“While all other responsible people have put their
life on hold, Hobby Lobby stores are still open in states that will allow it.
The chain, owned by the evangelical Green family, is refusing to shut down
no matter how much harm they could be creating for their employees and
customers.
“According to a letter posted on Reddit, sent by CEO David Green to all
employees and dated March 19, everyone is simply told they may have to ‘tighten
their belts’ during this pandemic.
“Of
course, Green won’t have to worry about tightening his belt. The billionaire
has enough money to pay for the Museum of the Bible and the fake artifacts inside. It’s everyone
who works for him who stand to suffer.
“That letter also
includes what I assume is meant to be ‘inspiration’ in the form of a voice that
his wife heard in her heart:
“‘In
my family, Barbara is the prayer warrior. Today, that title takes on such a different
meaning than I ever imagined before because we are at war
with this latest virus… In her quiet prayer time this
past week, the Lord put on Barbara’s heart three profound words to remind us
that He’s in control. Guide, Guard, and Groom. We serve a
God who will Guide us through this storm, who will Guard us as we travel to
places never seen before, and who, as a result of this experience, will Groom
us to be better than we could have ever thought possible before now.’
“Great. Everyone’s going
to be fine because Barbara had a [hallucinatory] dream. The
only press release on the store’s website regarding the outbreak offers nothing
but simple information about how the store is coping with COVID-19: ‘More
frequent store cleanings.’ That’s about it. Employees who show symptoms will
be asked to self-quarantine at home, though there’s no mention of people who
carry the virus without showing symptoms, and no mention of whether employees
will be on paid leave.
“While
the store may be closed in states where governors have mandated it, the chain
appears to be open everywhere else, creating the possibility that dozens of
people may be shopping there at once. Unlike grocery stores, it’s hard to make
the case that yarn and glitter are essential products in a time of crisis.
“Rather
than being proactive and safe, they’re being reactive and irresponsible. It’s
not surprising, either. This is the same chain that refused to provide
comprehensive health insurance for employees because that might allow them to obtain birth control.
“They
care about greed and God. They don’t care about their employees, and they don’t
care about the communities their stores are located in. If the virus spreads
because they’re not taking proper precautions, at least they’ll make a few more
bucks in the process.
“Hobby Lobby did not
respond to a request for comment for this article. Nor have they responded to
anyone questioning their decision on Facebook.
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