Lubbock’s The Shack Proves BBQ Doesn’t Need A Side of Politics

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I'm getting pretty tired of the narrative that everything is either Left or Right.

Logically speaking, this binary cannot exist. Because we know there are inherently two more options besides Left and Right: Both and Neither.

Both, also known as bipartisan, can be extremely useful for getting things done. Equally important is Neither, which should be allowed plenty of space to exist in our culture.

Over the weekend, Lubbock's The Shack BBQ sold food at an event that some people find controversial, that is, Left. Previously, The Shack BBQ served at another event, which was by definition a Right event, as it was a Republican rally. Please notice I said SOLD food, not donated.

Here's what The Shack had to say:

Good morning Lubbock!!!! We caught some slack for working an event last night and I really just wanna make something clear. ... we don't make a list before we [accept] events or caterings . We don't care about your personal life choices. That's your business. But we will still serve you bbq. We will still treat you with the same respect we treat everyone else. The fact that people will openly bash your business and threaten to not eat with you anymore because we sell bbq to everyone... I'm just so confused. We are here to serve, that's our job... not to judge you.

Even the very best food trucks must set up where people are gathered. People gather at these types of events. Accepting money for food is not a political act. It's business. It can and should be a Neither.

It is highly likely that you've had a meal with extended family or friends, in which not every single person at the table had the same political views on everything. I hope that you never excluded anyone from your table for this reason. When Jesus made loaves and fishes, the multitude was included. Because every person has the right to eat.

For the sake of everyone's sanity, let's let all Texans enjoy the best of BBQ.