Political Cues More Prevalent at Local Businesses

OPINION

Weekends in San Angelo are a beautiful thing. Downtown, locals browse boutiques, sip coffee, and catch up on shaded benches.

Families share ice cream, while teenagers shop for summer dresses and couples aimlessly stroll down the aisles of antiques shops.

Everyone feels welcome, and like an equal part of the town’s charm.

It’s a familiar feeling, and one of the most celebrated aspects of our community. But in the last few years, something new has entered the San Angelo small business scene: politics.

Flags, bumper stickers, and other politically branded products, often aligned with one particular ideology, started appearing in storefronts across town.

Some include phrases that echo common mockery and may even seem threatening to some shoppers.

For those whose viewpoints differ, these messages read like a warning: “You aren’t welcome here!”

In the end, this act of free speech becomes more than just a shop owner sharing their opinion – it often means the loss of customers, sales, and the sense of shared community that makes this a special place to begin with.    

In these moments, one may ask: what is the true cost of “buying local?”

It’s no secret that in our society, reality often blurs the lines between personal beliefs and professional spaces.

We bring our values into our work, and our work reflects those values back.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. In fact, it’s a privilege to live in a country where — for now — such freedoms exist.

But things get complicated when these personal expressions start to make customers feel alienated. This has a ripple effect on the customer and the community.

National Brands Push Ideologies

These challenges exist on a national scale, too.

Take Chick-fil-A, for example.

Nationally, the brand has faced criticism for its overt bias against the LGBT+ community.

However, here in San Angelo, Chick-fil-A has been a big supporter of local nonprofits, showing up for community events, and even contributing to local LGBT+ initiatives.

Hobby Lobby is another example. The company has faced scrutiny for everything from denying birth control coverage to employees to displaying politically charged, partisan signage during the 2020 election.

But Hobby Lobby is one of the few craft stores available, and even people who feel marginalized by the brand’s national stance find themselves returning out of necessity.

Local Businesses Need Local Patrons

Such cases appear within our own community, too.

In 2020, a local restaurant came under scrutiny after accusations of racism surfaced on social media. Commenters went back and forth in the comment sections under these posts, some pledging to never support the business again, while others doubled down on their support, vowing to visit more often.  

There have been reports of other establishments in town openly stating that, despite employing several members of the LGBT+ community, they reject the concept of Pride Month, with one owner allegedly stating, “It’s not something to celebrate.”

For many, these opinionated statements serve as loud reminders of exclusion.

History has shown us that when sentiments like these go unchecked, they pave the way for marginalized groups to lose their rights, autonomy, and safety.  

These moments raise a deeper concern; our local economy depends on a mutually-supportive relationship. Community members investing in local businesses, and those businesses, in return, uplifting the community.

What happens when that relationship feels one-sided?

Just as we sometimes separate the art from the artist, should we do the same when it comes to buying local – choosing to support businesses despite the politics behind them? Or does every purchase become an endorsement and a reflection of what we are willing to overlook?

It has been said that the American people “vote with their dollars.” What, then, are we voting for when we buy from a local shop whose entire back wall is adorned politically charged merchandise?

These questions are harder to answer than ever.

Today, more is at stake than we’ve seen in a long time. Rights are being challenged; certain groups and classes are being publicly targeted; lines between government, church, and public organizations are blurring, and freedoms are slipping away right in front of us.

This isn’t just political jargon anymore.

It’s real, and it’s reshaping our community as we allow it.

On the other hand, perhaps continuing to shop at these establishments shows that we do support a free-speech economy, and that our community is more important than our political differences.

I believe we must ask ourselves: can we afford to put a price on our integrity?

And, more importantly, how can we begin to rebuild these bridges in our community, remembering that everyone deserves to feel welcome and safe?