Penzey Gets Political on Day of Trump's Wisconsin Rally

I guess Donald Trump's rally in West Allis yesterday may have been the impetus for Bill Penzey's latest politically charged emails.

Tuesday, the story in Wisconsin was Trump's visit.

Penzey apparently thought he should seize the occasion to deliver some more disparaging words about Trump and his supporters.

Tuesday morning email excerpt:

Even though this offer runs through Friday, if you have your heart set on a certain color in a certain size, you might not want to wait. Once we realized, in the wake of the open racism, sexism and homophobia of this last election, that the country was going to need Love and Kindness, we thought, okay, we actually have that. What we weren't prepared for was how much we were going to need. The stores are in good supply as holiday sales are just beginning in earnest now. For online/mail order, inventory is a little tighter. The people here grinding, blending and packaging your Spices have done a great job getting all colors of both boxes back in stock, but supplies are honestly limited.

Tuesday evening email excerpt:

Through unplanned events set in motion by a snowy weekend, we've extended until Midnight our free regular shipping with just $20 in spending rather than $30. So, not only can you get those few items you're out of without worrying about shipping charges, you can also actually get our regularly $29.95 Love people—Cook them tasty food Gift Box for $19.95, and have it shipped to almost any address for free.

And as much as we could charge you shipping because $19.95 is not $20, we won't because that is not who we want to be. Yes, we may send what many would call too many emails this time of year, but this actually is who we want to be. Cooking changes lives in such awesome ways, but today too many are born into lives without cooking. When people share with me their excitement for all the goodness cooking has set in motion in their lives, as often as not, they start that story with, "I was given a Penzeys box as a holiday gift, and..."

Next month it will be more important than ever to get back to our emails sharing the humanity of people who cook through their stories and recipes. It looks pretty certain that we are going to see on a national level the same tactics that were first tested out here in Wisconsin six years ago. If so, who the new administration will victimize, they will first do all they can to dehumanize. Cooking, the way we bring it to life, Super-Humanizes. For next month, we will have the stories and recipes of teachers, migrant farm workers, and scientists on the front lines of protecting our environment ready to go. But right now you need gifts, and we have the gifts you and the nation need.

If Penzey truly believes that cooking with his spices can heal and bring peace and harmony, why doesn't he bring some of that healing to people in the city of Milwaukee and open at least one store there?

Penzey has no stores in the city limits. None.

His words are empty.