Chick-Fil-A Becomes Iconic for Neo-NAZIS & Tea Party

Young-Adult fiction writer's idea accidentally leads to Arizona Chick-Fil-A protester being cyber-bullied by "White Power" website based in West Palm Beach, Florida

It's no secret that Arizona has become absolutely infested with Neo-Nazis since Jan Brewer took office...  But their intermingling with the Tea Party receives very little media attention - until now.  The "White Power" groups, it turns out, are BIG fans of Chick-Fil-A and have been resorting to well-orchestrated cyber-bullying attacks in order to fulfill their "chicken pride" dreams...

This story starts out with a Young Adult Fiction writer named Jackson Pearce... She's level-headed, witty, and her fans love her...  She's a white, Christian girl who makes fun, upbeat YouTube videos and updates her Twitter account like every 10 minutes... seriously.

Jackson used to eat at Chick-Fil-A "all the time" until she decided that the company was indeed anti-gay and she joined the protest/boycott movement with this clever addition to the dialogue:

Now, as you can see from the above video, Jackson Pearce's idea is simple... Go to Chick-Fil-A  during "chicken pride day" and ask them for a cup of free water...  This, you should mention is a fulfillment of Biblical principle set forth in Proverbs 25-whatever...

But one Chick-Fil-A protester, Adam Smith in Tuscon, AZ sort of botched up the idea... He demanded "free water" without really asking for it... and he forgot to mention the Proverbs thingy...  In short, you could say that Adam was a little bird-brained and forgot the key ingredients from the idea that Jackson Pearce cooked up... (See what I did right there?)

Here's Adam Smith's video upload that kind of botched Pearce's good intention:

But Adam Smith was indeed, over-all, respectful and did not "abuse" the Chick-Fil-A employee... This is very important to note.  The Chick-Fil-A employee (identified only as Rachel) was VERY respectful and polite... Adam's protest made her uncomfortable but she didn't lose her cool...  Chick-Fil-A has every reason to be proud of her.  

But although Adam's protest was maybe a bit "bitter" in the sense that he questioned how "Chick-Fil-A employees live with themselves"... He was also very polite and said "Thank You" and told the employee that she "deserves better" than what Chick-Fil-A can offer her...

Now - here's where the whole clucking thing gets deep-fried and battered and comes up as a big smelly ball of gizzards for the Tea Party.

Adam was fired for this...

Adam got fired from his job right after he uploaded the video to his personal YouTube account. The video wasn't made on company time and he didn't connect his off-the-clock actions to his employment on any level.

Adam worked for a medical supply company called the Vante Corporation in Arizona... It remained unclear how Vante knew about Adam's protest video so quickly and took such swift action against him within 24 hours...  But I am going to clear that up for you now.

Indeed, within 24 hours of Adam making his anti-chick-fil-a protest video, not only did he find himself out of a job, but he was stalked, bullied and cyberbullied by random people he'd never even met before.  Furthermore, in that same brief period of time, Adam's name and photo and personal email address were being blasted all over Twitter and even corporate press-release websites such as Marketwire and Business Insider...

This is the work of a Neo-Nazi "White Power" hate-group website called Stormfront.org... I will not link to the offending portion of their website for obvious reasons...  But I will show you a screenshot from their YouTube video re-upload of Adam's protest video...

On the website itself, users do not always take the requisite precautions to obscure their identities and their Twitter accounts as "Tea Party" activists are easily located by anyone who looks into such things. Stormfront.org was the first website to begin squawking and crowing (there I go again!) about their Chicken Pride Day success in getting Adam fired from his job at the Vante Corporation.

They had orchestrated the sabotage and were happy to log onto Twitter under their "Tea Party" identities (a friendlier face of hatred) and make sure that every "conservative" website was soon blogging about the "gay man" (not true in Adam's case) who had "assaulted" and "abused" an innocent Chick-Fil-A employee. Even Fox News has such a story... and it's been less than 48 hours since the event took place... However the real story here is how the story was fabricated by the Tea Party in conjunction with a Neo-Nazi website...

Another question remains... Will the Vante Corporation hire Adam back and admit that they have no business prying into the private lives of their employees to such a degree? Or will we forever suspect that Vante itself is somehow connected to Stormfront.org?

Update:  Adam has contacted me and admitted that his actions in the video are not his personal best - which is why he originally attempted to erase the video. 
Furthermore, I need to explain why I've copied both his video and Jackson's video for this blog post.  Under the "fair use" clause in copyright terms, these videos are both "newsworthy" and should now be considered "in the public domain" since they are part of and directly relate to an ongoing issue in mainstream news.
I am not attempting to claim that these videos are my own or that I have any right to use them beyond preserving/displaying them for their newsworthiness alone. I was not the first person to copy and display these videos and specifically Adam's video is one that he did not wish to have online anymore - since others have begun to edit the video in order to further harass him, I feel obligated to show the untouched version here to counterbalance that.  I do not attempt to make any money from these videos or connect their creators with the opinions expressed in this blog.  The facts and opinions expressed on Florida Squeezed are the author's own and are not necessarily endorsed by any other parties discussed or mentioned on this blog.  08/04/12  (Original blog post at 08/02/12)

Watch Adam's sincere apology to Rachel here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmP9Shki6_I
It also contains some very interesting information about the way in which he was immediately bullied at work over something that people ordinarily wouldn't even have known about so quickly...

