(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)While he was working out, a gym owner approached an Army veteran and told him he couldn’t wear his Trump shirt because it’s “racist” and triggered other customers. However, instead of simply taking off the shirt, the clever veteran had something else in mind.
Due to the political division plaguing the nation, it’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without being inundated with a partisan agenda. Even companies have taken it upon themselves to purvey a political stance, ultimately alienating one side or the other.
While individuals and businesses have every right to take a stance on major political issues, the left has gone overboard in their pursuit of social justice by refusing service to those with whom they disagree. In fact, their bigotry is so overwhelming that they expect anyone right-of-center to validate their personal feelings and capitulate to their viewpoint.
When Army veteran and National Guardsman Jake Talbot entered CDY Fitness in Troy, Missouri, for his routine workout, he never expected that his personal political beliefs would be an issue. However, before he had even finished warming up, Talbot was approached by the gym owner with an insane demand.
Talbot revealed on Facebook that gym owner Liz Drew interrupted his workout to tell him that several customers were triggered by his “offensive” garb — his “2016 Trump for President” shirt. He explained that she told him the slogan was “linked to racism” and that he must take off the controversial shirt or leave, The Blaze reports.
After the incident, Talbot took to Facebook saying, “I just left CDY Fitness here in Troy, working out, and when I was starting, the owner, Liz, came up to me and said that my Trump shirt that I had on was offensive and that I needed to remove it in order to work out there.”
Talbot was shocked that an old campaign shirt for the current President of the United States would result in him being a pariah in the gym he had attended for 8 years and a state that voted for Trump. Incredibly, Drew confirmed Talbot’s allegations to The Washington Post, admitting that she called the shirt possibly “racist.” Understandably, Talbot was sick of being told that supporting President Donald Trump is racist.
“Which, I freaking hate that word; whenever people use it, it’s thrown around way too loosely. It’s 2019; get the hell over it. It’s not racism,” he said.
While Drew thought nothing of imposing liberal beliefs on Talbot, expecting him to quietly comply, that’s just not how an Army veteran operates. Instead of taking off the shirt, Talbot walked out of the gym, canceled his membership, and exposed the owner for her discrimination, which prompted another gym to offer him a free membership.
“It’s a free country. It’s what I fight for. I love this country, and I’m very patriotic,” Talbot said. “That’s my commander in chief,” he said. “He’s doing a job and everyone needs to support him. I think he’s doing a good job. I’m tired of the split, divide of the whole country.”
Within days, Talbot’s story went viral on Facebook, eliciting mass support for the veteran. Likewise, media outlets began contacting Talbot, hoping to get his statement on the incident. Of course, the publicity wasn’t as positive for Drew, who seems desperate to salvage her gym’s reputation. Refusing an interview with KSDK, she instead chose to release a statement excusing her behavior.
“I have much respect for all of our service members. I regret that some were offended by this misunderstanding. I was simply attempting to ensure that all of my members felt safe and unthreatened.”
However, Talbot isn’t accepting Drew’s excuse. In fact, he’s doubled down on his decision to wear the shirt, demanding to know why certain people feel that they have the right to shut down one political opinion while kowtowing to the other.
“There’s nothing wrong with the shirt, there’s nothing vulgar,” Talbot told The Post. “It’s just a supportive shirt, for who I’m supporting. I would never tell anybody else, I would never turn anyone away from anything because of their beliefs, their religion, their opinions, anything.”
Now, Talbot has a free gym membership and Drew has concerns that her gym’s discrimination against half the country will come back to bite her. In her endeavor to ensure that none of the sensitive leftists in her gym felt offended, she offended a faithful customer and possibly countless others who will choose to go to another facility.
