Freedom of speech stops at the government: this shit head was undermining the very foundation of what America stands for by scaring anyone who doesn’t look like the gunman.
If he wants to deny rights to others, let’s deny him those same rights.
It seems weird that a good chunk of Americans don’t seem to know how some of the rights work.
Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are there to basically protect you from the government from going “hey, you can’t say that” or “hey, you can’t believe in that”. It doesn’t absolve people of facing the consequences of their choices, including spewing hate speech if they’re that kind of person. If I said “Hitler was right”, only the government can’t do anything outside of what they can already do with hate speech - but that doesn’t mean I won’t rightfully get a few teeth loose or getting shunned by people around me for saying dumb shit like that.
Strangely, I found this to be evident about some federal laws we take for granted, like minimum wage. People legit think minimum wage is meant for people starting out and not giving out money to them (which makes no sense to me) and argue when they find out the original reason it was even made was so the nuclear family could afford a home, food, and goods and services for themselves and was calculated as how they can do that with one person working a job.
Oh, they know, or they choose to remain willfully ignorant. Besides, “Freedom of Speech” is a simple, powerful phrase, but they’re very quick to abandon it when that same power is used by their ideological enemies.
My favorite way to put it is freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences.
Nevermind the fact that the dude isn’t saying anything. It would be expression if anything and what he’s expressing is support for white supremacy. I wonder if Jessica supports white supremacy 🤔
Legally speaking “speech” includes more types of communication than just verbal. It isn’t a stretch to use the word speech in this context.
I’m sure if the shirt said “death to all white people” Jessica would quickly find a different position
When an employer allows what is clearly KKK hate speech by an employee on their premises, despite having the right to forbid it, it is quite reasonable to assume that employer shares that employee’s support for the KKK.
The family grocer. Fuck that place. It was already kind of shitty without knowing this
Don’t condone his actions…but do nothing about it. Hmm…
More armed black citizens should come to the store.
Don’t buy anything. Just show up. It’s a free country.
In case anyone isnt aware, Gold Bar is a rural town in Washington so I get the gun. Wild animals in those areas is more common. The shirt tho? Nah. Theres no need for that. At that point, you’re just advertising you’re an asshole.
Keep that shit to yourself.
Edit:
Want to clarify like i did later in this thread.
All i meant by this comment is that open carry is more common here and that likely isnt making people uncomfortable. Its the combo of being a racist peice of shit and open carrying.
Thats all i meant.
They getting rushed by boars in the checkout line or something?
Their butcher is really really bad.
No, but there are cougar sightings in that area.
https://washingtonwildlife.wixsite.com/sightings/cougar-sightings
Better safe than sorry in that case IMO. I think the real issue is that if you wear a shirt like that you come off as a peice of shit who would use thier gun in an irresponsible way.
You think hes wearing a gun at work in a grocery store checkstand because someone saw a cougar at a far off trailhead? A cougar that ran away as soon as it saw people?
Bullshit. Hes wearing a gun because he has on a KKK shirt in public. Hes using the gun to defend his racism, full stop. Hes saying quite clearly that if you confront him about his racism, he may kill you.
Stop giving racists even a shred of plausible deniability, even when it is as thin as the above.
That trailhead part is an example. Below are comments of sightings from residents.
I’m not saying thats why hes carrying at work. I’m saying i can understand carrying in a rural area. There isnt anything wrong with carrying if you’re a responsible gun owner looking to protect yourself, your property or others.
Maybe he is carrying for the wrong reasons. Obviously carrying while you advertise that your a racist dick is gonna make people uncomfortable. Its more common for people to carry openly in rural areas. Thats all im trying to say.
Again, making excuses for racists. You and I both know why hes carrying at work, because hes a racist fuck advertising his racism, and since he cant defend his racism with words, hes going to do it with a gun.
The stores owners and his coworkers are clearly okay with that, and it sure seems like you are too. “Maybe he is carrying for the wrong reasons?” Maybe? Really, dude?
How about we all say fuck you to racists, and double fuck you to the ones that use guns as a threat of death when expressing their racism?
Literally the only reason i made that comment is if people arent familiar with that area. Lots of people open carry there. All im saying is why its bad is because hes being openly racist which makes people uncomfortable.
Thats it. Not defending racism. Absolutely fuck him for being racist and making folks uncomfortable.
I’m glad we can agree about the racism man.
I still dont buy the “its rural, so they open carry for wild animal safety” excuse though. I know rural Washington, and most people that open carry are just cowards who soak their brains in fear porn all day, everyday.
They open carry as a replacement for their lack of spine. They dont have the strength of their convictions or any mental fortitude, so they substitute a gun and think it means something besides “I’m scared to death of the world.”
This cowardly racist is just another one of them, open carrying because he doesnt have the stones to stand and deliver his racism without a death stick on his hip.
don’t responsible gun owners keep their guns unloaded, disassembled and under lock and key?
Americans are kind of wimps if they have to carry guns in grocery stores because of scary animals.
I’m glad I’m Canadian.
Also fuck anyone wearing KKK shit.
Well residents can start shopping at the other store now etc.
Is there another grocery store in Gold Bar? I think the closest is gonna be in Sultan.
Yea i wouldn’t shop there either.
Jesus fuck it’s not THAT rural. He’s entirely being a bigoted hateful asshole and intimidating others by being armed. He’s wearing it to enforce the unofficial “white conservatives only” motto of the business.
Do you want to return to 1970s polyester uniforms? Because this is how you end up with polyester uniforms.
The ‘paradox of tolerance’ disappears when you realize tolerance isn’t a right but rather a mutual contract.
The shirt is not the problem and it’s best he keeps wearing it. If he stops wearing it you just have a secret kkk guy.
the problem is that the store didn’t fire him after finding out they hired a total piece of shit
In the “State of Washington, employers, both public and private, may establish workplace rules prohibiting employees from possessing firearms or any other weapons while on duty or at the workplace.”
