It’s election day in United States, a glorious time when Americans get to hire and fire a bunch of public servants. The 2016 presidential election has been astonishing. The campaigns have easily been the angriest and most divisive that I’ve ever seen. There are strong emotions coming from the supporters of both major-party candidates. Whether you care about politics or not, I’m certain that some of those emotions have crept into your life. As a vaper, I was wondering if the election has had any influence on your vape life. As for me, there’s one modder and one retailer that I’ll no longer buy from due to politics.
But First, A Little Background
Let me give you some background first. I’m a mildly informed consumer. I tend to do research on some of the companies that make the products I buy and almost always neglect to research retailers. I know enough that I don’t want to buy from Walmart or eat at Chick-fil-A, but for the most part, I’m more ignorant than aware of the behaviors of the companies that affect my life.
Politically, I’m a registered democrat. I’ve voted for candidates from both major parties, Green Party candidates, and independents. I’d classify myself as having progressive beliefs socially and center-left views economically. I do think it’s important for America to have at least two healthy parties and am concerned about the schism in the Republican Party. While I disagree with many conservative views, I respect them and believe that opposing points of view are absolutely necessary.
Meet the Modder and Retailer
Now that all of that is out of the way, let’s talk about the modder that I’ll no longer be buying from. He’s an ardent Trump supporter. I don’t have an issue with that at all. If you have conservative economic and social values then there are legitimate reasons to support Trump as a candidate. I get that and respect that. However, the modder has reposted several Trump-related articles and graphics that are anti-gay, anti-Muslim, and anti-Latino. There’s no reasonable way to view those posts as anything but hate. While I don’t wish the modder any harm, I don’t want to support him with money.
As for the retailer, he runs a small vape shop in a red state. He also does some online sales. Recently, he wrote a lengthy and passionate post on why he’s supporting Trump in 2016. The core of it was that Trump represents the values of hard work the he believes in. I had to reread it several times to make sure it was real. While Trump is undeniably successful, he was also born with every opportunity and given millions of dollars by his father. I don’t see how he represents “hard work” at all. In this particular case, I will no longer be supporting this retailer because I feel uncomfortable giving my money to stupid people.
Politics, Vaping, and You
I suppose that it’s more of the social aspects of politics rather than actual ideologies that are affecting my vaping purchases. As I said, I respect opposing points of views and believe they’re necessary in politics. When politics results in hate and stupidity, it’s unfortunate. I can’t support a modder that posts hateful Trump-related propaganda. I don’t feel comfortable supporting a vape retailer that’s voting for Trump due to idiotic logic. How do you feel about politics affecting your vape purchases? Is it a factor for you? Or is it a non-issue? Should it even be part of the equation? Please leave a comment below and let me know. And just to end things on a lighter note, here’s one of my favorite videos about personal politics and business.