| Full disclosure: this one is going to get heavy. No judgment if you want to skip down to where you see some bold print, which will explain our new open hours and policies, and there’s a fairly serious tequila sale after that. Cheers. -JC “Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses.” – Rage Against the Machine Hello Free Rangers, So, the new Georgia Senators are black and Jewish, which is historic and amazing, and I’m profoundly sorry that John Lewis isn’t here to see this. But man, I really could also use his thoughts on the armed insurrection at the Capitol, the same day that the election was called for Jon Ossoff. I had planned to use this space this week to celebrate the GA runoff results, and then make fun of a particularly difficult customer from last weekend- for your amusement and my catharsis- before culminating in the usual weekly sale at the bottom, but events have darkened the landscape, and forced my hand. You know Watergate? The mother of all political scandals, over which the Republicans pushed out their own president? The crime at the center of that was breaking into an office in the middle of the night to steal some files, and the many ensuing efforts to conceal that quiet incident. Lots of people went to prison over it. What happened at the Capitol on January 6th makes Watergate look like a toddler pocketing some gum at the drugstore, and was the culmination of a singularly destructive presidency. Yet there were only a handful of arrests at the Capitol Building that day (though more are trickling in as the FBI continues to identify people and their rolls in the violence). Take a minute to let that sink in, while you reflect on the images and video that you’ve seen with your own eyes. Then pull up an image of what the Lincoln Memorial- a building with no people in it- looked like ahead of the Black Live Matters march. What happened January 6th in D.C. was allowed to happen. It was planned that way. According to elected representatives in the House, and a recent poll of registered Republicans, about half of the Republican Party is perfectly okay with what happened, though a number are feigning concern, in an attempt to mitigate damage to their own careers and paychecks. The most brazen of them are doubling down, hoping that the Orange Orangutan’s mob will become their own voting base, when they run for President in 2024. For the record, I’m an Independent, but register Democrat in NY, as it’s required to vote in Dem primaries, the only way one might elevate actual leftists in our current system (in this state). To be charitable, at least 1/3rdof law enforcement in this country is also perfectly fine allowing violent white supremacists to go along their way after committing felonies, which explains the videos of cops opening gates, waving the mob through, hugging, and taking selfies with rioters. And according to one Metro DC Police officer, the mob was peppered with off-duty police officers and members of the military who were flashing their badges and ID cards, en route to overrunning the Capitol. Many right wingers are now comparing violent acts of treason and sedition with non-violent Black Lives Matter protesters who risked their own bodies against the further police brutality, and impunity, over which they were marching. I’m of the belief that Zack, Tom, and the rhythm section were being charitable; A LOT of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses. This was a large conglomerate of Trump-ies and conspiracy theorists (to be generous), many of whom broadcast their own crimes, proudly, on social media, and continue to brag about their exploits in public right up to today. If lots of people don’t go to prison for this immediately, next time will be sooner than you think, and it will be much worse. Here’s the simple equation: the radical left wants universal healthcare, and accountability in law enforcement, the radical right (which is far more prevalent in their mainstream) wants white supremacy and authoritarian rule. False equivalence is a profoundly successful narrative for the Conservative Right. On January 6th, elected members of congress, and their staff, were forced to hide and secure themselves wherever they could; several of whom called loved ones, at the apex of the chaos, to say goodbye. Amongst many other disturbing incidents that day, an AP photographer was called Antifa, and was shoved over a wall. If you condone participation in a violent occupation of the Capitol, and causing profound trauma like that to public servants, or would support any politician who stoked the flames of this insanity, please unsubscribe now, and find a new place to acquire your delicious intoxicants. We don’t want your money, and you don’t deserve the bottled art we peddle. I get that people of different philosophies and political persuasions should be able to at least converse, but I draw the line at treason and sedition. There is no other side to this. To the rest of you, thank you for being decent, conscience people, and we look forward to co-existing, and continuing to share with you the finest wines and spirits of which we are aware. Regarding our open hours and policy changes: There was certainly a last straw customer interaction (tell you about that next time), but we’ve also been following infection and hospitalization rates, the emergence of new more contagious variants of the virus, and the rocky rollout of vaccines. So, much like England and Scotland, we’re officially on lockdown until at least the end of January. We’ve done our best to help you maintain some semblance of normalcy, as safely as possible, through the toughest year many have known, and now we need to take a few steps toward maintaining our own health, physically and mentally. Here’s what that looks like. Monday – Thursday will be pick-up only (order online), and regular (pandemic) in-store shopping hours Friday – Sunday: 1 – 8pm. Delivery is available every day, within five blocks of the shop, with a minimum purchase of $50. I hope I’ve made it clear how much the people on this list mean to us, to me, and to our little shop. God knows I’ve gone out of my way to alienate almost everybody else. While the vast majority of you (and likely everyone still reading) have been awesome and respectful, the exceptions to the rule, most especially the random walk-in population, have taken a toll on us that can only begin to heal if we close the door to them during the week. Those of you here with us, in the digital ether, will have more options, as we’ll gladly take your e-mail questions and requests, phone consultations, and you can even come shop in-person (on pick-up only days!) by making an appointment online, via the new reservation system that Derek just built. And of course, you’re always welcome to call with any questions: 718.643.2250 Drinks anybody? As most of you know, we only humor the clever branding when the juice is also really good. One of my favorite tasting (and branded) spirits of the last few years is the fictional to physical evolution of Silicon Valley’s Tres Comas Anejo Tequila. Sure, it’s branded by fictional character, Russ Hannemen, and is a one-off release by a giant multi-national booze conglomerate, but said giant faceless corporation bothered to source a really delicious single family Anejo from Jalisco. The juice has spent enough barrel time to begin picking up notes of rich vanilla, as you might expect in good Bourbon. We’ve had this one on the shelf since its release, but now the distributor is clearing it out, and we can offer significant discounts. We’re dropping the shelf price from $55 to $49, but click the link below to add bottles to your cart @ $37/btl! (!) click here to add a bottle plus coupon code(!) Tres Comas Anejo Tequila Sale: $37 Retail: ** This week only, as supplies last! ** * No other discounts apply.* Cheers, Jack Proprietor Free Range Wine & Spirits P.S. Free Range E-mail Archive |
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718.643.2250
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