The above emails were written to us a couple of days ago and as unsurprising as it is to be confronted with such ideas it was still quite startling that this person would be so upfront and defensive about their ignorance.

We decided not to ignore this, but to confront it. Not with anger or aggression, but with compassion. This is the only way someone can expect to change the hearts and minds of people so entrenched in an ideology, which is the point here.

Our feelings about race within the shop may be a bit more nuanced between the individual artists, but the grand theme being that racial superiority doesn’t exist; that racial discrimination of all types is wrong; that these things are self evident and thus don’t usually require significant discussion between intelligent people; and that the rhetoric about using violence to have your ‘voice heard’ on any side of the argument isn’t even a thinly veiled threat-it’s just a threat, to assimilate ideas or suffer the consequences, which we also feel is wrong.

Confronting racism is important to us, as it should be to everyone. How we do that matters as much as the fact that we do it. Without compassion, even for those we disagree with, even starkly, we lose the argument. Here’s to hoping this man and so many others can start to see the error in their ways. Have a great day!