Well, these guys lost my business. Pretty dumb move on their part.

[Fuzz]

So I like go garden and I try some new stuff every once in a while to see if it improves my crops, lawn, etc. I open my email box this morning and get this from one of the vendors I have purchased from in the past, but no more.

Here is the text:

___________________________

This is not your typical newsletter from Outsidepride.com, Inc. In fact, this is the first one in six years which is not business related. I apologize for cluttering your inbox with an unsolicited email; however you are free to unsubscribe just by clicking the link at the bottom.
I want to share with you my television viewing experience the other night on prime time television. I ask those of you who agree with me to go to www.cbs.com and go to the bottom of the page, click the feedback link and express your opinion. I know the vast majority of you will agree with me as all polls indicate. We are the majority, not the minority as the liberal media would lead you to believe.

My wife and I sat down to watch television the other night with our children. Cold Case was on which is normally a fairly enjoyable show to watch; however, the last half hour of the show dealt with a young man who wished he had asked his male friend to come with him (long story short). The show ended with the two men hugging and obvious intimation they had discovered their gay feelings towards each other. The very next show was Without A Trace. The whole last half hour of this show was about two lesbians who were struggling with their feelings of lesbianism. It ended with full acceptance from one father and the two lesbians making out. Yes, they were kissing right at the end of the show on public prime time television. So much for wholesome family television.

Now, I am NOT trying to bash homosexuals and I am not a bigot; however, I feel homosexuality is morally wrong and should not be "promoted" as what is the norm for society. Text books are being rewritten as I am writing this to "highlight" every homosexual who has made a contribution to society. There are teachers who have been asked to make sure students know that, "This person in history was a homosexual." History is being rewritten to promote homosexuality and prime time television is doing its best to make homosexuality a "normal" behavior. If homosexuality was the norm, civilization would have ceased to exist thousands of years ago. Procreation takes a man and a woman. There was Adam and then there was Eve, not Adam and Steve.

There are literally tens of thousand of you reading this email right now. If you are tired of the way public television is going let CBS know! It will only take about 1 minute of your time. Again, just go to www.cbs.com and click the feedback link at the bottom. It is time the majority speak up and not let the minority run this country. The majority can bring back the Christian heritage this country was founded on because it is, "In God We Trust."

Thank you for your time,


Troy Hake
President
Outsidepride.com, Inc.

______________________________

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Did you tell him you were no longer doing business with him because of

this email?

[cosmik debris]

8. Are you talking about this Outsidepride?

http://www.outsidepride.com/store/catalog/index.html

They also have a contact link where you can go to complain about homophobia.

ooops, I posted this in the wrong place. I hope I can be forgiven.

[Fuzz]

24. Yeah, that's the place

[Cronus Protagonist]

88. Hahahaha that was fun

I said:

"I know of a homosexual who uses your products....




yourself!"

[zanne]

2. Very dumb move.

And thanks for letting us know about the politics of Outsidepride.

[Heidi]

3. Good for you, Fuzz.

:kick:

[dipsydoodle]

4. Cheeky bastards

I've have dropped them a line to the effect "what is it about f*ck off you can't quite grasp"

[meegbear]

5. Never heard of them but I will NOT do business with them ...

thanks.

[matcom]

6. i love it when the first words out of their mouths is:

"I am not a bigot" :eyes:

[Nickster]

I was looking for the typical, "Some of my best friends are gay..."

They always seem to preface their bigoted statements by saying something like that.

[Mad_Dem_X]

42. ...Followed, of course, by "BUT..."

When someone says, I'm not racist/sexist/homophobic, etc. and follows it with "but," you know it's a lie.

ETA: I'm really getting sick of the word "wholesome." x(

[tsuki]

82. Right up there with "some of my best friends are." nt

[Cerridwen]

7. He is word definition challenged...

and doesn't know much about the people who founded this country and on what their ideals were based. I'd let him know that you will no longer do business with his company and why you won't.

big·ot n. One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

[TAPat]

9. My family sat down and watched those same two shows

and our response was that the end of Without a Trace was sort of silly what withh all the cops bowling a game...
As for the 2 women 'making out' they kissed - big effin' whoop.
Hope you gave them a piece of your mind Fuzz.

