While we don’t know each other that well we have had conversations over the years and I’ve always thought of you as a reasonable person and share your passion and taste for cars. I have thoroughly enjoyed the TV series you did in Merida and was totally blown away by “My Brother My Hero”! Having worked in the Developmental Disabilities field for 45 years and having made more than 50 films on the subject myself, I can truly appreciate what you did. You have supported the Black Bear Film Festival for so many years and when I was a board member for 5 years I appreciated that.
Now, however, I find myself in a difficult position.
What you have done with the Milford Theater is just spectacular. You retained the flavor and history while making it even better! Sadly, I have seen my last film there this past weekend because you now own it.
When I entered the Tom Quick Inn after it was renovated it took my breath away, from the leather entry door to the bar and dining room to that beautiful front porch. But I’ve had my last meal there.
The Hotel Fauchere has always been a place to go for the Bar Louis and sushi pizza, one of the reasons I love Milford, but no more.
My wife and I recently had dinner at Laurel Villa and my wife told the hostess that it was the best Chicken Francaise she ever had! I’ve heard that Laurel Villa will soon become a Mexican Restaurant and both of us love Mexico and Mexican food...but that’s available at El Patron, Tequila Sunrise and Cinco De Mayo so we won’t be eating there either.
I have many family and friends who are Gay, Black, Hispanic, Muslim and Jewish. When I see you support the “Rod of Iron Ministries,” a cult that hates all of the aforementioned groups, worships AR-15 assault rifles, believes that Jesus created the AR-15 and spews messages of hate and violence in OUR community and when I see that you promote them by posting ads for their “Freedom Festival” at your car dealership, Milford Chrysler and displaying your logo on their on-line ad, I cannot spend my hard earned money in places that you own knowing that some of that money will go to “Rod of Iron Ministries” so they can promote more hate and violence against me and the people I love. And they call themselves a CHURCH! How do you think people who go to an actual church feel about that? What would Jesus do?
I see posters at your venues promoting for mayor, insurrectionist Lisa Emery, someone who is supported by Teddy Daniels, a person who intentionally labeled our current mayor, Sean Strub’s husband Xavier as Mexican when he is actually Puerto Rican. I believe Daniels did this to further promote trump’s false and racist statement made during the election that “Mexico is sending us their worst, murderers and rapists”. If you haven’t seen that interview, here it is: https://www.facebook.com/TeddyDanielsforCongress/videos/2845498125662930/
During the presidential election, Lisa Emery publicly disrespected, disparaged, demeaned and denigrated a community already divided, specifically making false and vile statements about Democrats, Liberals and Joe Biden, in a community that YOU YOURSELF ARE TRYING TO ENHANCE AND DEVELOP, with a display in her yard and on Broad street for all tourists and potential residents to see, people that you hope will patronize your businesses!. I can’t spend any money in your businesses that might go to her.
I don’t know what you are thinking and what you are up to and I realize that my wife and I are only two customers whose boycotting your businesses won’t make a dent in your profits but I can’t stand by and watch you contribute to the division already existing in this beautiful, diverse town, that I love and personally support in many ways by supporting people who hate me, my family and friends and want to destroy our government and electoral process.
You’ve made your bed Bill and its an uncomfortable one indeed. Things didn’t have to be this way but you made your choice. This is no longer about politics, its about community and the people in that community. Some people will follow my lead, others won’t care because they don’t see the big picture and I’m sure that if and when I send this letter to all the local papers and if and when it is published I will be roundly criticized for hurting your employees paychecks with my boycott and yet, even with that said, a group of wonderful, forward thinking people in Milford are trying to devise a way to help your employees financially, when business dies off in the Winter, without ever spending a dime in your businesses; how embarrassing will that be for you as a businessman but that’s the Milford I know, not your Milford. So Bill, as Superman would say, I’m confident that ‘truth, justice and the American way” will prevail over hate, lies and injustice and most of us will be better off for it.
Jerry Weinstock
Milford