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Dear Emailer,
Thanks for your note and support of my clothing line. I guess you and I have different concerns and opinions. Just because a majority of people support something does not make it right. The majority of the country supported slavery, segregation, and not allowing women or blacks to vote at various times. Yes, I need to make enough money to survive, but my business endeavors are secondary to my stance on human rights. In fact, I use my business to finance my art, which is often political. I think how we make and spend money can be very political, actually, almost every decision we make has political repercussions. I take a stand on issues I believe in despite the possible resulting harm to my business. The immigration issue is complex, but what I think is important is compassion. I see no difference between immigrating here for a better life as a Latin American now, or a European 200 or 300 years ago. Racial profiling has obvious potential for abuse by law enforcement, and tearing apart families is never the right solution. I’m not advocating illegal immigration or lawlessness. I’m opposed to abuses of basic human rights and liberties for all people. If these rights for immigrants are not supported, there may be a situation in the future that may disqualify YOU from those basic rights.
-Shepard
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From: Emailer
Date: July 24, 2010 4:58:56 AM PDT
Subject: [Obey Giant Contact Form] General Inquiries
I run a business, too, and I think it’s foolish to mix your personal views with your professional image. Lashing out against the AZ law on your business website was a poor choice. Over 50% of the county supports this law. It will likely cost you business. Stick to what you know–making t-shirts. Nobody cares what their t-shirt manufacturer thinks about immigration. Sorry to sound harsh, but I like your clothes and if you want to stay in business you need to exercise some discretion.
– Emailer
