Dear Jennifer Boyle,
The other night as I was on Facebook about to go to bed, I saw an article title with your name on it, claiming that a "racist Trump supporter" freaked out at some store. I thought, "hm, must be a liberal article trying to make Trump look bad." What made me click on the article anyway, I have no idea, but I really wish I hadn't.
Now like I said in a previous article, I'm not very political and really didn't take a side in this year's debate--probably because I wasn't a big fan of either candidate. So, this article is not one that has to do with politics. This has to do with the absolutely disgusting actions of you at two different stores because you feel you are better than others.
For those of you who haven't seen the video or heard of Jennifer Boyle, feel free to view the two videos and read the article here. Now that you've seen it, you're probably just as enraged as I am.
It shook me to my core to see a woman stand and talk to other people in such a demeaning and horrendous way. Tears honestly built up in my eyes and my stomach hurt after hearing the things she was saying to the hard working people at the store, and customers as well. I didn't understand how someone could hear that an employee was having a bad day because her father passed away and not feel empathy instead of anger. I didn't understand how someone could call a random stranger's baby ugly, or make allegations about her husband.
I was horrified that she felt she needed to call the cops on these people who were doing no wrong whatsoever, that she felt the need to scream on the top of her lungs and disrupt the store to get her point across--whatever that must be, that she felt the need to threaten the store's life by calling their headquarters (which she threatened in both videos), and that she felt the need to insult people time and time again, even implying that the manager at the coffee shop was gay and saying a derogatory name towards him because of that.
The worst part of all of this, was that she was from my own backyard in Chicago. I feel like sometimes when we see these things, it's easy to think that if it's far away it's due to a cultural difference, or that the people YOU know and surround yourself with don't feel or act this way. However, this lady being from Chicago is proof that your neighbors can be these people. Your co-workers, or family member, or friends can be these people.
This lady talked about voting for Trump, but this is NOT a political issue. Trump supporters are not all defined by this woman, and she is not this way because Donald Trump won. These are acts of someone who was not raised right, who was never taught how to treat others, and is a reminder to everyone to be nicer.
After seeing this, the next morning I smiled at people more on the street, I had a conversation with the person who checks my ID at the gym, I did my best to spread love and happiness to whoever I encountered. I found Jennifer Boyle as a reason to be a better person, and I feel that you all can do the same. Don't take this experience as a way to join in on hate, or to bash Jennifer--as much as she deserves it. Instead, let it motivate you to be the opposite of her, and to treat people with even more respect than you already do.
Jennifer Boyle, you took too much out of my day by letting me get upset for even ten minutes. I let that boiling blood turn into something positive, and I will use you as a reason to be a better person. So even though I refuse to thank you for your petty, disgusting, un-excusable behavior--your negativity has driven me to shed happiness and respect louder and stronger than ever before, and I encourage everyone else that is angry to do that too.
