The Hug That Lifted A Nation: Stand Up Against the Boycott of Scott Van Duzer

Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 02:10 am

Scott Van Duzer is an all around good guy. He’s now famous for giving the best hug of the campaign to President Obama, indeed lifting him off the ground in joyous excitement. But before that, the owner of Big Apple Pizza & Pasta Restaurant in Fort Pierce, Fla. started a foundation to assist families and individuals experiencing financial and personal hardship called the Van Duzer Foundation.

Now his business is being targeted by very angry Republicans.

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Here’s Scott talking about the hug:

Our 6’2″ President Obama said of the hug, “The guy’s just got a big heart, along with big pecs.”

The entire reason Obama stopped by Scott’s restaurant is because Scott, a registered Republican, has set records for donating blood. Obama said of Scott, “Here’s an example of somebody who is doing well, but he’s also giving back. So we just want to say how proud we are of him. I still wonder how he got these biceps, but what we know is that the guy’s just got a big heart along with big pecs. So we’re very proud of him, and we just want to say thank you for all the great work.”

Scott’s hug was a feel good moment for the nation, but angry Republicans are acting as if Scott funded taking away their rights (Chick fil-A), when all he did was show his excitement over meeting their President. It’s almost as if Republicans aren’t Americans anymore.

They’ve attacked Mr. Van Duzer’s Yelp Page and he says they’re boycotting him.

While Scott is a registered Republican, he did vote Obama in 2008 and says he’s looking forward to voting for his President again, “I don’t vote party line, I vote who I feel comfortable with, and I do feel extremely comfortable with him.”

Is it such an offense for Scott to hug the President of the United States that he deserves to by boycotted for it? In what way did his joy interfere with Republicans’ rights or infringe on their lives? No American deserves this kind of unhinged backlash for liking the President of the United States, and frankly, it looks like political harassment and intimidation as it has nothing to do with Scott using his business to fund something they don’t agree with.

Republicans are all for corporate “free speech” (read: money), but apparently business owners may not express their admiration for our President without fear of retaliation. And isn’t that their objective — to silence the political expression of Americans that disagree with them?

No matter how Scott votes, his organization and his joy (this guy spreads happiness, doesn’t he?) are a gift to this country.

Show Scott a little support if you can by stopping by his Yelp page to counteract the rage or donate to his foundation, as Daily Kos explains that Scott’s pizza business is being inundated with pizza orders right now by supportive Americans.

Image: Reuters

Sarah Jones

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