[unpossibles]

61. when my wife and I saw that, we remarked how refreshing it was

to see a lesbian couple kiss on TV and not have it be a big deal.

oops. I guess we forgot we were in the middle of Dumbf*ckistan.

[waiting for hope]

10. Troy sounds a bit paranoid

now doesn't he? What an ass - using his customer database to express his own opinion - and if he is just figuring out that Prime Time TV is not wholesome family television and hasn't been for some time, then I'd like to know what he does deem acceptable, Law and Order SVU? (or any of the Law and Order shows).. A show, while as an adult I find interesting, I wouldn't let my five year old see just for the violence and the context of perverted sexual themes. Or how about any of the CSI shows? Every one has a certain level of violence and gore - Perhaps one of the many nauseating reality shows where back stabbing and vicious attitudes towards competition are the norm. Put on the Disney channel for Christ's sake (oh yeah, Disney employs many people of the "other persausion":sarcasm:)....

[Wickerman]

11. I am not a bigot

:rofl:

good post, kicked and Recc'd

[gratuitous]

12. Don't forget to tell Mr. Hake why he lost your business

A gardening vendor who's a homophobic bigot! When he goes out of business, and that right soon, maybe he should get into hair care products so he doesn't traffic with quite so many homosexuals.

[Shipwack]

13. What? A company named "Outsidepride" is -not- gay friendly?

Plus, I am -so- disappointed by the fact that two women were kissing on TV, and I missed it. Of course, I am also disappointed that the two guys apparently did not kiss. :)

Last point, these shows did -not- occur on "public" television. PBS is public television... CBS is a commercial station...

[quiet.american]

52. Hello! That was my first thought. Wonder if he gets the irony? n/t

[wicket]

14. Cold Case is on at 9pm, Without A Trace is on at 10pm

Setting aside his other "issues" for the moment (not to mention his blatant bigotry), what makes him think that those hours are "family hours"?.

[stanwyck]

69. Good point. The entertainment industry

is under no obligation to dumb down their programs to please this guy who is "no bigot" (only, he is) who sits down "with the family" when he could be reading to his kids or talking a walk around the block. Plus, 10pm is a little late to have the kids up watching TV. Without A Trace wouldn't end until 11pm. So. If his kids are young, they should be in bed. And if they're older, the content of these shows isn't that disturbing.
Unless. You're a bigot. And he is.

[DireStrike]

15. Cold case is TV14, without a trace is TVPG

Does he have some problem with those ratings?

I'm writing to CBS to offset this asshattery a bit.

[Mad_Dem_X]

44. Right - why are his kids watching them?

I love how these idiots hide behind their kids to justify their own hang-ups.

[mccoyn]

16. That was stupid of him, even if he is correct.

Even if the minority of his customers are liberal, that could still be 40%. I bet he lost a lot of customers over this.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

17. What is he "correct" about?

MKJ

on edit: I sent an e-mail saying that I would not do business with his company, which is too bad, since it looks like they have a nice variety of gardening items.

[mccoyn]

49. Sorry, thats not what I meant.

I didn't mean to imply that he was correct, just that even if he was (as he believes) it still wasn't a good idea.

[fishwax]

46. correct? in what way?

[CanOfWhoopAss]

18. Never had my business and now never will. nt

[Iris]

51. Why? I mean what's so hard about NOT putting something like this out to

your customer base? People who work in offices and other businesses eat it every day at work.

[WilliamPitt]

19. Ah, irony

An email like this coming from a guy who runs "Outside Pride."

It is to laugh.

[IndyOp]

23. Exactly my thought. "Out" and "Pride" in his company name -

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

He's been working hard to steer his conscious thoughts and acts opposite true, frightening feelings as revealed in his company name.

[knitter4democracy]

20. Well, I wouldn't buy from him.

Not only that, but I'll take my business to the new garden center in town run by a wonderful gay couple everyone's just raving about. I have yet to get over there, but everyone I know says that they have the best place, the best prices, and the best service.

