Bad for business?
Williamsburg Market received quite a bit of feedback on the decision to pause operations this past Saturday (March 28) to show support for the No Kings rally. This rally refers to our constitutional form of government, set up by our Founders so that we’d be a nation ruled by laws. Many people have said it’s “bad for business” to take a stand on politics. That idea might make sense if the economic system would remain steady regardless of what businesses did. We are not in that situation right now.
Before running the Market, I was fortunate to have many diverse experiences in business, starting my career at GE 40 years ago. I have worked in large and tiny companies with customers across the U.S. and around the world. I have been in charge of sales for large corporations, importing and exporting products subject to tariffs. I have helped set up manufacturing lines in South Carolina, Wisconsin, California, England, and China.
To a person who would say it will be “bad for business” to stick my neck out by closing the store for two hours to stand up for our Constitution, I say:
What’s bad for business is seesawing tariffs and cost confusion.
What’s bad for business is the chaos that ICE is causing for the farm and food production workforce by detaining even documented workers and citizens in their dragnet.
What’s bad for business are soaring energy prices.
What’s bad for a small business is unchecked monopoly power in the hands of a few rich men.
In short, a failed democracy would be bad for business. Furthermore, what’s good for profits is not the only concern. We must consider what’s right and what’s wrong — for instance, murder, seizing territory, lying, etc.
Businesses thrive in the U.S. because of the rule of law, not in spite of it. Our nation has been successful because it invests in the common good and the rights of individuals.
If supporting the No Kings rally — which calls for due process, rule of law, and constitutional checks and balances — sounds like a risky political statement, then that confirms for me the need to support it.
Stephen D. Smith
President, Williamsburg Market Inc.