Transcript of part two of the Jerry Bader Show, with Jerry talking about Roxgate. This includes a call-in from another member of our group of six who was there that night.
Jerry: I find this story nothing short of fascinating, and even though it happened in Pewaukee, in Waukesha County in suburban Milwaukee, I think it has implications statewide. Because there is this mindset that rules in Wisconsin that you actually don't have the right to express your opinion about Scott Walker -- if you support him. Now, understand, a private business has a right to do whatever they want to do. In fact, if they want to tell you, "You know what, we don't like Scott Walker, get out of here" -- not smart -- but they do have the right to do that. They have the right to have a policy.
I don't believe they have a policy. I've seen pictures online. There's no sign saying "No politically expressive attire in this establishment." There's no sign at all. So they let this group of six spend money. The six of them, they buy two rounds. They tip. The doorman says, "Don't come back with that pro-Scott Walker t-shirt. The owners wouldn't like that." If you were the owner of an establishment and this occurred, what would you have done? You grovel. You apologize. What do they post instead? "As the owners of the Rox Bar & Grille, we are quite sensitive to the fact that Wisconsin is a place where political passion runs high. We respect the rights of our patrons to believe and discuss what they choose. We do ask, however, that they do not advertise these political beliefs in any form (including distributing pamphlets or wearing politically affiliated clothing). We are neither pro-recall nor pro-Walker--" Now let me just stop there. Do you know anyone in Wisconsin who is neutral on this recall? My dog isn't neutral on this recall! I'll bet you if she could speak, she would have an opinion. Give me a break. Again, they have the right to do this. But to take money and then say, "Get the hell out of here and don't ever come back here with that shirt on." They didn't say it like that, but you know what I mean. Gina in Milwaukee, Gina, hi, you're on the Jerry Bader Show.
Gina: Hi, how are you today?
Jerry: Good.
Gina: I just wanted to say that they should tell you before you go into the business, not afterward. [Gina shares Santo's sentiment from part one that it's ridiculous to take money and then express the "policy".]
Jerry: Anyone who thinks they have that policy is an idiot. They don't have that policy, in my opinion. This is damage control. And it is some of the worst damage control, Gina, that I have ever seen.
Gina: They should at least apologize. You know, "I'm sorry for the way you were treated." It's just ridiculous.
Jerry: But instead, what they did is defended the doorman. That's what they did. They defended the doorman. What they should have said -- you know, these are liberal owners of an establishment in a very red area -- this is one of the most amazing things that I have seen. And again, if I owned a bar and someone walked in with an Obama t-shirt, I would reprimand the doorman and perhaps fire them. You pay your money-- and again, it's their establishment. They can do whatever they want. I don't believe they really have this policy. Heather says she was with Santo, and I believe her because I tried to reach her on Facebook but, Heather, you have it set so you can't send messages to you.
Heather: No, I'm locked up.
Jerry: [laughs] Heather, go ahead.
Heather: I just wanted to back Santo up. We walked into the establishment, and there were plenty of times when they could have said something before we really got in there. Obviously, as you've seen with the pictures, there's nothing stated. We went in. I think one person was drinking water, but the rest of us just had a couple drinks. It wasn't really any political discussion. We were just having a good time. By then, we were exhausted.
Jerry: Now, what I didn't realize until we talked to Santo -- it was near closing time and there was hardly anyone in there, right?
Heather: That's correct. There was nobody in there. I mean, there was one table that had a couple of girls. Other than that... I mean, it's a large establishment, so there could've been a couple of people on the other side. But it was really quiet. We were playing the juke box; that was about the only music. You know, feeding it with money.
Jerry: Here's what's amazing to me, Heather, that this would happen in an establishment -- and again, it's a private business, they can do whatever they want -- but that they would post that, basically defending the actions of this guy, saying, "We'll take your money but don't ever come back here with that shirt on." I asked Santo, so I'll ask you. What are you looking for from Rox's?
Heather: Actually, the funny thing is that I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. Like Santo said, we don't want to hurt a small business. So, it was a doorman that expressed this, so I called, and I knew that the owner was there and the manager, because I was told that they were. And I was told, "You know what, we'll give you a call right back. One of them will call you back. And that was fifteen hours ago. A call back would have been appreciated. What the posted on their Facebook wall was a ridiculous -- that was not an apology. That was not an explanation. And they backed up the doorman.
Jerry: Yeah. And you know what's my favorite part of that, Heather? "We are neither pro-recall nor pro-Walker." Honest to God--
Heather: I don't believe that.
Jerry: Do you know anybody who is neutral on that, Heather?
Heather: No.
Jerry: Come on! To not have an opinion on that, you would have to not have a brain.
