The business of fending off controversy

Allie’s in the cool season

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

Businesses, especially small ones, are usually better off avoiding politics. Allie’s, the well-known North Kingstown, R.I., donut shop, may have learned this in the past few months.

For a long time, it gave discounts to police officers (to be nice and presumably tending to ensure that it got better service if problems arose with nasty patrons, etc.) and military members.  But when the Black Lives Matter campaign started to get massive attention with the police killing of George Floyd, the shop rescinded the discounts.

Then came the heavily televised demonstrations (a few of which became riots) in some cities against police violence on Black people that also drew in the vague leftist blob called “Antifa’’ and far-right folks in a few cities. This outraged some Allie’s customers, especially Trump backers, of whom there are plenty in parts of suburban and exurban Rhode Island.  And so the shop has decided to hand out free donuts to customers who promised to hand them to police officers.

The shop’s actions show it with a finger in the air, trying to figure out what action will be the most popular or at least the least unpopular. I’m sympathetic! But they’ve now managed to alienate pretty much everyone with their gyrations. Still, the publicity has probably been good for business.

It’s all up to Allie’s, of course, but I think that the shop should treat the police like any other customers.  We love them, of course, but officers don’t need the savings; they are well compensated and retire early with big pensions and benefits. They don’t need discounted or free donuts, a delicious food that’s not exactly healthy, especially for people with heart disease, obesity and diabetes – which is much of the population.