A LINE IN THE SAND

Three cheers for small business owner Chris McMurray and his wife Kelley of New River Valley Virginia. Chris and Kelley are the owners of “Crumb and Get It”, a bakery they just opened together three months ago in May. This last Wednesday morning, advance teams for Vice President Joe Biden goose stepped into their bakery and announced with scroll and trumpet that the VP Joe Biden was coming to town today and would be gracing their business with his presence. Chris approached the advance team leader and told her that “Crumb and Get It” is a mom and pop store. Literally. Chris and Kelley run the place by themselves and need all the business they can get.

The Vice President’s entourage then got to the point with Chris. The advance team leader informed him that they selected “Crumb and Get It” to be the VP’s stop on his way to Blacksburg and wanted to make certain it was ok. Chris was told that this would be an opportunity of a lifetime and his business would most likely receive nationwide attention from the press.  Chris replied, “No offense to you or the campaign but I just decline you guys coming in here”. The advance team leader was halted by this reaction and asked, “Are you sure? This is the Vice President.”

Now why would a subject of the emperor’s kingdom turn down a photo opportunity with the Vice president of the United States? The exposure would provide a much needed boost for their small business. Apparently it had something to do with the emperor’s recent insults to the hard working small business owners of this country, The backbone of our economy. Chris McMurray couldn’t stomach the comments from the emperor about small business owners and who built what. “Very simply, ‘you didn’t build that’” Chris’s wife Kelley had been up all night working to get the business ready for the next day. She was up for 24 hours and got no sleep. Quite simply, the person currently holding the office of the President or his bumble mouthed Veep would not be given the opportunity to set foot in Chris and Kelley’s establishment; their pride and joy. The bakery represented their dream. They scrimped and saved, planned and prepared and worked their asses off to open a small business and make a go of it. They built it.

After “Crumb and Get It” turned the VP down, “River City Grill” just around the corner said yes and took advantage of the opportunity to take photos and drape them all over their bar. They didn’t care about the politics. Chris Bell, River City Grill owner said he didn’t care who walked into his restaurant, just as long as they brought their money. Fair enough I guess, but this little drama took an interesting and fascinating turn that made my belly button pucker and unpucker with glee.

The Vice President’s Secret Service agents, in a unified show of gratitude, strolled into Chris and Kelley’s bakery and bought nearly every cupcake they had. It was kept out of the larger media feeds by the VP’s minions but a smaller local news report did not let the gesture go unreported or unappreciated. “Shortly after Crumb and Get It told Biden’s advance people ‘no’--- the secret service walked in and told owner Chris McMurray ‘Thanks for standing up and saying no”. Then they bought a whole bunch of cookies and cupcakes.”

The secret service’s purchases then touched off a buying frenzy from the locals who turned out to show their support for two courageous small business owners who do not accept the divisive nature of our histories worst president. They bought the place dry by noon the next day.

The secret service overtly rewarded this small business owner for “standing up” to the leader they’re sworn to protect, but obviously don’t respect too terribly much. They were bold about it to. That speaks volumes. I certainly hope Chris and Kelley have their taxes in order; the emperor doesn’t take too well to this kind of independent behavior from the proletariat.

It is uplifting when the silent majority speaks. I’m talking about the hard working, tax paying, law abiding, charitable people who represent the best of what The United States of America stands for. When the owner of Chic Fil-A restaurant was attacked by gay activists for not supporting gay marriage, they threatened to boycott and have a “Kiss in”. The reaction by the silent majority was swift and impressive. Without a lot of blithering, crying and threats of violence or protest, American citizens from all over the country who still believe in the constitutionally provided freedom of religion and speech, went to their local Chic Fil-A restaurants by the hundreds of thousands and flooded the food chain with millions of dollars of business as a show of support and a clear message to gay activists. The ensuing “kiss in” protest two days later consisted of a few dozen gay couples taking pictures of themselves kissing in front of the chicken restaurant. The silent majority had by then returned to their jobs, quiet and resolved.

I hope these same quiet, resolved citizens show up for another vastly more important show of support this November.