After Instituting WHITES-ONLY Fee, Georgia Store Issues Non-apology “Apology”
https://www.thenewamerican.com/cult...-fee-georgia-store-issues-non-apology-apology
Written by Selwyn Duke
After Instituting WHITES-ONLY Fee, Georgia Store Issues Non-apology “Apology”
“Sorry that you were too unevolved to grasp our sublime wisdom.” This seems to be the message from a Georgia clothing store doing damage control after levying a booking fee on whites, while offering a “waiver” to “people of color.”
The New York Post reported on the story Wednesday:
A vintage clothing store in Georgia is getting backlash online for a promotion blasted as “racist” that waived a $20 fee for non-white shoppers.
In a since-deleted Facebook post, Civvies on Broughton in Savannah said it would require a $20 refundable deposit to book an appointment at the boutique, while people of color would be exempt from the new policy.
“As a mostly white staff with white ownership, we do not feel comfortable upholding a digital and financial barrier which could prevent BIPOC from shopping at our store at this time on top of the limitations already made by online booking,” the store announced last week.
The shop, which sells new and “recycled” clothing, told potential white customers that they could decline to pay the deposit, but would be contacted by a booking manager to “discuss other options,” the post read.
“If you are white and refuse to put down a deposit because you believe our policy is unethical you will not be accepted for an appointment,” the store’s now-deleted post read.
Relating the criticism the policy inspired, WJCL told us Monday:
“Most of the feedback about our decision to waive this refundable deposit is racist because it favors Black people, indigenous people and people of color,” said store manager, Raine Blunk.
Some of the comments threaten lawsuits and boycotts but Blunk says the promotion does not discriminate against anyone.
“Obviously it is unfortunate to have thousands of people commenting and messaging us saying that they are going to sue us and have contacted the department of labor because this is a violation of their rights, we believe that what we are doing is within the confines of the law,” they said.
Blunk says the businesses main goal is to bring about equality to people of color.
The business, of course, can adopt any goal it wishes, but it is notable that its main goal isn’t to make money.
But having your own goals doesn’t mean you can have your own facts. By definition, Civvies’ policy discriminated against someone — a whole group, in fact.
Don’t tell the owners, though. They wrote on Facebook, “It was not our intention to act in any way that might be perceived as discriminatory and for that we apologize.” Many respondents noted this statement’s spirit, writing comments such as, “‘I’m sorry you interpreted what I did negatively’ is not an apology. You have only demonstrated that you have learned nothing from this.”
This was demonstrated further by manager Blunk, who, under the name Rainé Eliza (photo below), issued his own apology on Facebook. (Article continues at link below image.)