[YankeyMCC]

21. So I followed part of Mr Hate - er Hake's advice

I went to cbs.com and submited my feedback...I thanked them for the episode :)

[myrna minx]

22. I truly hope that you write to Troy "I am not a bigot" Hake

and let him know that he lost your business and why. I will send this out to my friends to make sure that they do not use their disposable income, homo cootie, librul media, commie, godless dollars to support his business. :grr:

[Fuzz]

27. I did just send off an email to let them know

I wasn't a huge customer, but I did order a few things from them. I wasn't mean or insulting, but they do know for certain why they lost all my future business.

[myrna minx]

34. Good for you.

Whenever I write letters like that, I'm not insulting either, but I want them to know exactly why they have lost my business. He has every right to spout his bigoted views, but to use his business email list was a foolish mistake. :hi:

[johnlal]

25. Typical Republican Christian

So, this guy usually sits down with his wife and children to watch Cold Case Files and Without a Trace? I've watched these shows before, too. They are gritty cop shows in the mode of CSI. These shows showcase graphic gore and violence. They have themes involving spousal abuse, drugs, alcoholism, you name it. But this guy's only problem with it is a couple of shows about homosexuality? Otherwise, the rest of it is fine family programming? What a wingnut.

[TAPat]

31. Agreed - That's what he had to complain about?

Plus a shameless kick so the word gets out on this and this guy gets "DUed"! :patriot:

[geniph]

62. That's the first thing I thought of, too

He's offended by two people being in love, two people kissing, but he's totally cool with his kids seeing graphic depictions of murder, torture, assault, etc.? What a FREAK.

I swear, you can't even parody these people anymore; they do that so much better themselves.

[waiting for hope]

26. Here's a juicy tidbit:

The Outsidepride.com Management Team:

Troy Hake, Co-owner. Troy has been the visionary and leading creator of Outsidepride.com. Troy has a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in health education. Troy served six years working in administration in the Army Reserves and has taught Computers I, Computers II and Health Education classes in local high schools. Troy had a strong interest in web design and becoming an entrepreneur. Working on farms from age 10 and gaining connections in the grass seed industry, gave him the vision of creating Outsidepride.com so customers such as your self could purchase high quality seeds at great prices.

Bridgit Hake, Co-owner. Bridgit has been working in agriculture for the past ten years in agricultural seed testing labs and with her father who owns Bailey Seed Company which is one of our local suppliers. She is on the board of directors which gives her extensive knowledge of seed companies and expertise in product quality and product knowlege which ensures that you will receive the best product and advice on your purchase.

Customers. Yes, you are a part of the management team. Your input is greatly valued and you are the reason that we are a success!

I encourage everyone who reads this to "take a minute" of your time and let them know that any future business from you is lost because of this email.....

Edit: Added this -

Privacy statement
We will never sell your email address, phone number, or any other information to a third party. We respect your privacy and the reason you placed your trust in our company by giving us your information. You information is simply used to process your order and update you if there is a problem with your order. You will never receive any other literature from us unless you place another order with our company. We will also not sell your addresses to any other companies.

[geniph]

64. He teaches Health in high school,

and he has that attitude toward same-sex relationships? That is a very, very Bad Thing to my way of thinking - because Health classes are where you teach sex ed and family relationship stuff. So this guy is passing on his bigoted ideas to high school kids, some of whom are really confused and unhappy about the mixed messages society gives them about their sexuality already? Oh, that's just fucking wonderful.

:mad:

[tuvor]

28. His shop's name sounds very gay-friendly. And I'll betcha...

...if it weren't for gay gardeners, he'd have a lot less business than he has right now.

[TAPat]

29. My message to Mr. Hake -

Mr. Hake:

While I am sure that you believe that you are NOT a bigot, you do sound like one.
I find your mass email not only highly misinformed but detrimental to your business. A great number of people who received, or heard about, your email feel very differently than you do about this matter and will choose not to do business with you - myself included.
I have contacted CBS and thanked them for those two particular episodes you mention, as my family watched them too.
Also, if I may, you may want to reconsider the name of your business as "pride" is a code word in the GLBT community - you may be doing business with actual gay people who were inadvertantly drawn to your site.

