At a Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, a few days ago, security guards confronted a man wearing a “Jesus Saves” T-shirt. He’d have to take off the shirt or leave, a guard told him–“because people have been offended” (https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2023/january/viral-video-mall-security-guard-tells-man-wearing-jesus-saves-t-shirt-take-it-off-or-leave).
The mall management denies this ever happened–but dudes, look, we’ve got it on video! Oh, well–we didn’t make him take off the shirt and we didn’t make him leave the mall… But you tried to, though, didn’t you?
Hmm… I’d be offended by a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt. Does that give me the right to get Herod’s Men to force someone to take it off? How’s about if the shirt says “Muhammad is the Prophet”? “Hey, security guard! Make that guy take off his Barack Obama T-shirt! I’m offended!” Waddaya think the response would be? But if the shirt says “Jesus Saves” (which He does–He can even save liberals), then it’s open season?
Mall rules, said the guard, ban “picketing, demonstrating, protesting or petitioning.” ‘Cause the mall’s private property, see? They can ban anything they want. But it’s also a public place! Public and private at the same time–enjoy the best of both worlds! (“Wearing that shirt is ‘soliciting’! Against the rules!”)
And notice that we never run short of Herod’s Men. They’re a renewable resource. If you need some, you can always find ’em.
Oh–and the mall’s customers aren’t “customers” anymore. They’re “guests.”
If we were as stupid as they think we are, we’d walk backwards and fall off the curb.
I’ve been in the Mall of America, once or twice. I was thrilled to leave it. There was talk of building another Mall of America, not far from here, which would mean that I’d sell when my property values spiked, and move to where I couldn’t see the smoke of my closest neighbor’s chimney.
The Mall of America does not strike me as a safe place, these days.
A clown world these days