Nashville florist refuses large RNC fundraiser order, calls for gun reform

[Tanuki]

So proud of them! 🌸🌱🌼🌺🌻💐 👏

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2023/04/12/nashville-florist-refuses-large-rnc-fundraiser-order-calls-for-change-gun-laws-trump/70104411007/

"When the organizers of a Republican National Convention fundraising event scheduled for Nashville this month called FLWR Shop in Belle Meade for floral design services for the event — owners Alex Vaughan and Quinn Kiesow said no.

The FLWR Shop owners posted on their social media accounts they "immediately declined" the "opportunity" and went on to say they would like to challenge others in the Nashville event industry to say no to taking money or jobs from Republican party until they begin to make the changes to gun laws that most Americans are calling for.

The event being held later this month is said to feature former Pres. Donald Trump and other prominent members of the Republican party."...(more)

From the shop's social media:
"Our community has just lost seven people, including three young children, to yet another school shooting. At this moment, I cannot ignore the work that the RNC has done to create this tragedy and so many others just like it."
"We will not be accepting any of your money. The blood of the 3 beautiful babies we lost in Nashville is on that money," ....."

[JuJuChen]

1. ...

[Delphinus]

2. Bravo!

Hope others can send a message too.

[FalloutShelter]

3. Excellent!

Start shunning them.

[Tanuki]

4. They have a fun blog, btw

https://www.flwrshop.com/new-blog


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[LisaM]

35. This is well done.

It looks like the opening of Rocky Horror, but it's well done!

[tanyev]

5. BAM!

Bravo!

[enough]

6. Brave

[BumRushDaShow]

7. ...

[keithbvadu2]

8. Whoever takes the order better get cash up front.

[spanone]

9. ...K&R...

[PCIntern]

10. How'd the RNC like those apples?

They were all for the baker who refused to bake a same-sex wedding cake. Not that I’m equating the two….

[MyOwnPeace]

12. Funny, that's the first thing I thought of.......

wonder if they'll take the flower shop to court for giving them a dose of their own medicine?

[dflprincess]

29. The RNC is not a "protected class"

So florist is not violating any laws by refusing service

[OldBaldy1701E]

46. Let's just hope that the supermajority in that Assembly does not decide to implement just that.

I can certainly see those snowflakes trying to make their party a 'protected' class.

[catrose]

50. Yet

Thank heavens

[ribrepin]

59. Yet!! Give them time to change that law

[twodogsbarking]

11. The applause of one hundred million people.

[Magoo48]

13. More of this.

[AllaN01Bear]

14. ding.

[niyad]

15. Bravo!

[h2ebits]

16. I am so happy to see people standing up for gun control

Perhaps the Nashville, TN young people marching by the 1,000's and people like the owners of this flower shop can raise this issue to the next level so we can, once again, feel safe walking into public buildings and places.

Hope we can use their impetus to rouse the entire nation to take to the streets.

[Tanuki]

17. I plan to stop by at the first opportunity to thank them and buy something

to help offset any losses they incurred.

[LoisB]

18. Good for them! Bravo!

[LittleGirl]

19. Wished I lived in Nashville! I'd shop there! nt

[colorado_ufo]

20. Yes!

I am so encouraged by this!

[SouthernDem4ever]

21. I hope they get suport from other members of their profession and community

Most people don't realize the ramifications of anti-trust violations and corporate ownership of a few over many. We used to be able to make a difference by threatening to or boycotting companies, products, etc. Today, since there has been so much consolidation, if you boycott you have no other alternative since a few own it all - and of course, because of this, they care not what we do or say.

[MissMillie]

22. that sure beats "thoughts and prayers" any day of the week (n/t)

.

[people]

23. Wow! How Wonderful!

[malaise]

24. Fabulous

Bravo

[Lucinda]

25. ❤️ ✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[JudyM]

26. Thanks for posting this. Here's hoping it spreads rapidly to other community businesses.

[Liberty Belle]

27. Victims' families should send funeral wreaths to the RNC - bury them in flowers for the daed.

[peppertree]

30. He should've accepted the order - then donated the proceeds, after tax, to the Brady Campaign

And, of course, then made the announcement.

The way he went about it, though valorous, only allows the NRA to get the last laugh.

"We jus' took our bidness elsewhere! Harty-har-har."

[Hekate]

34. That's asking the vendor to buy the flowers & do the work & take a loss by giving the money away

All the while feeling sick to their stomachs for doing all this work for the GOP.

No, the florists are doing the right thing by refusing to work for the GOP in the first place, and letting the public know why.

[H2O Man]

38. +1

[peppertree]

45. Well, he's leaving money on the table anyway (much more than the wholesale value of the flowers)

If he deducted for taxes and some costs, he could donate the remainder to the Brady Campaign (or a similar group of his choice), keep the loss to a minimum (relative to the lost business) - and make the statement pack twice the wallop.

[H2O Man]

60. I suppose it

depends on who the audience is that one is making a "statement" to. The republicans would see it as being a case of people will do anything for money. I doubt it would have anything close to a "wallop" from the Democratic point of view. It would be closer to a dollop.

