Earlier this month, Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue, whose headquarters are in Brookshire, a neighbor of Katy’s, went to the White House’s Rose Garden to discuss President Trump’s Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. This is an Executive Order by the President that seeks to increase economic and educational opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
Goya was founded in 1936 by Spanish immigrants, and Unanue has been the acting CEO of Goya Foods since 2004 and is also a believer in Christ. The popular food company has been a staple for household food items for many people across our nation (including myself) but is now at the center of a political firestorm.
At the White House event, Unanue announced that he would donate one million cans of chickpeas and one million pounds of other food items to food banks. In his remarks, he said:
“We are all truly blessed…to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder. And that is what my grandfather did, he came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper … and we pray, we pray for our leadership, our president, and we pray for our country.”
Within hours prominent Hispanic socialists like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former presidential candidate Julián Castro suggested boycotting their products and #Goyaway began trending alongside #BoycottGoya.
Hate commentators like Joy Behar of MSNBC and Ana Navarro of CNN piled on along with a few celebrity Hispanic chefs, and before you knew it, we had yet another full-blown political divide in our country.
But Unanue, in an interview with Fox News on July 10, said the criticism of his White House visit was “suppression of speech.” He said he had participated in an Obama administration event before and perceived this reaction as a double standard. He also said he would not apologize for his remarks:
“And, so, you’re allowed to talk good or to praise one president, but you’re not allowed, when I was called to be part of this commission to aid in economic and in educational prosperity, and you make a positive comment, all of a sudden that’s not acceptable.” Unanue added.
The good news is Goya Foods products have been flying off the shelves all across the nation in support of Goya Foods. But should we even have to do this in our politically charged environment? Isn’t it alright for someone to offer a praise of our President, or anyone else in society, without that person (or persons) being demonized?
Not only that, trying to destroy a company that employees so many people, especially Hispanics, whom President Trump is supposed to hate? The same people who preach tolerance are the most intolerant people who walk amongst us. It is not enough to offer an opinion on the matter, that person must be destroyed. Free speech only applies if you are signing the same chorus as theirs. Anything else is “Hate Speech.”
I think we should all follow in the footsteps of Unanue and not bow down to the altar of political correctness. If we do, who will defend you when they come for us?