Sincerely,
*TAPat*

:patriot:

[Frustratedlady]

30. It appears he watched the show to the end...

as evidenced by, "The whole last half hour of this show was about two lesbians...".

Some of these people are really hung up and/or titillated by homosexuality, aren't they? Too bad they aren't as upset by pedophiles or rapists.

[guinivere]

77. lol

That's the best part. He was SO horrified and disgusted that he had to watch the ENTIRE show. :eyes:

Why wasn't his kid reading a book or something?

[oc2002]

32. Could it be a fake? not realy from that vendor?

that letter sounds like it was written by nut cases. You should verify it is from them, not some bogus mailing and let them know about it.

[NashVegas]

33. I Second This

Especially with that company name.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. He spent money to send this out?

good grief. The hate is just mind boggling.

He is also another of those idiots out there who have no channel changer for their TV. Poor babies.

[bbernardini]

36. Please keep us updated on any response you might receive! nt

[NoSheep]

41. Go to the website and bombard the asshole with your opinion!!

:bounce: :kick:

[Bigmack]

37. That's exactly the problem....

with the fundie, social conservative types. The can't imagine that anybody believes different than they do.

To them... everybody is white, Xian, straight, and conservative. Anybody is is just a tiny fringe.

We have the advantage of having the numbers rubbed in our faces all the time.... "over half believe Iraq had WMDs" ...."more believe in UFOs than in evolution".

[lukasahero]

38. These people considered "Without A Trace" "wholesome family television"?

Ok.

Thanks for the heads up.

[NoSheep]

39. I just emailed the company with this note:

Dear Troy Hake,

I just read the most amazing thing in your newsletter. Let me tell you, you have made a huge mistake with your homophobic rant. Why does another person's sexual orientation upset you so much? This is still a free country last time I looked. Yes, you have a right to speak your mind, but you've come across as batshit crazy. Is that what you want? A great part of this nation disagrees with your attitudes. Please, keep Church and Hate seperate. And mind your own personal business. I am determined to tell everyone I know NOT to do business with a you. This is out on the internet now. Imagine the numbers of people who will know what you've done. You are a hateful man.

[kiki]

40. DUUUH, MEN KISSING MAKE MONGO FEEL FUNNY. n/t

[geniph]

65. Mongo's pants feel very strange now!

[Atman]

43. Here's my letter...

"This is quite an unfortunate development. My wife is an avid gardener, and we're both big "outside" people, but I will post a sticky on my computer and send a copy of your newsletter to everyone I know -- "DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS HOMOPHOBIC, HATE-FILLED COMPANY." And I have a pretty big mailing list! Maybe I'll even post a little story about this on my own web site.

Good luck with your new marketing approach. Let us know how it works out for you. - RMcG"

[Nikki Stone 1]

45. That was the "Cold Case" where the MS victim became a serial killer

I had a hard time with that whole concept and with the evil expressed in that man's character. The love story between the two young guys actually saved the show for me.

"Without A Trace" with the lesbian theme was actually a really lighthearted (for Without a Trace!) and enjoyable show. The characters were sweet, the story absorbing, and La Paglia was hilarious, especially at the end when he puts a coin in the jukebox and gets Dean Martin's "That's Amore".

[Fuzz]

47. Wow, DU is hitting this guy hard

:)

I'll let you know of any updates should there be any.

[LanternWaste]

48. This guy should watch The Godfather--

This guy should watch The Godfather--

"It's not personal, Sonny. It's business"

Want to reduce your customer base? Advertise your politics.
Fastest, cheapest and easiest way to do it.

[porphyrian]

50. I commend him for putting his beliefs before his business.

Most businesses put generating cash first, so they are afraid to take a stance like this that will alienate such a large portion of the consumer population. While I don't agree with his beliefs myself, I do have to respect his dedication to Christian heritage over successful business. I bet he'll be in real trouble when he starts to love his neighbor, forgive all those who tresspass against him and condemn the republican party for starting and maintaining wars, repeatedly using deception without remorse, and not only ignoring the sick and poor, but making conditions so much worse that their numbers are increasing exponentially, all for personal gain. It's about time that Christian businessmen started putting their religion before profits, and I commend Mr. Hake for pioneering the effort.