[peppertree]

62. The proverbial grain of sand, if you will

But it would've certainly made the news either way - so might as well steer some of those dirty NRA dollars to a worthwhile advocacy group.

Beats having them pay for Wayne's orgies, that's for sure.

[summer_in_TX]

66. The moral outrage behind their decision rings

loud and clear.

Louder than an equivalent donation to the Brady Campaign. Because it was direct action that may inspire others to take direct action, it may grab the attention of the Rs in a way that no advertising messages can. Think of all the free media they are getting nationwide over their moral stand.

[H2O Man]

36. Recommended.

[pandr32]

37. Hopefully they get an uptick in business from Democrats and other humans-beings.

[JETTBHEART]

39. This makes me happy!!!

Hopefully, others follow

[republianmushroom]

40. I commend the people

they put their beliefs and ethics above the dollar. To bad more people don't.

[Sogo]

41. Send those florists some flowers!

[catrose]

49. Can we send some business to make up for what they lost?

Flowers to the Tennessee Three?

[Beaverhausen]

56. Great idea!

[calimary]

42. This is encouraging to see. Resistance is NOT futile.

It needs to be encouraged and supported, so it can grow.

We need to fight these bastards everywhere they raise their ugly heads - and uglier voices.

[RobinA]

43. Hilarious

Everybody registering approval on this thread was also OK with those bakers who wouldn't bake a cake for the gay wedding? Hypocrisy at its finest.

[crickets]

51. Not equivalent given the RNC is not a protected class.

https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17819062

No hypocrisy involved. Genuine kudos on spelling "its" correctly, though. ✔

[ProfessorGAC]

44. Well, This Thread Touched A Nerve, Didn't It?

I missed the brouhaha, but I count 4 removed posts.
Somebody was having a tantrum.

[barbtries]

53. i noticed that too.

remember when there were tombstones? "this poster disrupted rudely" or something like that?

aww, good old days

[democrank]

47. Non-violent resistance

Stand and fight.

[Abolishinist]

48. Wow. For those who haven't read their Instagram post,

accessible from the link to the Tennessean, I highly recommend doing so. Not sure if I'm breaking a rule by posting it in its entirety, but here goes.

If you’ve been here a while you know that I don’t tend to shy away from using this platform to speak my mind. Many people view it as me linking my personal politics and my business. But I have always kept a hard line that few notice. When I speak up it’s always to advocate for human rights. I’ve been loud about protecting Black lives, the illness of racism in our country, and in defense of trans people. These things should not be considered political in my opinion.

So this post feels different to me. I want to make very clear that while I tend to lean quite liberal (I’m sure you’re all surprised) I DO believe in a society of varied beliefs. I think there is immense value to be gained from conservative viewpoints. I think a balance between liberalism and conservatism is healthy and vital. This statement is meant for those within the Republican Party, not people who hold conservative values, who have co-opted those values and skewed them to an unrecognizable point and have let their own people and the whole of the country down in the name of power and greed.

George Washington upon leaving office said, “however political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

Either party holds the potential for what GW warned against but right now there is one party in particular that stands out. And since they’ve gerrymandered my district to the point of taking away my representation and those of so many others, these are the means by which I can make my voice heard. The budget for this job was large. Not something we would ordinarily turn down. But as the email says, there’s blood on that money and we can have no part in that.

[crickets]

52. .

[FlyingPiggy]

54. Good for them for having convictions! Bravo!!

[Cha]

55. This is brilliant! TY! No

Filthy Blood $$$$ for this FLWR Shop!

[Abolishinist]

57. I just hope, considering the unfortunate environment we find ourselves in,

the MAGAts leave them alone. I'm sure they considered this, as they could have quietly declined as opposed to bringing national attention to their business.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

58. Is this similar to a baker refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding?

We like this, we hate that. But are they legailly the same thing?

[ret5hd]

63. Absolutely not...

Unless you are claiming that being a Qpublican is a protected class.

[Abolishinist]

64. I would say, with the caveat that I don't even play an attorney

on social media, that they are not the same. Politics is not a protected class, witness the restaurant that refused service to that Huckabee thing.

That being said, the reich-wing can, by using their love of false equivalencies, make hay from this event, should they desire.

[onecaliberal]

61. K&R

[Beartracks]

65. If you want gun law changes, don't 'wait for Republicans.' Elect Democrats. n/t

[chowmama]

67. Any bets

on how fast it's going to be illegal, immoral, unchristian and just plain wrong to refuse service to someone based on deeply held personal beliefs?

[Upthevibe]

68. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! N/T......

[NowISeetheLight]

69. Just Claim Religion

If the RepubQcans get upset the florist can just claim they have a sincerely held religious conviction that they don't support mindless gun toting maniacs. Religion is a license to do whatever you want.... right RepubQcans?

[COL Mustard]

70. What do you imagine the number of death threats

They’re getting for saying no to the RNC?