The headline is shocking as is the lead in to apparently damning story at the Huffington Post.
Hobby Lobby Boycotts Jewish Hanukkah And Passover
Hanukkah comes early this year. But it apparently never comes to Hobby Lobby.
The national craft store owned by conservative billionaire Steve Green seemingly refuses to carry merchandise related to Hanukkah because of Green’s “Christian values,” and some Jews are taking offense....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/hobby-lobby-jewish-boycott-steve-green_n_4032295.html
Paragraph after paragraph are filled with comments by customers how outraged they are.... oh wait, these aren't customers but bloggers commenting on what they were told Hobby Lobby was doing....
“I will never set foot in a Hobby Lobby. Ever.” wrote Ken Berwitz, the New Jersey blogger who brought the Hobby Lobby Hanukkah flap to light in a Friday (Sept. 27) blog post.
Berwitz’s outrage has spread to other bloggers...
So where did this story start? Not with any official comment by Hobby Lobby, not with a statement by a leader at Hobby Lobby. No, the blogger claims one 'store associate' made the following comment:
According to Berwitz, one of the women asked about bar mitzvah cards, and a Hobby Lobby salesperson replied: “We don’t cater to you people.”
That's it. But what has Hobby Lobby itself said? Well, it appears the entire foundation for this article is a lie.
“Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. is currently working with our buyers over our merchandise selection. Our customers have brought this to our attention and we are currently evaluating our Holiday items and what we will carry in the future.”
So not only are they not boycotting Jewish Holidays, but are working with suppliers to stock the merchandise for the Holiday season. As for Hobby Lobby's opinion regarding the employee's statement.
Alleged comments made by employees are currently being investigated and will be addressed accordingly. These comments are in no way indicative of Hobby Lobby culture, the owners and the operators.
So Hobby Lobby not only is working on stocking the supplies the Huffington Post and the "Hopelessly Partisan" blog claim they are not, they reject the employee comment that was made. It is obvious there is no boycott by Hobby Lobby.
But why would the Huffington Post make up such a story? The bias shines right through in the Huffington Post article.
Green owns more than 550 Hobby Lobby stores nationwide, all of which are closed on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. He is also known for his lawsuit against President Obama’s health care law, which he says tramples on his religious liberty by forcing him to insure employees for medical services he objects to on religious grounds. Many legal experts agree the case has a good chance of landing at the Supreme Court.
Huffington Post doesn't even try to hide their reasoning behind this hit piece. We can only hope people will read past the dramatics to the real story.