A donor to the blog notes that I would have a hard time winning South Dakota’s gubernatorial election because, among other reasons, the donor thinks I’m against Christianity:
Now, I may be wrong on this, but I have read what could be called “anti-Christian” sentiments held by you. At least, that is the impression I have from a perusal of your blog. I could be wrong [Dakota Free Press financial supporter, letter, 2021.11.30].
Dear donor, you are entirely right to support the most interesting, most informative, and most honest political blog in South Dakota. You are also right in suspecting that you may be wrong about me and my sentiments about the teachings of that carpenter from Nazareth. I do not oppose Christianity. I do oppose Christians who do mean and stupid things and cloak them in Christian piety.
Consider, for instance, my reaction to this vulgarity disguised as a Christmas message in the Winner Advocate last week:
I won’t even get into how advertising and consumerism in general contradict Christianity and Christmas. Let’s just focus on the smirking bullies at Winner Welding & Machine who thought it would be cute to hold up a sign in their Christmas ad that everyone understands means, “F— you, Biden.” The publisher of the Winner newspaper posted this vulgarity under the aptly obsolete, exclusionary, and incorrect banner, “Good Christian Men Rejoice.”
You don’t have to be a Christian to recognize that the message of these smirking bullies (and let’s include the newspaper boss, who takes filthy lucre to print this filth) contradicts the reason for Mass on December 25. One must be truly anti-Christmas and anti-Christian to celebrate the birth of Christ and the redemption of all humanity by telling one’s fellow recipient of salvation to f— off.
These smirking bullies (the smirks, the insincere expressions of good will masking their vile, violent intent as poorly as white hoods) aim their insult at a good Catholic man, a well-read Christian who has likely read and spoken more deeply and intelligently about the teachings of Jesus than any of the men smirking behind their sign. Good Christian people (and the rest of us) should respect our current President not just because he professes Christianity but because he lives his faith intentionally and consistently. Instead, these Winner workers vulgarize the holy day to celebrate our Christian President’s predecessor, a vile materialist who before, during, and since his occupancy of the White House has never once sincerely spoken, let alone embodied in action, any Christian ideal.
Dear donor, I am not against Christianity. I wage no war on Christmas. I feel a certain kinship with this Jesus fellow whom you name Christ and in whose name you Mass, as that dark-complected Nazarene Jew did a little carpentry like his dad but turned to a different career building words and ideas and speaking up for underdogs. Besides our minor disagreement about origins (and come on, if anyone walks up and says, “Hi, I’m literally the Son of God,” you’re allowed some skepticism), you will be hard-pressed to find one blog post where I’ve written that Jesus was wrong. I’ve spent more of my career as a public writer explaining and defending Christianity from its own wayward confessants.
Dear donor, I am not against Christianity. I am vehemently against Christian hypocrites who dress up in divinity but act like devils. Thank you for supporting my fight against those anti-Christian hypocrites.
Winner Welding and Machine owner Brad Assman says that his sign is not profane (lying is not Christian) and that he “put it on there to offend people” (seeking to give offense is not Christian).
Being an ass, man what a way to try and drum up business. Usually quality of work in a town the size of Winner is enough to get customers.
Why even do something like this and potentially lose customers?
You’re awesome, Cory. Carry on, my good man.
The trouble with Mr. Winner Welding & Machine and his ilk is that they never recognize a self-own when they say one. Or maybe they do and are smirking as they say that, too. Either way, I read the article on Dakota News Now and Mr. Assman is perfectly happy with his ad, and his two signs, one of which is bolted to the back of his vehicle, and he’s sure he’ll get more business because of it. To which I say, maybe Grampus will get a visit to Krampus.
Jesus might say, “Charting a life with the name Assman must be a heavy burden.”
A guy with the name of Assman doing this stuff is aptly named, don’t you think? With a name like that, it’s understandable that he’s damaged goods. We need to follow Jesus, and that’s forgive him for his damaged morality. Look, I think politicians are open for lampooning. The “Brandon” thing was semi-creative when it started out, but it’s become pretty lame. Doing it in a Christmas greeting is a bit beyond what even I would do, let alone what Jesus would do.
I have noticed many “Christmas” displays around my town include both Trump flags and similar “Let’s Go Brandon” signage. I have come to expect no less from these theocratic/MAGA/American Taliban fanatics.
The age of reason is ended.
It’s even beyond what I would do, Donald, and THAT’s sayin something.
The Christmas tradition has become for some people a festival of stupidity and malice.
There was this schmuck named Schmeck,
a raging mental wreck.
The greeting to the president
from this Oregon resident
turned Christmas into dreck.
Ass-man?? Pretty much says it all! So, with thoughts of holiday cheer, let me just say, “Let’s go, Assman”… if you get my drift. ;-)
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” – Mahatma Gandhi
@Porter, @Loren – Sometimes this stuff writes itself..
How long before Mr. Assman is invited to Mar-a-Lago.
Perhaps in Winner the letters “man” are a substitute for “hole?”