[Any errors in the transcript are mine.]
To see part one of the transcript, click here.
Jerry: I find this story nothing short of fascinating, and even though it happened in Pewaukee, in Waukesha County in suburban Milwaukee, I think it has implications statewide. Because there is this mindset that rules in Wisconsin that you actually don't have the right to express your opinion about Scott Walker -- if you support him. Now, understand, a private business has a right to do whatever they want to do. In fact, if they want to tell you, "You know what, we don't like Scott Walker, get out of here" -- not smart -- but they do have the right to do that. They have the right to have a policy.
I don't believe they have a policy. I've seen pictures online. There's no sign saying "No politically expressive attire in this establishment." There's no sign at all. So they let this group of six spend money. The six of them, they buy two rounds. They tip. The doorman says, "Don't come back with that pro-Scott Walker t-shirt. The owners wouldn't like that." If you were the owner of an establishment and this occurred, what would you have done? You grovel. You apologize. What do they post instead? "As the owners of the Rox Bar & Grille, we are quite sensitive to the fact that Wisconsin is a place where political passion runs high. We respect the rights of our patrons to believe and discuss what they choose. We do ask, however, that they do not advertise these political beliefs in any form (including distributing pamphlets or wearing politically affiliated clothing). We are neither pro-recall nor pro-Walker--" Now let me just stop there. Do you know anyone in Wisconsin who is neutral on this recall? My dog isn't neutral on this recall! I'll bet you if she could speak, she would have an opinion. Give me a break. Again, they have the right to do this. But to take money and then say, "Get the hell out of here and don't ever come back here with that shirt on." They didn't say it like that, but you know what I mean. Gina in Milwaukee, Gina, hi, you're on the Jerry Bader Show.
Gina: Hi, how are you today?
Jerry: Good.
Gina: I just wanted to say that they should tell you before you go into the business, not afterward. [Gina shares Santo's sentiment from part one that it's ridiculous to take money and then express the "policy".]
Jerry: Anyone who thinks they have that policy is an idiot. They don't have that policy, in my opinion. This is damage control. And it is some of the worst damage control, Gina, that I have ever seen.
Gina: They should at least apologize. You know, "I'm sorry for the way you were treated." It's just ridiculous.
Jerry: But instead, what they did is defended the doorman. That's what they did. They defended the doorman. What they should have said -- you know, these are liberal owners of an establishment in a very red area -- this is one of the most amazing things that I have seen. And again, if I owned a bar and someone walked in with an Obama t-shirt, I would reprimand the doorman and perhaps fire them. You pay your money-- and again, it's their establishment. They can do whatever they want. I don't believe they really have this policy. Heather says she was with Santo, and I believe her because I tried to reach her on Facebook but, Heather, you have it set so you can't send messages to you.
Heather: No, I'm locked up.
Jerry: [laughs] Heather, go ahead.
Heather: I just wanted to back Santo up. We walked into the establishment, and there were plenty of times when they could have said something before we really got in there. Obviously, as you've seen with the pictures, there's nothing stated. We went in. I think one person was drinking water, but the rest of us just had a couple drinks. It wasn't really any political discussion. We were just having a good time. By then, we were exhausted.
Jerry: Now, what I didn't realize until we talked to Santo -- it was near closing time and there was hardly anyone in there, right?
Heather: That's correct. There was nobody in there. I mean, there was one table that had a couple of girls. Other than that... I mean, it's a large establishment, so there could've been a couple of people on the other side. But it was really quiet. We were playing the juke box; that was about the only music. You know, feeding it with money.
Jerry: Here's what's amazing to me, Heather, that this would happen in an establishment -- and again, it's a private business, they can do whatever they want -- but that they would post that, basically defending the actions of this guy, saying, "We'll take your money but don't ever come back here with that shirt on." I asked Santo, so I'll ask you. What are you looking for from Rox's?
Heather: Actually, the funny thing is that I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. Like Santo said, we don't want to hurt a small business. So, it was a doorman that expressed this, so I called, and I knew that the owner was there and the manager, because I was told that they were. And I was told, "You know what, we'll give you a call right back. One of them will call you back. And that was fifteen hours ago. A call back would have been appreciated. What the posted on their Facebook wall was a ridiculous -- that was not an apology. That was not an explanation. And they backed up the doorman.
Jerry: Yeah. And you know what's my favorite part of that, Heather? "We are neither pro-recall nor pro-Walker." Honest to God--
Heather: I don't believe that.
Jerry: Do you know anybody who is neutral on that, Heather?
Heather: No.
Jerry: Come on! To not have an opinion on that, you would have to not have a brain.
[Any errors in the transcript are mine.]
To see part one of the transcript, click here.
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