Submitted for your consideration: Entrepreneurs in Ocean City, MD, and Albuquerque, NM, thought it would be a good idea to take a promotional free ride on the “Black Lives Matter” bandwagon. But they had no inkling of the nightmare they were getting into when they entered… The T-shirt Zone…
You can order your own ‘Black Olives Matter’ T-shirt online – if you dare!
‘White Lives Matter’
George Lamplugh works at the White Marlin Marina in Ocean City. He thought it would be fun as well as ecologically supportive to have t-shirts printed with the picture of a dead fish and the words ‘White Lives matter’. He also had shirts made in support of Blue Marlin conservation. He was immediately attacked from all sides.
Worcester County NAACP President Ivory Smith said, in an interview with CBS News: “Let me be clear, all lives do matter, whether they’re white or black, cop or civilian, fish or dog. However, we’re living in a time where African-Americans are suffering from a disproportionate amount of violence, and we do need to address that.“
Then Smith, coining his own version of a notorious Trump-ism, added: ““I wouldn’t be surprised if someone wearing these shirts got punched in the face.” Thereby, licensing all the low-IQ thugs out there to hunt down and bash t-shirt-wearing Marlin lovers. Okay. maybe that’s a stretch. But you’d think that someone running a NAACP chapter would be more diplomatic than that. Nevertheless, that’s off topic.
“Black Olives Matter”
Our main focus in this post is the t-shirt controversy spawned by an Albuquerque, NM, Pasta Parlour proprietor who authored a line of shirts for his staff that read ‘Black Olives Matter’, to promote a new menu item at his eatery featuring Tuna and – yes – Black Olives. He even put up a sign emblazoned with the slogan. But Rick Camuglia didn’t get the same response, overall, as George Lampugh did in Ocean City.
In fact, Camuglia told reporters, only a few people called him out for piggybacking on such a serious cause as Black Lives Matter. Mainly, he says, people supported his efforts. In fact, he told a local TV News reporter, ““People have filled the restaurant and told us to leave up the sign. That’s great, you know, because a lot of people make a living off working for this restaurant.”
When the story hit the media, supporters from all over the world called and e-mailed him seeking ‘Black Olives Matter’ memorabilia. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Camuglia commissioned a second edition of his now-famous t-shirts and offered them for sale to the public.
For the record..
I wish to state categorically that I believe a Cobb Salad cannot claim to be a REAL Cobb Salad unless it includes Black Olives.
Support your local Mom and Pop Pizzeria. Order a Large Special today! With Black Olives!
~ Maggie J.