Palisades Farmers Market
Early this morning, two elderly women set up a table for the Republicans at the Palisades Farmers Market on the corner of Antioch and Swarthmore.
When Circling the News walked by, a middle-age white male was shouting at them, asking why they were supporting a racist.
I felt I needed to defend the women and said they had every right to be there and express their views — our constitution guarantees it. He then stood in front of the table and shouted that Trump was a racist and that he, a Pacific Palisades resident, had every right to be there, too.
I told him he was being intimidating to the women, but he continued to scream that Trump was a racist.
A Hispanic guard came over and tried to reason with the man, who looked at him and asked if he had voted in the last election. The young guard said he had not and then the man said, “Get out of here, you don’t belong here!”
CTN told the man that he had just told a Hispanic guard that he didn’t belong here—did the man mean belong in Pacific Palisades? Belong in America? The man didn’t say, but I told him that if he did feel that way, he had just proved himself racist and hypocritical.
And so, on an otherwise pleasant Sunday, I make this plea to all residents of the Palisades: We do not have to agree on politics, but we do need to agree that we should allow all people to express their views.
I am glad you were there to speak up on the ladies behalf. It goes to show that the ones calling others racist are actually the racists themselves.
Good for you Sue !
Should have taken his photo and posted it.
Ah, another tolerant liberal showing his support for minorities by berating women. Big man. No wonder he’s single. Thank you for standing up for the ladies. No matter their political affiliation, no one deserves that kind of disrespect.
Thank you for your compassion and intervention. You did the right thing. We must all feel comfortable expressing our views without fear. The “screaming” man should be banned from Farmers Market! I hope the ladies were okay after such a frightful experience, and that the young guard was unscathed. Wonder who he will vote for?
Anonymous Sue please from a resident
You are Awesome!!!
Thank you for speaking up for the women and the guard!
So many people are afraid to speak openly and honestly… out of fear of retribution
Those women are great volunteers who put themselves out … and at risk of bodily harm
The guard may hav voted before .. but had to remain silent
Thank you for shouting out the hypocrisy of that individual… open discussion is difficult… in the face of bullies!!!
And show kindness to one another….
Oh yeah. Well done, Sue. Peacemaking is on the side of the angels.
Brava!!!!!
BTW, the name of the racist guy is Joe…….
The threatening and violent behavior of that individual is so antithetical to the American value system, yet it is so evident in the community and the news that it serves as a prior restraint on the exercise of basic and protected rights. I would like to post signage on my lawn supporting candidate(s) that I believe in, but choose not to because of a real fear that my house or car will be painted or damaged or even torched (we’ve seen plenty of that on the news as well as only a few miles away). We should thank those ladies for their courage and appreciation for the right to vote that was so sadly historically delayed for them. Why is it that so many of the intimidators seem to be aligned more on one side of The Aisle?
GOOD for you Sue for standing up to true racism. There is no excuse! Thank you. (Now if we could only get equal rights for the dogs of Pacific Palisades!)
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!WELL SAID and thank you for trying to be a peacemaker!! Aren’t we ALL tired of the hate?!
Wow, Thank you for having the bravery to stand up to this deranged racist bully. There is no place for this type of inappropriate behavior in the Palisades or anywhere else for that matter. No matter what you believe politically this kind of intimidating behavior is offensive and inappropriate.
Thanks again for standing up for this woman’s rights.
What appalling behavior. Thank you for standing with those in need of support. I don’t place signs in my front yard anymore for the candidate I support, because someone keeps stealing them. I find it totally disgusting, as a tax paying American citizen, a resident of Pacific Palisades for over 22 years, that I cant put a sign on our private property. Shame on that ranting man, shame on those that take my signs, shame on those who have forgotten commonsense and manners.
Thank you Sue. Not sure how simply putting up a table and a sign for the party of your choice has become a symbol of hatred but so it has. Hope we can all start to try kindness for 2021.
Thank you!
BTW, the man’s wife taped the whole thing standing off to the side.
Many more people came by with welcoming remarks. He was the only sour grape in two weeks. His wife was there filming the table, I guess hoping they would do something she could post. I just waved at her.
Sue, I am so proud of you. And so articulately. Thank you for doing the right thing.
I was one of the people who set up the table that morning. Thank you to Sue and many others who intervened. In addition to the ugly scene, there was someone who was filming the entire half hour incident. Most likely with the intent to catch us doing something news worthy because of the baiting. Additionally, a homeless women approached a bench next to us and she continued filming the security guards interacting with her. Pretty ugly. That being said, decent people made it clear that his vitriol wasn’t welcome. I have a very brief video of him. Thank you again Sue. Our community deserves so much better.
Thank you, Sue, for capturing and commenting on our experience at the Sunday Market. Your closing comment captures what we should all believe and strive to act on. “I make this plea to all residents of the Palisades: We do not have to agree on politics, but we do need to agree that we should allow all people to express their views.” The security guard that helped to reason with the man is ours. We hired a security guard to feel safe participating in the democratic process in our own community. Sadly unbelievable!