[renate]

54. I hope you wrote that in an e-mail to him!

:applause:

[titoresque]

55. Great post! LOL!

You should send this to him! We all should thank the guy!

[theHandpuppet]

73. Is Christianity really a "heritage" ?

And all this time I thought it was a religion.

[porphyrian]

74. I guess that depends...

...on how you look at it:
http://christianitymeme.org/

[Iris]

53. I'd like to see the textooks that have been "rewritten to 'highlight'

every homosexual who has made a contribution to society."

[markbark]

56. Of course not...

There was Adam and then there was Eve, not Adam and Steve.

.....of course not, it would have been Adam and Steven
:P

[Fuzz]

57. No reply from them yet

And I'm probably not going to get one.

[blonndee]

58. There's a phone number listed on their website.

:evilgrin:

[readmoreoften]

59. I wrote them a reply and put my email as

[e-mail]

[dave123williams]

60. Ooooh - you're FIRED buddy.

[EstimatedProphet]

63. Wow! Good thing he's not a bigot!

Now, I am NOT trying to bash homosexuals and I am not a bigot; however, I feel homosexuality is morally wrong and should not be "promoted" as what is the norm for society.

Does this clown even know that he just wrote a bigoted statement?

[geniph]

68. "I am not trying to bash homophobes,

and I am not a bigot; however, I feel hate and homophobia are morally wrong and should not be "promoted" as what is the norm for society."

Oh wait, I am trying to bash homophobes. Not that this fellow needs any help; he's bashing himself quite successfully by putting his own foot right in his own mouth.

[pecwae]

66. I've purchased seed

from him many times in the past, at premium prices. That's most definitely 'the past' from this point forward. Thank you for this info and I will be mailing Mr. Hake as to why he has lost any future business from me.

[hatrack]

71. And whatever you do with that seed, DON'T SPILL IT!!!!

:evilgrin:

[Maraya1969]

89. I would gather every dead plant from every seed I planted and send

it back for a full refund, (remember Paul and linda McCartney did this with Gillette when they found out they tested on animals?) If you don't have a piece of the plant send in a piece of dirt from where it was planted. Figure out how much you spend and demand a FULL refund.

After all, if they really practice what they preach and they believe that gays should be excluded from CBS business then they should be excluding them from their business and NOT TAKING THEIR MONEY. Unfortunately we've seen all too often the money is just green enough to override the bigotry.

If it was me I would do it in a heartbeat. Let them put their MONEY where their tunnel visioned attitudes are and send it back to people who they outwardly try and hurt you and us and everyone in society.

[misternormal]

67. Foist of all....

CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX are NOT Public Television...

"If you are tired of the way public television is going let CBS know!"

They are commercial television stations out to make ratings and money... you watched the first 15min of a program, and you have a "Nielson box" ... you watched the whole show... Sponsors pay for the show to be on the air, and as long as the sponsors, and the FCC think a show is ok, it will air... Believe me.

That is why there are so many channels and a remote control... Don't like the programming, change the channel.

[treestar]

70. Notice that just having the gay characters on the program is

"promoting" it, whatever that means.

[ceile]

72. Here's the reply I got from them:

My letter:
I was alerted to your bigoted stance towrds homosexuals and have since told everyone I know not to purchase any of your products. I have also sent a letter to CBS applauding its sincere and honest treatment of homosexuality in its programs. If you don't like, don't watch it. Something to think about: people didn't like when blacks were first put on tv-should I call your company racist now, too?
Sincerely,

Their response:

Dear Customer,



Thank you so much for your opinion on our newsletter. We respect your passionate opinion on what will make our country a better place and did not intend to personally attack anyone. All people are created equal and deserve to be treated kindly and fairly.



