May 31, 2020

From someone on Facebook....

I stand to honor the promise the flag represents.
You kneel because that promise has been broken.
I stand to affirm my belief that all are created equal, and to fight alongside you for that promise.
You kneel because too few stand with you.
I stand because we can be better.
You kneel to remind us to be better.
I stand to honor all that have fought and died so that we may be free.
You kneel because not all of us are.
I stand because I can.
You kneel for those who can't.
I stand to defend your right to kneel.
You kneel to defend my right to stand.
I stand because I love this country.
You kneel because you love it too.

written by: Andrew Freborg

May 31, 2020

Watching live feed of protests in Madison, WI

Police car has been torched, businesses And a museum vandalized. More than 30 LEO have formed a human barricade on Johnson and State Streets.

“No justice, no peace” and “get your knee off my neck” being chanted.

May 30, 2020

Liberal Redneck - Minnesota Burning

May 30, 2020

"There are no 'riots' in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd"...good read!

https://thegrio.com/2020/05/28/george-floyd-minneapolis-riots/

Not familiar with this source, The Grio...

May 30, 2020

Penzey's Minneapolis store hit with rocks, Bill speaks out!

Of course if I wanted to toss rocks where there is community-supported racism I could start right here in the Milwaukee area and stop in Madison on my way up to Saint Paul and then across the river to our Hennepin Ave store in Minneapolis where, last I heard, at least one door and one of the big windows have already been smashed. The reality is, this is America where community-supported racism is eating away at every community across the country.

I received a couple emails yesterday from customers upset that we should be victims of the unrest when we actually try to do more than most to make a difference. And it’s right there on google if you type in Penzeys Hennepin to make sure you are spelling Hennepin correctly and then click the News tab. The first story up is “A list of the buildings damaged, looted in Minneapolis and St. Paul.” But then if you scroll a touch, the fourth story down actually is “Penzeys Spices takes a strong stand against racism and Trump” from November 22, 2016. If only protesters googled.

But as much some days I vehemently oppose racism, every day I benefit from the privilege white skin gifts me. If sweeping up some glass and replacing a couple windows is a piece of everybody realizing the costs of racism-fueled police violence towards minorities is no longer affordable, then so be it. And yes, here is where I point out one more time, voting for a presidential candidate whose own party labeled a “textbook” racist well before the election is indeed a racist act. And no, the fact that 63 million Americans did this does not make it any less racist. If this was you, make amends and move on. It’s not that hard.

But as much as the Republican Party of late has given up on subtle racism and gone all in, the lack of awareness for just how deeply racism and privilege are intertwined runs the entire length of America’s political spectrum. Can anyone say college loan forgiveness? It’s like someone looked at the idea of reparations for slavery and said yes let’s do that, but let’s find a way that all the money goes to white people instead. And I’m not saying the idea is without merit, but seriously, how can you float it without in the very same breath acknowledging all those who our country’s racism blocked from accessing that opportunity? We all need to do better. A lot better.

But enough complaining, and how about a positive idea instead. After an email from us a couple years back in support of Black Lives Matter in Saint Louis, I ended up in an exchange of emails with a retired police officer from the area. At first he was taking the, if you support them then you hate us approach. I started out with, this denial of racism in our communities and on the force really isn’t doing you any favors. The best cops are always the ones with their finger on the pulse and who live and breathe the street. Saying racism isn’t a thing can’t help but raise questions of corruption and at the very least looks clueless which isn’t a good look for a detective.

Ultimately I pitched the idea of doing a full 180 and becoming the true heroes in America’s fight against racism. It’s not really that far of a stretch. Imagine the voice-over of the recruitment ad: “We live on the front lines where America’s racism meets reality and we are looking for help. Everybody talks about fighting racism, but we’re the ones actually doing it. Want to help? Do what it takes to earn yourself a badge and come join us. It won’t be easy, but you will be in the very place where making a difference matters most.”

In the end he wasn’t quite ready to embrace my pitch, but we did part on much better terms than we began. And of course mine is an experience of white privilege, but the vast majority of those on the force I’ve interacted with over the years have been good eggs. Still the willingness to tolerate bad eggs is at the heart of so many of these problems. It’s got to end. Smartphones are everywhere and that’s a very good thing.

And Justice Seasoning. A big part of “Penzeys Spices takes a strong stand against racism and Trump” lives in this blend and it really is a good one. After our Wednesday email, our first to most of our customers in seven weeks, I received many thousands of emails in return and a lot of them held questions that the best response to was, just buy the Justice Seasoning it’s probably our best blend and it has no salt as well because it just doesn’t need it. Plus, as you can see from the poster below with the text from the label, it really does start: With Justice —Peace. Until Justice once again lives in the White House, the Senate, and most importantly in the Supreme Court there can be no peace. 11.3.20 Vote Justice.

