Last night I walked into the County Market on Glenn Park to pick up a few groceries. The County Market bigwigs have been remodeling this store for a while, expanding their space, adding a coffeehouse and other amenities.
One of the first things that caught my eye when I walked into the new store was a giant poster stating, “We Value Family” above a photo of a typical, white, middle-class family: a mother, a father and two children.
Of course, my liberal sensibilities were immediately offended. “Hmmph,” I grunted. “What does this mean?” County Market values family? But what kind of family? From the photo I assume the worst: County Market values only white, middle-class families with both a mother and father.
Why did County Market choose to go with such a photo? Why not a picture of a black family? Or a Korean family? How about a picture of a single-parent family? Or a family that has two lesbian moms or two gay dads?
Why is it, here and now, in the twenty-first century, we still have to define family in such narrow terms?
It’s one thing to hear this narrow-minded view of what a family should be on some wacky conservative talk-radio show such as James Dobson’s Focus on the Family. But the nice thing about that show is that if I don’t want to hear it (which I don’t) then I can just turn off the radio or switch to another station.
But now I have to be bombarded with the conservative family-values agenda at the grocery store. I can’t turn off the grocery store. Though I suppose I could shop somewhere else.
But first I want to hear from you, dear readers. Am I overreacting? I admit I do sometimes have a tendency to get carried away with my zeal in wanting to rid the world of evil oppression. Perhaps it is just an innocuous poster after all. Shall I sheath my liberal claws and continue to shop at County Market? What do you think?
I eagerly await your responses.
I am,
Your Humble Heretic