Bill Penzey: 'Cooking Trumps Racism'

Once again, Bill Penzey is casting aspersions. He trashes the majority of conservatives, and Donald Trump voters in particular, as racist.

Penzeys Spices is supposed to be about "healing the world."

For a self-proclaimed healer, Bill Penzey does a lot of harm.

Penzey shared his thoughts about the election via the Penzeys Spices Facebook page and his newsletter.

I knew this was coming. Of course, Penzey would throw the charge of racism around after Americans voted Donald Trump to be the next president. Calling people racists is like a hobby for him.

He actually labels his latest screed, "Racism Update," as if he's the arbiter.

From Penzeys Spices Facebook page:

Racism Update: At Penzeys we believe it’s not the use of tools that set us on a different path from the rest of the animal world; what has set humanity in motion is cooking. In our nearly a million years gathered together around the fire, cooking shaped our bodies and transformed our minds. Cooking unlocked our potential and gave birth to reason, to religion, and to politics and government. The kindness of tens of thousands of generations of cooks created our humanity, but racism, sexism, and homophobia can all very quickly unravel all the goodness cooking puts out into the world. As the voice of cooks, we will never sit idly by while that happens.

You may have read Tuesday Night’s email. In it I said: “The open embrace of racism by the Republican Party in this election is now unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades. The American people are taking notice. Let’s commit to giving the people a better choice. Our kindness really is our strength.”

Since I ask you to read my emails, I feel it’s only right that I read each of your replies. In sifting through those replies it was clear that, though not intended, a good number of people seemed to sincerely believe that in my statement I was calling all Republicans racists. In the emails of those Republicans who voted for someone other than the party’s nominee, I sensed genuine pain at having the strength of character to not go along with what was happening, but nonetheless be grouped in with those who were. I apologize for writing something that caused you pain; that is not the person I want to be. You are your party’s future, and you deserve my admiration and respect, and your country’s as well.

For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidate’s racism, because for most of you the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. But the thing is elections have their consequences. This is no longer sixty years ago. Whether any of us like it or not, for the next four years the 80% of this country who did not just vote for an openly racist candidate are going to treat you like you are the kind of person who would vote for an openly racist candidate.

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. If you are lucky and younger family members are still coming over for Thanksgiving, before it’s too late, take a moment and honestly think about how your actions must look through their eyes. Simply saying “I never thought he’d win” might be enough. But if you have the means, leaving a receipt from a sizable donation to the ACLU or the SPLC accidentally laying around where you carve the turkey, might go over even better.

Or, just do what you do best and volunteer. Through our customers’ support, we’ve given away a lot of our Penzeys Pepper, the Pepper with heart. More often than not, those we meet cooking and serving food to feed those in need are Republicans. You really are a good bunch, but you just committed the biggest act of racism in American history since Wallace stood in the schoolhouse doorway 53 years ago. Make this right. Take ownership for what you have done and begin the pathway forward.

Thanks for reading,

Bill
bill@penzeys.com

Penzey tries to distinguish between Republicans and Trump voters.

Apparently, people took umbrage at his post-election email in which in stated, "The open embrace of racism by the Republican Party in this election is now unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades. The American people are taking notice." They complained and Penzey gave the Never Trump Republicans a pass.

Then, he unleashes on over 60 million Americans who did vote for the Republican nominee. Penzey displays an incredible level of arrogance in his comments. His vow to support the harassment of Trump voters as racist enablers is especially disturbing.

For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidate’s racism, because for most of you the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. But the thing is elections have their consequences. This is no longer sixty years ago. Whether any of us like it or not, for the next four years the 80% of this country who did not just vote for an openly racist candidate are going to treat you like you are the kind of person who would vote for an openly racist candidate.

Then, he spews out a condescending instruction: "[Y]ou can take responsibility for your actions and begin to make amends."

Good grief! Make amends? Give me a break!

Bill has chosen to call past, present, or potential customers racist. To the Leftists, I suppose he's a hero. I guess he thinks his political views help his business. He's wrong, of course.

Obviously, Bill doesn't want my business. That works out well because he's not going to get it.

As I've said before, I can't boycott Penzeys Spices because I don't buy spices from Penzeys.

To those who do business with Bill Penzey, maybe you might want to find another place to shop, especially if you're a person he deplores.

It's important to remember that Penzey's political comments aren't made in private circles. He isn't just a known Leftist donor and supporter. He wants the world to know that he considers millions of Americans to be deplorable, and he ties that to his business.

Penzey wants purchasing spices to be a political act.

If you're one of the people this guy calls racist, and you purchase products from Penzeys, think about taking your business elsewhere, someplace where you aren't accused of being a bad person.
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Mark Belling has posted the locations of Bill Penzey's spice stores in southeastern Wisconsin.

They're all suburban. (The one "Milwaukee" location is a block from Whitefish Bay, very close to Winkie's.)

Where are the stores in the central city? Why doesn't Penzey show an interest in serving a more diverse population?

The map of his store locations looks like he's avoiding the city.

The guy lectures us on racism, but he doesn't put his stores where his mouth is.