Adventuresome morning today! Mary Ann and I went to First Watch in Richardson for a quick breakfast but it was not to be.

First, we were approached by a manager who let us know that customers were very distressed by my shirt and that children might see it. I expressed deep sympathies and let her know that explaining “grab ‘em by the pussy” and golden showers to my daughter was equally unpleasant. A Latino woman checking me out tells me she loves my shirt and I thanked her.

Again as we were being seated she expressed that a particular group of customers was suffering due to my indescribable poor taste. I replied that I did not see the problem.

As we are seated two African-American workers individually tell me how cool the shirt is. One of them states that the people did not tell their server – a person of color – their complaint. They requested the manager, a white person, to complain to. I personally did not witness this but that is what I was told.

Our drinks are served and our order is taken.

Then one of the cooks comes to the table and very apologetically explains the owners have been called and we are being asked to leave. We ask to tip our server for occupying her table, get drinks to go and leave. One table of white people applauds.

We are stopped in the parking lot by one of the African American servers who had stopped to comment on the shirt. If I understand correctly, he was quitting the job on the spot over us being asked to leave. He told us: “you should hear these people asking not to be seated near Muslims.”

So we get in the car and start to leave …

… as the Richardson police pull up outside. I stop the car and ask the officer if she is there over a t-shirt. She affirms this to be true and asks my name which I respectfully decline to give; she starts in on the shirt – whereupon I cite Cohen v. California, 1971, in which the Supreme Court upheld the right to wear a T-shirt saying: FUCK THE DRAFT. She’s like: just leave, okay?

MAJOR TAKEAWAYS:

1. If your kids can’t handle the word “Fuck” they are going to have a really tough time in this world.

2. Compared to racism, bigotry, misogyny and collusion with a foreign power, “Fuck” gleams with cleanliness and purity. Treating Muslims and people of color, LGBTQ and women as “less than” is the real filth and harm to our country.

3. Everywhere I go with this shirt, white males sneer and people of color smile and give me thumbs up. I think it is very worthwhile to let people of color know they are not alone – that some whites also see the evil of racism is resurgent – and we will fight with our brothers and sisters of color against it.

4. Regarding the restaurant – I’m fine with being asked to leave and I don’t urge a boycott. These things are never easy for businesses, and the workers were polite and professional. Besides, we hope to be back soon…

5. Challenge authoritarianism anywhere and everywhere … otherwise, it wins.