And if you don’t mind waiting 2-2 1/2 weeks for delivery shop now at penzeys.com. Yes, the huge surge in online orders brought on by the coronavirus has us a bit behind, but with our new system we are gaining every day. And the sweet thing about having a couple of weeks worth of orders in the house is that for scheduling grinding, blending and packaging we don’t have to guess what we will need two weeks from now, we already know. Ordering now helps, and all orders ship in the order received and aren’t charged until shipped.

If you live close to one of our stores you can save a whole bunch of time by placing an order for touchless pickup through your local store. Just click here to get started. It only takes a couple days at most.

And if you own a store somewhere can I give you some advice? In the late '70s the MPD (Milwaukee Police Department) had the Beare brothers, both detectives, both really good Cooks, and both customers of my parents' store at a time when our neighborhood was becoming a little bit more out of control. At one point one of them took me aside and explained how it was my job to keep our windows from being broken.

The good news was, that as much as we all like to think there is some intention behind broken windows, the truth is the vast majority of the time how it happens is pretty simple and without much in the way of premeditation at all. It boiled down to this. If you see a nice rock about the size of your hand or slightly smaller, as a human you will most naturally pick it up. Once in hand you will look for something to do with it, and if you see anything that could be a target, such as a store window, you will let loose with the rock. Therefore dispose of hand-sized rocks 2-300 feet from your store and keep any target-like posters out of your window.

If you are from the Milwaukee area and have a tip for us possibly finding a Beare brother recipe please send it our way at editor@penzeys.com. Thanks!


Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and most importantly of all thanks for caring enough to cook. You really do heal the world,


Bill
bill@penzeys.com

May 30, 2020

In America-because I was born with white skin, I can do all these things without thinking twice.

I can go birding (#ChristianCooper)
I can go jogging (#AmaudArbery)
I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson)
I can ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride)
I can have a cellphone (#StephonClark)
I can leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards)
I can play loud music (#JordanDavis)
I can sell CDs (#AltonSterling)
I can sleep (#AiyanaJones)
I can walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown)
I can play cops and robbers (#TamirRice)
I can go to church (#Charleston9)
I can walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin)
I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (#SeanBell)
I can party on New Years (#OscarGrant)
I can get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland)
I can lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile)
I can break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones)
I can shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford)
I can have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher)
I can read a book in my own car (#KeithScott)
I can be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover)
I can decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese)
I can ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans)
I can cash a check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood)
I can take out my wallet (#AmadouDiallo)
I can run (#WalterScott)
I can breathe (#EricGarner)
I can live (#FreddieGray)
I CAN BE ARRESTED WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING MURDERED (#GeorgeFloyd)
White privilege is real. Take a minute to consider a Black person’s experience today.
#BlackLivesMatter

May 29, 2020

Sad we have to do this but #policethepolice

May 29, 2020

If you feel the need to do more than just be outraged about George Floyd

If you feel the need to do more than just be outraged, here is a way to let someone who can make a difference know about your outrage.

Here is the contact info. Silence (not calling) is complicit. Firing is not enough. Demand arrest. DA is Mike Freeman 612-348-5550 or minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov.

Hello Mr. Freeman-

Derek Chouvin and his accomplices need to be arrested immediately and prosecuted for murder.

I understand it takes time to look at both sides of a crime, but the video that has circulated via social media clearly shows a police officer abusing his power. No matter what happened previous to him being detained in such a heinous way, George Floyd did not deserve to be treated like an animal.

There is no way it is OK for a police officer to treat ANY human in this fashion. George Floyd was pleading for his life; Derek Chauvin and his accomplices showed no compassion, if fact they willfully murdered this man. If George Floyd had been accosted like this by anyone other than a cop, that person would certainly be in jail by now.

Simply losing their job is not enough. I urge you to take these police officers off the street by arresting them and charging them with murder.

May 29, 2020

"There are very fine people on both sides..."

I’m not black, but I see you.
I’m not black, but I hear you.
I’m not black, but I mourn with you.
I’m not black, but I will fight for you.
No matter race,gender or anything else this isn't right,as an American this was sickening.....
✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 #TogetherStrong

May 28, 2020

Way to go WI.....

Couldn’t have predicted this, now could we? Thank you, Gov. Evers for trying to keep us safe. Fuck you, repubs for dropping the ball and running with no plan!

https://news.yahoo.com/wisconsin-reports-record-number-coronavirus-160959549.html

No link but I’ve heard from sources, 7 bartenders/servers in Kenosha County tested positive since the opening.