Brazilian Cops Set To Win Child Macing At 2016 Olympics

Of all the horrific things in this world, photos like this one still catch my attention:

The 2016 Olympic Games are set to be held in Rio De Janeiro and guess who joined the Organizing Committee?
That's right - none other than Luiz Fernando Corrêa (former National Secretary for Public Security, former Federal Police CEO) has just become the "Rio 2016 Security Director" for the Olympics.

Please view these photos of police brutality in Brazil:
http://www.policebrutality.info/2011/04/police-officer-pepper-spray-women-and-children.html

Then send an email to the Olympics telling them that you don't want your children to get maced in the face if you decide to go to their games:
http://www.olympic.org/brazil

You can also make a big stink on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/olympicgames#!/rio2016

Then write a letter to the US Ambassador to Brazil (Thomas A. Shannon, Jr.) under our Department of State and express your concerns about supporting trade with a nation that has no respect for humanity:
http://riodejaneiro.usconsulate.gov/contact.html

On Planning and Executing a Political Demonstration

In Brief: This post describes how to think of protests and activism in ways that are beneficial to your cause. It is meant as a forward to the list of 10 ways to make your protest a good one.

Having taken part in dozens of political protests and demonstrations over the past 8 years or so, I have noticed some things that work very effectively and some things that just don’t fly. Particularly in terms of gay rights advocacy, there is a problem with a lot of our demonstrations and protests in that the persons who are most inclined to participate have not been armed with a solid understanding of the advocacy process. Furthermore, many people don’t even understand the issues at hand but they know they are angry and they know that there is injustice somewhere so they get involved before they are ready. Lastly, they fail to narrow their myriad of causes and issues down to one simple and effective message or goal.

My aim in this post, no matter what your political stripes, is to give you some advice on how to handle your protests, rallies and demonstrations in a way that encourages understanding of your point of view and doesn’t become a moment of contention between only you and your peers.


I have always believed that there is a secret understanding that political activists have of each other. This empathy extends even to their arch nemesis on the other side of the picket line. Political activists are very fiery, imaginative and independent people. They can be clever, even wickedly so… But they also have family and friends that they love and wish to protect. They are loyalists to an ideology but they generally have a modicum of respect for public health and safety. Two rival activists will often have respect for each other and sometimes even feel almost kindred, as though they might have been friends in another life. This is because both of them know what it’s like to be outsiders looking in… they are the rogue cowboys and Indians who battle over a new frontier ahead of all of their peers.

Most people don’t like to get involved with political protests – and they don’t always think very fondly of those of us who do. They are afraid that their boss will see them on the nightly news and fire them the next morning. In some cases, this is a realistic fear but in most cases, it’s very pessimistic and a little bit paranoid. Perhaps you will see your boss’s daughter at the event… and even on YOUR side of the issue! I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard naysayers reason that they can’t get involved because they have “real life” to contend with. Well, I’ve got news for them: We activists are the creators of their “real life” as it will be tomorrow. We are not “the sheep” even though that is usually the metaphor chosen to describe us by our nemeses.

Having said that, there is a certain amount of “herding” that goes into organizing a demonstration or protest and a good shepherd will not let his flock be embarrassed and sent home feeling unaccomplished. A person’s self esteem can be greatly enhanced or diminished after participating in political advocacy. We all have an interest in making sure that nobody (not even our so-called enemy) feels too bad about partaking in their American right to free speech.

I have put together this list of 10 Steps to Make Your Protest or Demonstration a Good One to use as a reference if you are just beginning your involvement with public activism.

10 Steps to Make Your Protest or Demonstration a Good One

In Brief: In this post, I describe some simple best practices when organizing a political demonstration, and help the reader to spot potential problems that may occur within their current structure.

To read my forward about why this list is so important and what's wrong with political advocacy today, click here.

1. Learn as much as you can about YOUR side of the issue. Too many people get all worked up about what other people are saying and doing. They don’t take the time to understand the facts and feelings put forth by their own side of the debate. For instance, in a gay rights rally, you will rarely find an advocate that knows how many soldiers have been discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.




2. Ignore the media. I know that might come as a shock to a lot of people because they believe in that old adage that “the media controls the message” but it’s simply not true. The media is lawless and crazy in America and they control THEIR message… which is often in stark contrast with what you may believe as a concerned citizen. The media will be impressed with your actions if they are interesting and well-planned but they cannot be counted on to side with you or even be compassionate toward your point of view. What’s MOST important is communicating to the people passing by in cars and those whom you can talk face-to-face with. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You can be more effective in changing one person’s mind through careful dialogue than you can by instigating thousands to react without reason.




3. Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.). There are certain events (like the National Equality March in DC back in October ‘08) where it is very effective to bring a number of similar issues together under one big banner. But most activism that a person can take part in will be on a much smaller scale with less funding and support. You need to pick just one small issue and tackle that. Narrow your message down to just one goal and go from there. For instance, if your idea is to “empower the religious community” then you are going to have problems because everyone has a different religion and they don’t want each other to be more empowered… But if you wanted to plan a demonstration called “Baptists for Repealing Amendment 2” then that could be far more effective.




4. Be nice to police officers and security. This needs very little explanation. These folks have a job to do and they don’t make the rules. You can’t let your fear of authority taint your view of the men and women who have been assigned to keep you safe. Sure, there is always that egotistical jerk that is just aching to use his or her taser but usually you are dealing with a regular Joe who just wants to make sure nobody blows anything up.




5. Leave your vanity at home. All too often a demonstration goes sour because some idiot wants to play king or queen for a day and turns your activities into a lime light for themselves. I have not yet found a way to get rid of these people but I know better than to become one of them.




6. Be tolerant of diversity but do not worship it. What I mean by this is that it’s ok if you and your peers all feel the same way about something and have a similar ideology. For instance, at a gay pride parade, you will see drag queens, circuit boys, political activists, religious leaders and sexual fetishes all displayed in the middle of the street. This is fine for a celebratory kind of environment but it does not send a clear message to anyone and does little to advance your philosophy on the national stage.




7. Bring at least one member of your family or a close friend with you. Do whatever it takes to convince them to participate. It will be a momentous experience that they can be proud of for the rest of their lives. I don’t know how I could function without the knowledge that I have been part of a movement of people who fought for what was right. I pity anyone who has never held a picket sign or a megaphone.




8. Figure out whether you’re participating in a protest or a demonstration or a rally. There is a major difference between protests and demonstrations. The term “protest” should only be used if you are specifically standing AGAINST the actions of a person, group, business or government entity. In that case, your motivation is to get them to stop their evil ways and you have more freedom to be angry and outrageous (as long as you’re abiding by the laws). In a protest, it is perfectly ok to use strong language and show that you mean business. But a rally or a demonstration is quite different because, in this case, the point is to advance your own cause. You will want to be pleasant and attractive. You will want to convince people to join you and identify with you. In the case of a rally FOR a cause, you will need the help of politicians and upstanding citizens who have reputations to uphold. The tone changes drastically when your motivation is to attract rather than to shock or scare. Both kinds of activism are valid and useful, but you have to know the difference. In my opinion, this is what failed with “the tea party movement”. They failed to decide whether their aim was to scare people or attract them. They weren’t clear in whether they were against Obama or rather FOR one of the many politicians who were involved. The combination of pandering and protesting did not mix very well in people’s perception of the movement.




9. Decide on your role and stick to that. In every engagement, you will need a person or committee (depending on your size) to handle one of the following tasks: Designing pamphlets and signs, a media contact or liaison (the person who most understands the issues), a visible speaker/leader, a host to provide beverages and moral support, sign holders, pre-event promotion, a transportation/RSVP coordinator and a couple of people who are willing to chip in for the costs involved.




10. Don’t let other organizers dilute your message and don’t do that to other people’s demonstrations either. Time and time again, someone will attempt to rally around an issue but it will get away from them and become something foreign and meaningless because of some type-A, egomaniacal opportunist who sees their cause as another chance to step in front of a camera for their own organization or self-promotion. You have to encourage supporters to get behind the issue because it’s important. Remind everyone of exactly what your mission is and thank them often for their participation. If you think that signs promoting another idea or concept are going to disrupt your message, don’t be afraid to tell someone nicely that you would rather they leave those particular signs at home. But you MUST have clearly legible signs with simple, catchy phrases or else it’s your fault if other people’s messages detract from your own. A protest sign should have no more than 8 words on it and be printed boldly enough that it can be read by a passenger in a car at least 40 feet away. And well designed literature like pamphlets, postcards and brochures are an EXCELLENT way to get your message out there without having to be a perfect spokesperson for your cause.

If there were to be an 11th rule here, it would be to expect steps 1-10 to fall apart before your very eyes no matter what you do. I have seen countless protests, rallies and demonstrations over the years and every single one of them has had its own unique flavor and set of challenges. The important thing is that you accomplish your mission or goal to some degree. If your goal is a realistic one, you have better chances. You must have a satisfactory outcome in mind when engaging in any political action. If your only motivation is to be a rabble-rouser, then you are what I call an "aww", a cute little acronym which I've coined to mean "angry with the world". Nothing can really be done for these people except to simply sigh in sympathy for them... "aww"...

Barring that, you must try to hold on to your dignity and sanity in the process. Political activism starts from a place of personal strife, trials and tribulations. From this anxiety is born a movement. But just because you put in the blood, sweat and tears does not mean that God, society or your local government is going to give a hoot. After the engagement is over, you will have to go back home and live with yourself. You must practice some acceptance of your friends, co-conspirators and even your opposition, because without them, you are reduced to being that crazy person who yells at traffic for no apparent reason.