There used to be a time when running a small business meant providing decent goods and services while establishing trust with the community. But this is 2015 and the small business is quickly going the way of the buffalo thanks to the large corporations, so people either need to nut up and figure out a way to do it better, or simply sink to the bottom. Or there’s always Door No. 3. You know, jumping in on the hot button issue du jour, investing your two cents in some good, old public outrage and earning $842,000 for your troubles.
Now that Memories Pizza in Indiana proved that saying something controversial can lead to big bucks, other small business owners around America are sounding off on whatever has their balls in a bunch with the hopes that crowd-funding can do the same for them. For example, an unlicensed mechanic in Michigan was counting on the generosity of others to keep his business alive after he said he wouldn’t repair a gay person’s car, that is until GoFundMe supposedly killed it. But a Flemington, New Jersey deli owner named Jimbo Boggess has taken begging for free money to a whole new level.
Jimbo recently made the decision to hang a sign in the Main Street Deli’s window that read: “Celebrate your white heritage in March… White History Month.” I know, I thought this was a bad joke, too, but according to the Hunterdon County Democrat, Jimbo’s plight is real. So real, in fact, that he established a GoFundMe page to keep his deli in business after people were somehow upset about his WHITE HISTORY MONTH sign. I mean, can you believe it?
Hi, my name is jimbo, I have a deli in Flemington N.J..On march 1st I hung a sign in my deli window saying, “Celebrate your white heritage in march, White History Month”. If you haven’t heard of this story and you want to read about it ,just google Flemington white history or go on YouTube and search White history month. Anyway, it went crazy for four days and then I had to take the sign down for various reasons. It was only supposed to be a white thing but people read more into it than that. I did get tons of supporting letters from all across the USA. Which was very comforting during such a stressful time. Then the bottom dropped out and customers were no longer coming into my deli, and now I am forced to close down my Deli and lose my American dream. I have become heavily in debt and getting shut off notices from everywhere for both business and home. I don’t think I deserve this just because I wanted to be proud of being white and be able to celebrate my heritage like everyone else does. If you read this , please leave a comment and what state your from so I can see where my support is coming from. Thank you for all the support and. I WILL stay strong and hope to find a job .
Thank you
Jimbo Boggess
What is truly amusing about Jimbo’s GoFundMe page is that his target goal was $1. Basically, this guy just wants some money if you’re willing to fork it over for nothing in return. In four days, people have donated $215, so it’s a far cry from the small fortune that the pizza joint owner received for not catering a hypothetical gay wedding. But the support for Jimbo’s stupid right to celebrate White History Month is there, because Keith Stewart donated $5 and wrote:
Everyone should be allowed to be proud of their race. I’m sorry that people believe being proud of being white is wrong.
Gus Philpott, who donated $25, really laid out the double standard of Black History Month to support Jimbo’s quest for equality:
Jimbo, I am continually shocked at how social media can destroy a business or a person and how the bigots and racists come out of the woodwork and are able to grab enormous attention. Maybe we should picket BC’s Fitness and complain to the police about the smell and activities within his business that threaten Flemington. Curtis has given Black History Month a black eye. We whites don’t “get” the other 11 months without laying claim to them, as you tried to do. I detested the idea of Black History Month, when it expanded in 1976 from a Week. Next “they” will want Black History Quarter and Year. Take the next two weeks and write a book. Then get on radio talkshows and talk about what racism and bigotry are doing to this country. Your book will sell, and you’ll earn good speaking fees.
Meanwhile, a lot of people have been stopping by the page to comment and let Jimbo know that they strongly disagree. Some even pointed out an interesting fact that the Main Street Deli wasn’t doing so well and that this is simply a timely cash grab by a guy who might have watched the news recently. That led to this revealing update by Jimbo this morning:
Yes, you guys are right, the store wasn’t doing good before the sign was posted. But it was doing good enough to keep the store open . After the sign was posted I started only ringing up 23 to 40. Dollars a day . Couldn’t pay march rent or utilities , then April came and I didn’t have the money for April either . I barely rang enough money to purchase things to sell like eggs coffee and rolls . Then I got my eviction letter and shut off notices ,so sorry if you don’t understand my situation.
Funny how things all went to hell right around the same time that sign hit the window. But at least Jimbo was able to pose with a new friend to show us all that he didn’t mean any harm with his racism.