Thanks For Calling.

This was a response to my January 27, 2008 post:

Wow, where to start with your terrible, stupid post?

1. 1st Ammendment rights of business owners/ Greg Schumacher - last I checked, those rights are the freedom of religion, press, assembly, and speech. Please point out to me where Mr Schumacher or any other business owner has been deprived of those rights.
2. Protester's rights vs Business owner's rights - the interplay between these 2 sets of rights has been thoroughly litigated in the context of abortion clinic protests. I am confident that no one was actually blocked from entering the store - protestors cannot do that, and there were police on hand to ensure it did not happen. Harassing, lying, slander - well everything you need to know about this you learned in kindergarten: sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me. And the law of free speech pretty much agrees. Now, actual threats or intimidation/coercion (not to mention vandalism) is another story but look closely at the quotes from the Judge - the Schumachers may have had a case against some of the protestors, but not the ones he actually sued. The ones he sued proved they had done nothing wrong, that's why the lawsuit was dismissed. And, the Judge seems to conclude, Schumacher knew they'd done nothing wrong even as he sued them. But he sued them anyway, to pull them into court, to force them to spend money on attorneys, to shut them up. Well, that's not what the courts are for, so Judge Mosman let Schumacher have it. Also, pretty sure the sidewalk belongs to the city/all of us, not your buddy Gregg.
3. You disagree with the Judge, therefore, he is stupid. Now come on, do you really think you've got more on the ball than a federal judge? And Schumacher deserves some kind of compensation? Go look at his website - the protests are over, the store has been closed for months, and yet there is nothing on his site regarding the actual business of selling furs. He's more interested in playing the victim then adapting his business and moving on.
4. "I'm gonna go buy a fur." Sure you are, big shot. Here's the REAL reason why the business failed - no one wears fur anymore. Not folks like my Mom, who has 3 fur coats in the basement closet and hasn't worn any of them in years. And not folks like you who might find an idealogical statement in it. That's why you never did the entire time this saga was going on. If you really supported Schumacher's, you'd have gone down and bought something. But you didn't. You'd rather complain about what someone else is doing, istead of going out and doing something about it. As they say, you're all hat and no cattle.

And here's my honest response...besides the usual 'why are you so stupid...'
1: If you want to pick this apart then how about Gregg wasn't allowed freedom of assembly. His store was blocked and protested to an obscene amount. He just wanted to conduct his LEGAL business and was denied that by a group of self centered, childish animal rights freaks. He was told to not respond to the protests and was not given any chance to defend himself. That would be expression and speech. And the press? Well, hell, the big Zero, the Oregonian, has proved itself to be no better than then Weekly World News when it comes to reporting. Hell, I can't even mention it without rolling my eyes. Look, it's simple: Gregg wasn't allowed to run and maintain his business. That was where his rights were denied. He wasn't hurting anyone nor was he breaking any laws. He simply wanted to provide and product that people want. It's that simple.

2:Soo...we're comparing an 80 year old woman's fur coat to abortion? Is this the same as the protesters stupid argument that these animals are just like slaves and thus saying black Americans are no better than some stupid furry animal? Abortion clinics get firebombed. Animal 'rights' groups firebomb medical facilities and also set pet stores on fire WHILE THE ANIMALS ARE STILL INSIDE. Hell, PETA murders hundreds of animals every year...well, I guess there are some similiarities but only on the part of the violence and ignorace of the people seemingly fighting for animal rights. The protesters were blocking the doors at times and made it impossible to walk past the store without having to walk into the street. they put up banners and signs and blocked the store front from being seen on the street. And sticks and stones? Well, it was the protesters that put up a sign saying people like Gregg should be skinned alive and anally electrocuted then had the nerve to throw a fit when Gregg, or someone within the store, put together a sign that was a parody of it. So it's sticks and stones unless the protesters are called out then it's unfair and a violation of their rights.

3: Yes, the judge was an idiot and yes, I have it far more on the ball than he does. I would have at least looked at every bit of information given before making a decision. Somethine tells me this did not happen here. Afterall, there is literally mountains of pictures and video footage proving what these freaks were doing. And the website? You said yourself the store is closed, why the hell would he be advertising furs on a site when the store is closed? And he's definatly the victim here. He wasn't doing anything more than wanting to run and maintain a business that was fair and legal. These people had a problem with it and set out to do nothing mroe than destroy his business and tear him down. And they aren't done yet. I know they are planning more of their terrorist-like activities against other legal stores in Portland, and naturally they will get their way because the City of Portland doesn't have the balls to take a stand and tell these 'people' to sit down and shut the hell up. You don't like the store, fine DON'T SHOP THERE! But how dare you denie others the RIGHT to shop where they want and for what they want!

4: Here's the real reason I never got a fur (and if you paid attention to this blog you'd know this): I never found one that I thought looked good. I've owned leather coats in the past but never a fur. And just because I don't isn't an indicator that noone does, if that were true we wouldn't be having this discussion, now would we? The simple fact that people still like wearing 100% all natural fur pisses people like you off and that's why you so violently oppose people like the Schumacher's and myself. I've shown more than a fair amount of support in this and it's not because I like fur or dislike it. I've told the people at the Schumacher store that I could honestly care less about fur and who wears it. My interest in this is about nothing more than our freedom and our right to wear what we want without a bunch of vegans and animal rights hippies screaming that we are mean or we are cruel because we like wearing fur. If that's how you see it, fine, good for you. Enjoy your bliss.
Your mommy has 3 fur coats. She doesn't need to wear them, she's already given her money to the fur industry and allowed it to make more money in order to raise more animals for their fur. Supply and demand, ain't it grand?