We had a huge response from the email both positive and negative. Many of you pointed out that there are many immoral issues being displayed on TV and we would have to agree (war, violence, promiscuity, and so on). Many of you also stated you have a remote use it, this could be done and was however we also chose to take a stand and have taken stands before for other programming we felt was wrong for public TV.



Another issue that has been brought up is that God wants us all to love one another. We have many gay friends who are wonderful people and contribute a lot to this world.



Again, thanks to everyone who took the time to share their views and observations with us.



Outsidepride.com, Inc
[e-mail]
PH 877-255-8470
FAX [phone]

[Bluebear]

80. 'We have many gay friends '

Right.

[Fuzz]

83. Nothing for me. I don't rank I guess

:)

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

84. I haven't heard from them either.

I think I wasn't as creative as I could have been. Well, I'll be sending another e-mail from another ISP and really let loose.

MKJ

[Tsiyu]

90. what a hypocrite!

"We have many gay friends who are wonderful people and contribute a lot to this world"

we just want them all to hide their unnatural proclivities from us. And we don't want them to be able to die with dignity or to be able to provide for their partners. As long as they stay in the closet they are JUST WONDERFUL!


Gotta love that doublespeak, there. You don't discriminate against 'wonderful people who contribute a lot to this world." Not if you really care about them. You live in a nation where church and state are seperate and you live and let live.

Personally, I find this homophobe to be morally reprehensible. I believe this Outside Pride business should be shut down since it is owned by evil people who don't understand how to "love your neighbor as yourself."

[AlienGirl]

75. Good grief, how old are his kids?!

I don't let my kids watch murder-detective shows; the subject matter is inappropriate. I find it very disturbing that this freak considers gruesome crime details appropriate for his children, and simple gayness inappropriate. How screwed-up and sad.

Tucker

[Catherine Vincent]

76. I have never heard of this company.

He may lose business because of that email. If only he would have kept his mouth shut.

[pecwae]

81. I've only bought online

from him. Sells seeds, grass, cover crops, etc. Won't be buying again.

[bbernardini]

78. How much does it cost them every time you call their 877 # and hang up?

Not that I'm advocating such a thing, of course. Just wondering. :evilgrin:

[alfredo]

79. So the violence is OK for your kid, but love is not.

[wildflowergardener]

85. Me too

Yes - I got that too. I unsubscribed.

Uh - my boss is gay (not that I told them that in my message)- not a smart move if you want our business - though I don't think he saw it anyway - it offended me. I sent them a message at the contact place saying that they'd lost our business and how sick I was of them trying to force their prejudiced opinions on others.

Meg

Editing: I started to wonder later if someone could possibly be targeting them - given their name, but then after reading the reply they sent to someone above, I guess not. I did not give a valid email address when I wrote to them because I didn't want to get any more of this type of mail from them.

[Truthiness Inspector]

86. Very stupid.

If people wanted political commentary and proselytizing, they would get it from the appropriate sources not unsolicited emails from a gardening business.

I looked at the site, and you'd think they'd have an announcement since they emailed that out to their customers. Or maybe they got such a negative response that they pulled it?

[bluethruandthru]

87. Someone needs to tell Troy what "public"

television is! Gee, I didn't realize our country was founded on Christianity! Troy needs to let the liberal mainstream media know that he wants good Christian stuff on TV. No more damn homos...but Jesus is okay with war, rape, pedophiles, torture, gang violence...oh, and pro-wrestling! SHEESH!:sarcasm:

[Swamp Rat]

91. Hey Troy Hake, you fucking bigot!

I hope you lose business because of your unsolicited hate-mail!

[Blue_Tires]

92. mmmmm....Kathryn Morris!

:loveya:

[Selatius]

93. He is against tolerance of homosexuals. He is a FUCKING BIGOT.

The fact that he is offended at the idea of promoting tolerance speaks for itself. A person can disagree with something without attempting to strangle it and make it disappear. That's just authoritarian. If I don't like you, that doesn't give me the right to throw you in the basement and keep you there so I no longer have to see you in the daylight. This is what he is attempting to do by forcing tolerance off the air.