There’s another tip in your tip jar for this post, Cory! Thank You, for exposing them in your blog. One learns more of SD news from here than the 2 major papers.
Shame on the “news” paper editors. Strike one: running the “ad promotion” commercializing their Christ who threw the money dealers out of the temple.
Strike two: for accepting and publishing the metal benders non-ad.
No wonder rural “news” papers are cratering; with crap decisions like this they earned their present and future bankruptcies.
Good for the paper to show racism and misogyny all on this page. This misogynistic leech with the sign, is not for a slur against Biden, this is a racial slur against Vice President Harris. Not only is she Black, she is also a woman. So chubby gets a twofer on his sign. The sign proves once and for all the need for CRT in education.
“In August 1944, an American soldier finishing up an Army survey was asked whether he had any further remarks. He did.
“White supremacy must be maintained,” he wrote.
“I’ll fight if necessary to prevent racial equality. I’ll never salute a negro officer and I’ll not take orders from a negroe. I’m sick of the army’s method of treating …[Black soldiers] as if they were human. Segregation of the races must continue.”
Another soldier wrote: “God has placed between us a barrier of color … We must accept this barrier and live, fight, and play separately.”
These harsh views, and others, from the segregated Army of World War II, emerge in a new project at Virginia Tech that presents the uncensored results of dozens of surveys the service administered to soldiers during the war.
Much of the material is being placed on the Internet for the first time, and a lot of it runs counter to the wholesome image of the war’s “greatest generation.” Washington Post 12.20.21
jerry what in the world are you talking about with racism and misogyny? this idiot advertised his stupidity with the sign, but it has nothing to do with race or gender. so, again, what?
I hope business also understand that when they make political stands with businesses, then shopping — or not shopping — becomes a political action. I choose not to support those businesses’ politics.
In fact, given Citizen’s United, our speech as expressed by money needs to be far more used as political speech and the agent for political/social change. It is time for consumers to take a page from Grover Norquist’s playbook and “starve the beast” of political businesses divergent to our philosophies.
Ryan, Biden is a white man, Kamala Harris is a black woman, simple as that. This slogan is all about race and sexism that follows generation after generation of much the same kind of crap. The paper chose to publish how they feel as well.
Former Winner resident here…
The name “Assman” does sound funny, but based on former teachers and residents, it’s pronounced “Aus-man”. Don’t let that stop you from saying it the other way. ;)
This welding shop has been showing pro-45 banners for years. Back in 2019, they had a float in the Labor Day parade and they proudly flew 45’s re-election flag. The name of the owner sounds familiar too. He may be the same guy who drives the truck around town with the anti-Biden slogans on it such as the one in the newspaper ad. I may have seen this same truck during the Obama years with anti-Obama placards plastered all over it.
It also reminds me of a gross window display in the early 2010s. In an unused building along highway 18, someone thought it would be a good idea to put up a sign with the Nazi symbol and “Obama” in the center of it. A few days later, it was replaced with a plain sign with a generic anti-Obama screed. Someone must have complained in order for the Nazi sign to get removed.
On a final note, the current publishers of the Winner Advocate are Charley and Norma Najacht. These two also publish papers in Hill City and Custer.
Again gentle people, when an A hole identifies themselves take it as a positive. Find another place of business.
I wonder how the women who are in the photos at the bottom of this ad feel about being on a page entitled Good Christian Men Rejoice.
I know Jesus was upset when he overturned the tables in the temple but I doubt that he yelled “Let’s Go Brandon” or “F You Satan”.
Laurie, I thought the same thing.
I emailed my thoughts t the Winner Advocate but they did not come close to your eloquent words of a true Christian. Among other comments, I also mentioned the loss of small town newspapers. My hope is for their subscriptions to dwindle but am doubtful due to the GOP minded populace in SD. Your contribution to true journalism is greatly appreciated.
Charlie and Norma Najacht the owners of the Winner newspaper owned the papers in Hill City and Custer for over 20 years but sold them a few months ago. I have had the misfortune to be subjected to his fascist opinion pieces for all that time. Charlie used to jaywalk frequently in town and as I slowed down for him it was always a struggle not to be led unto temptation.
Scu8m who Let’s Go, Brandon” Joe Biden is at Mara Lago hoping for an audience with Pope Gropenfuhrer. Says he’s looking at a run for office.
Reservation border towns like Winner have always been influenced by the Klan, John Birch Society, the TEA movement and now by the extreme white wing of the Republican Party. They want a race war to usher in the End Times so a long-dead Aramaic speaker can rule the planet under a one-world government.
Recall Tom Laughlin wrote the screenplay for Billy Jack based in part on the racism his Native wife faced in Winner, South Dakota.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/03/27/actress-who-based-billy-jack-on-growing.asp
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dell-rapids-lets-go-brandon-road-sign-raises-eyebrows-in-south-dakota
magats never seem to grow up.
Every small town in the country has a guy like this. It’s normalized behavior. The actors likely consider themselves to be something of a hero as they probably have never been called out by a peer. It could be the result of a long standing policy in rural America of separating the wheat from the chaff…….. and keeping the chaff.