Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was open about the Charlottesville events that degenerated into hatred and even violence. Over the weekend, Virginia witnessed a rally in the name of white supremacy. The executive decried the Charlottesville violence. He also stated that Americans are able to do great things and avoid such uncivilized situations.
The ‘Unite the Right’ Rally Sparked from the Removal of a Confederate Monument and Degenerated into Acts of Hatred
According to media, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz talked with his employees about the recent Virginia events. This university state saw a mobilization of people who formed a rally under the slogan ‘Unite the Right.’
They hoped to make authorities change their minds regarding the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. The location of the public monument is in Emancipation Park. Protesters identified themselves as white supremacists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, militia, and neo-Confederates.
The country leadership sparked controversy when they decided to remove Confederate monuments throughout the country. Unfortunately, the Virginia rally took a violent side that resulted in one death of a young woman and 30 injured.
The U.S. President Donald Trump did not identify any ideological groups within the rally, yet he called out violence on both sides. At the same time, several business leaders voiced out their own take on Charlottesville violence.
Starbucks CEO Viewed the Charlottesville Violence as a Crucial Turning Point in American History
CEO Howard Schultz reiterated what other corporate leaders thought about this event. He claimed that he fears that such demeanor received a fabric of normality in today’s world. This allowed hateful groups to come out of the shadows and voice out their malicious ideology in broad daylight.
“What we witnessed this past weekend is against every sense of what is right… I know we are better than this.”
Schultz used this opportunity to make a reference to one of the bloodiest mistakes of the past that targeted Jews. He showed a rock he collected as a memory from a concentration camp in Auschwitz 17 years ago. He declared that this period is a crucial moment in the American history.
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