A Brooklyn-based café is in hot water after publicly shaming a Jewish lawmaker.
The shop, Poetica Coffee, publicly shamed Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who is Jewish and supports the state of Israel, on its social media, lambasting the lawmaker as a “genocide enabler.” The café refunded Goldman his $9.82 purchase, claiming it doesn’t want money from “racists, fascists, homophobes, [or] genocide enablers.” The shop banned him from visiting in the future.
Critics immediately called out the shop for its brazen post, with many pointing out the fact that the café’s website states it treats every guest with “unconditional dignity” and welcomes anyone who patronizes the shop, without discrimination, because everyone who enters the business “deserves to be welcomed,” according to the New York Post.
Goldman, 50, spoke out after the post from Poetica Coffee started going viral.
The politician said he only entered the café because his 7-year-old daughter needed to use the restroom. As a sign of gratitude, when the barista allowed the child to use the bathroom, Goldman decided to make a purchase, including giving the clerk a tip.
“I am sorry to see this post,” he said. “The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me — allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything. I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved.”
When reached for comment, an employee at Poetica Coffee said, “No comment. We stand against genocide.”
Goldman’s political foe, leftist politician Brad Lander, who unseated him, said the coffee shop crossed the line.
“There are plenty of ways to lobby elected officials and express outrage at the votes they’ve taken without turning coffee shops into places people don’t feel welcome,” he said. “I’m glad Poetica took down their post, and I thought Rep. Goldman’s reply was extremely gracious.”
However, as of the time of this story, the post from Poetica is still on its Facebook page.
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