Intolerance and Oregano

A Penzeys Spices story

When Penzeys Spices opened in my town, I became a customer. I had never heard of them before, but a spice shop? Heck, yeah. Mama is all in. (They’ve since closed.)

It wasn’t a large store, but really, how much space do you need when selling spices? It had sort of a drum-circle vibe inside. Lots of “free love” kind of stuff. But again, it didn’t matter to me. I was there to be polite and engage with the lovely sales associate and buy expensive spices. I walked away with oregano, two types of anise, some greek spice mixture, vanilla sugar and a fourth bottle that has long since been forgotten to time.

Prompted by their sales associate, I signed up for their newsletter/emails.

Immediately I started getting the emails from Bill Penzey. A few emails in, I realized Penzey’s wasn’t selling spices…they were selling their opinions. Okay, they are all about “causes.” Fair enough. I don’t agree with everything, but that doesn’t mean I won’t buy from them. I’m an adult. I can separate the two. I’m not buying a belief system—I just want some oregano.

And then came the emails for November/Thanksgiving 2016. I will never forget it because I thought it was a joke; just some real hard core full-tilt satire stuff. I would have been proud to write it, had it not been real.

The email encouraged those who didn’t vote for Trump to fight, FIGHT with those at the Thanksgiving table. To engage in arguments. To boycott Thanksgiving, even. To sow the seeds of discourse with family members.

Simply put, if they voted the Republican ticket, you can not be friends with them or you are as guilty as they are.

I went back and opened other emails. The thread that connected them was the same: the lambasting and disparaging of half the country.
The words dripped with condescension and sanctimony.
And opposing views were labeled with one word. You guessed it: racist.

Penzeys’ advice for those who voted the Rep ticket? It’s not too late to change your ways.

“You can get angry at everyone else for treating you like you just did the thing you just did, or you can take responsibility for your actions and begin to make amends.”

He then encouraged everyone to buy his stuff to help causes everyone should be behind and after spewing division and animosity, he reminded his readers…wait for it… “our kindness is really our strength.”

Dude…

I read the emails with my mouth hanging open in disbelief. I considered throwing away the Penzeys spices I had purchased for fear they would hate on the other spices and a fight would break out in my spice drawer.

But, I didn’t. I used them still. And told myself I would never order from them again. Not because of their beliefs, but because they were intolerant of anyone who believed differently and made that intolerance part of their marketing.

That was several years ago. I hadn’t really thought about them until I saw this new ad from Penzeys in my Facebook newsfeed. It was accompanied by a very long lecture to Republicans:

”…the Racist label is one you will deservingly wear every day you stand with them. Get used to it, or maybe instead, become a better person. The choice is yours. We will be here rooting for you to Choose Love.”

Ever notice that often times, those who preach Tolerance are the first to be Intolerant to others’ views? The first to shut down conversation. The first to walk away. The first to throw labels rather than engage in meaningful discussion?

Yeah, me too.

So, to Bill Penzey, might I counter your views with a suggestion of my own? Dude, if you are ONLY tolerant, caring and loving toward people who agree with you and your worldview…

then you’re not really that tolerant, caring or loving.

And I, for one, do not have THYME for that kind of hypocrisy. I do not CHIVE with that way of thinking. (See what I did there, Bill? I made an herb joke about your intolerance. Not laughing? That’s okay. My Morton & Bassett Spices thought it was hysterical.)