The Puppetshow

When it comes to indignant rants, Arthur Pious Pope III gives as good as he gets, with the level of rhetoric defending his actions directly proportional to damage he's done. His recent response to the boycott of his stores is instructive.

Art Pope Response to NCAE Teachers Union Threatened Boycott of Pope Stores
I am shocked that the NCAE, North Carolina’s teachers’ union, would threaten the jobs of the thousands of employees at our stores, in order to further their union agenda. The NCAE teachers’ union’s call for a boycott of our stores is nothing but political extortion, to try and stop me from supporting Republican candidates and conservative organizations, and instead to try and force me to support the NCAE’s Democratic Party allies and left-wing organizations.

Last month I resubscribed to the Raleigh News and Observer after nearly three years of protest. Though I still consider the editorial pages the weakest link in their value chain, Zabouti helped me understand that having a subscription was part of my civic duty. Today, as a full-price paying customer, I recognize I have another duty as well - to call out the good, the bad and the ugly when I see it. This weekend's editorial pages offer an excellent case in point.