New Jersey’s Monmouth County.Reports of a politically charged online watch list targeting local small companies have sparked backlash, controversy, and increased partisan tensions ahead of Small Business Saturday, sparking heated arguments that are still going on in Monmouth County.
The dispute started when a list of companies that allegedly publicly or privately backed former President Donald Trump was shared online, ostensibly to promote boycotts. Restaurants, contractors, and other local small businesses were apparently on the list. Even while the list has since been removed from its initial outlets, traces of it are still making the rounds in internet forums, which infuriates both supporters and detractors.
Members of both parties and other local leaders denounced the list’s creation. Echoing bipartisan pleas to avoid political targeting, a Monmouth County GOP lawmaker said in a statement that supporting local companies should be about fostering community, not dividing it. In addition to calling for unity, Democratic State Senator Vin Gopal has asked citizens to support small businesses regardless of their political beliefs.
Left-wing activists on Reddit are now accusing Gopal of being a sellout.
The list’s detractors contend that it unfairly singles out small business owners on the basis of their political views. In an online post in the r/NewJersey subreddit, a community member stated that although boycotting is one thing, lists such as this may rapidly result in harassment, doxxing, and threats, which is wrong.
The list’s proponents have defended it on the grounds that consumers have the right to make educated decisions about where to spend their money. To allow residents to make their own choices, one online commentator proposed creating a more comprehensive, unbiased database that lists companies with various political connections.
The question of whether MAGA supporters ought to create their own business ban list is being posed by another subreddit.
The discussion even went so far as to accuse local businesses of secretly supporting Trump by concealing MAGA materials behind their counters and to target people’s homes with Trump flags.
Following the dissolution of the radical Facebook group Indivisible Blue Two Rivers and the social media silence of local Democratic party officials associated with the organization due to alleged threats, radical left-wing Democrats on Reddit are attempting to create their own list of MAGA companies.
Since the boycott callers aren’t even their customers, many small company owners weren’t worried about the threats and boycotts.
One business owner in Monmouth County told Shore News Network, “These people don’t even have jobs.” Come, don’t buy from us. They are still unaware that when they boycott, they are promoting our company to the same people we hope to attract as clients.
As partisanship increasingly permeates consumer choices, this topic has garnered national attention and comparable discussions are taking place across the nation. While some contend that these boycotts hurt local economies, others view them as a valid form of economic freedom and expression.
A growing national trend of politicized consumerism and the difficulties it poses for small business owners navigating a more divided climate are reflected in the commotion in Monmouth County.
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