Not to kick this around too much but a strange thing happened at the Santa Barbara show. The showcase company we have used for decades sold to a new owner a few years ago. The prices went up measuredly but that is not the problem I want to discuss.
The new installers are a fairly radical bunch of tatted up, left wing Mexican kids. Very nice people, they do their job very well, we have never had an issue before. But one of them left the show the night of setup yelling "Fuck Israel, viva La Palestina" in a very loud voice. I was standing right by the door.
This was a little disturbing to me. Not sure why he felt the need to do that. Everybody is entitled to their political opinions but screaming epithets in a crowded room is not exactly creating a dialogue. No matter what you feel about the current situation in the middle east it seems to me that this megaphone type utterance has no purpose. Except of course alienating the considerable amount of show dealers who happen to be Jewish or supporters of Israel. I was trying to get ready for a show, not debate international politics.
It is one of the things most nauseating about the woke, their utter assurance and self righteousness conviction that they are doing god's work here, with no room for another opinion.
At the end of the show, when it was time to pay for the case, I let my displeasure be known. Told him that I had family a half hour from the site at Revivim and that my cousins know some of the October 7th dead. Asked him if he thought it was okay to massacre old people and children, to take hostages?
He could tell I was really pissed. To his credit, he apologized. I sincerely hope that this incident was a one off.
8 comments:
Right On, Robert! You always amaze me by expressing yourself well, in a timely manner, and standing up for your beliefs. Your ability to be discerning as to the appropriate timing and comments expressed is inspiring and laudable. It's unfortunate that you and others have to be subjected to those with an axe to grind and who could care less about the feelings and beliefs of others. Bravo, Robert!!!
I think we will see more of this. Israel had justification for the initial actions but they have set up a clusterfuck at this point. Starving infants is too much even if it happens in war. I am sure everyone has a long list of what about and what ifs on all possible sides.
It is so complex that it is hard to point fingers but there is ground shifting under Israel's feet as it creates the stream of horrific images of more or less innocent victims. If the government of Israel continues humiliating the US by their actions, such as forcing the use of airdrops for aid, it is going to cash out a hell of a lot of chips. I don't think that is wise, but wisdom is in short supply in the Middle East.
So far the Iranian supported militias are on vacation as they watch Israel shoot itself in the foot.
You think we will see more political protests at antique shows?
I don't know about antique shows. There is greater sympathy for the Palestinians among political moderates. There also is a (stupid, in my opinion) tendency to conflate the Palestinian situation with the civil rights movement and anti colonialism.
Hell, who knows. The point of my long bloviation is that there is an increasing possibility of such protests.
Rodney King said it right: "Why can't we all just get along". (If I try to answer Rodney's question I will transmogrify into a pretentious windbag--I am well on the way to that anyhow).
My point is that there is a proper place to voice their political displeasure and the setup to an antique show is not one of them. Unless you want to alienate 65% of your vendors.
I would have done the same thing…
“My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, say something! Do something! Get in trouble! Good trouble! Necessary trouble!” - John Lewis
Of course you are right. I rather totally missed the point.
If I had a way to do it I would retract the whole bit I posted. Apologies.
Post a Comment