May I have your opinion?

[OneGrassRoot]

I'm hoping to soon start contacting organizations and businesses about joining the Coalition for Good and the No-Othering Zone Campaign. This project has been delayed a couple of years because of my health issues, but over this time the need for all of us -- including businesses -- to take a clear stand AGAINST racism and bigotry has only gotten more and more urgent. The latest "Send her back" BS has brought us to, imo, an undeniable place of picking sides:

You either see fellow humans as The Other, or you recognize that we all belong. It's Othering and Belonging...pick a side.

I had the Red Hen controversy (the VA restaurant that denied Sarah Sanders and family service) in mind, wondering what kind of sign businesses could display that would convey a sense of welcome for diverse people, yet turn off the racist bigots from wanting to go in. While, unlike the right-wingers who keep telling everyone to leave, I believe we all belong; HOWEVER, we have to set boundaries and thus people who embrace certain hateful, destructive worldviews and display them should not be welcome in all spaces. I tried to choose the words carefully to cover a lot of potential bases for first reactions.


Here's my question:

How would you react to this sign if you saw a business displaying it (online or brick and mortar)? Or, if you own a business, what are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Marie Marie]

1. I like it, it would make me smile.

And, I would feel good about spending my money in that establishment.

[Funtatlaguy]

2. Sure beats the businesses that have those damn fish symbols.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Yay. Thanks! :) n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I love your sign! It states clearly what it's about and how we all belong together.

I would be very happy in such a place.

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Thanks, CP...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My pleasure, dear OneGrassRoot......

[watoos]

7. The racists who see others,

pay for their meal with money that says, "E Pluribus Unum."

[OneGrassRoot]

9. truth n/t

[icymist]

8. I like it.

It's a good, concise sign.

[OneGrassRoot]

10. Thanks...

Nice to “see” you.

[icymist]

11. LOL!

Nice to 'see' you too!

[Kind of Blue]

12. I would react by asking for the manager/proprietor and thank them.

And then buy something just for the hell of it

[OneGrassRoot]

13. Ahhhh...

Hey, my friend! THANK YOU!

[Kind of Blue]

19. Aww...so good to see you're still fighting the Good fight.

[trof]

14. Sorry, "Othering" just doesn't work for me.

I'm 78.
Non-discrimination is a term I understand.

[OneGrassRoot]

16. I've used it for a long time...

and notice it’s used more often these last few years. But I hear you and understand it may not make sense to everyone.

[trof]

22. How long? Honest question.

First I've seen it and in spite of my age I think I stay pretty much up on current trends in nomenclature.

[OneGrassRoot]

24. About 5 years, maybe longer. But I...

have always been very engaged in conversations around racism and bigotry.

[trof]

25. Well, I'm in Alabama, so that might explain a lot.

[Kurt V.]

17. Don't be sorry. Contemporary wording can be confusing.

[trof]

23. The whole gender thing had me scratching my head for a while.

But I think I understand it (mostly) now.

[Kurt V.]

15. me and the real kurt would whole hearty agree. Humanists have no other. only humans

[OneGrassRoot]

18. Thank you! n/t

[Karadeniz]

20. I love it! I hope the signs spread everywhere!

[OneGrassRoot]

28. Thanks! n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

21. On my way home today, I noticed several colorful signs

That said Everyone Is Welcome Here. I'm wasn't sure exactly what it meant since some were on homes, but it struck me this could mean the same thing. Is this a movement or a trend? I didn't just see one, but several.

[OneGrassRoot]

29. I think it's a trend...

We've seen variations of "all are welcome" since Trump came onto the scene.

As I mentioned in the OP, with the Red Hen controversy in mind -- and knowing how the average racist, bigoted Trump supporter thinks -- I knew the message had to go beyond conveying that all are welcome. Because, as the Red Hen showed with Sarah Sanders, people who work against diversity and inclusion and who attack anyone they deem The Other should not welcome everywhere. I know Trumpers and alt-right types are belligerent and try to crash such "welcoming" spaces and cause trouble, just to be belligerent and to make themselves the victims -- "But you said EVERYONE is welcome."

I tried to create something that conveys that everyone who believes in diversity and inclusion and belonging -- the opposite of Othering -- is welcome in this space.

[Danascot]

37. These signs are on many lawns in our (mostly) liberal little town

It always makes me proud of my neighbors.

[OneGrassRoot]

38. WONDERFUL! n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

41. Those are the ones, thanks!

I saw several of those on my way home yesterday, drove through a couple of towns instead of the highway. And it's tourist season in these parts right now. Good for my neighbors, too!

[onecaliberal]

26. Exactly what we need right now.

[OneGrassRoot]

31. Thanks! n/t

[brer cat]

27. That is outstanding.

I would be more likely to want to enter that business.

I've missed seeing you. Good to have you back!

[OneGrassRoot]

32. That's so nice of you to say...

Thanks.

[littlemissmartypants]

30. Love it. Rock On! ❤

[OneGrassRoot]

33. Thank you! n/t

[JoeOtterbein]

34. Love it!

So I posted it to my FB page!

[OneGrassRoot]

35. Thanks. Maybe...

you'd like to "like" the FB page, too?

Thanks again.

https://www.facebook.com/NoOthering

[OneGrassRoot]

36. Morning kick! n/t

[mnhtnbb]

39. Downtown Raleigh--Beasley's Chicken and Honey Restaurant

has

Don't Forget Kindness

painted on the window.

For those who aren't local, the restaurant--along with several others--is owned by the most recent James Beard Award winner, Ashley Christensen.



The award winning chef certainly promotes the concept of your sign, but I wonder how many businesses would display it? I wonder if keeping it positive (eliminate the phrase "we reject hatred and fear" would make a difference?

I like the idea.

[OneGrassRoot]

40. I need to visit that restaurant!

Thanks for introducing me to it.

You raise a good question. I keep the Trumpers in mind with everything, and I know they believe they ARE kind. They don't recognize their own hatefulness.

So my thought process has evolved over the years to feeling that not only should we state what we are for (inclusion), we need to state that we are overtly anti-othering/racist/bigoted. The general signs such as "Don't forget kindness" -- which is wonderful -- don't take it far enough, imo...not far enough for people who are Othered to feel safe.

But the last line of the original sign reads:

Kindness, respect and inclusion are values we hold most dear.

That just felt trite though. The use of the word inclusion in and of itself may serve as a deterrent to white supremacists. I'm not sure, because I've also seen where they try to agitate by wearing their MAGA hats and confederate flag t-shirts into places that proclaim everyone is welcome and say "Well, it says everyone is welcome, everyone's included!"

Like the Red Hen, I feel at this point that anyone who not only works in this administration but avidly supports it does not have the content of character that is welcome in my space. If I owned an establishment, I would want to convey that somehow. Hence, the sign idea.

Anyway, that's my thought process, but I appreciate your feedback and I need more of it.

[OneGrassRoot]

42. One last kick to start the week. n/t