A camera store that had been trading for 109 years got caught in the crossfire of riots taking place in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake. President Trump has visited the former site of Rode’s Camera Shop after it was burned to the ground during the protests.
Current owner Tom Gram had been an employee at the store for 41 years before taking the reins from the Rode family, who opened the shop back in 1911. Gram ran the shop with business partner Paul Willette, who detailed the devastating sentimental losses to Kenosha News:
This was just a building, but people’s memories were inside. That’s what is killing me. A woman had just come in Monday and brought in a photo of her grandparents in elementary school, wanting it to be restored. I left it on my desk. Now, it’s all gone. Our customers lost family memories.
“We understand the protests, but why destroy these businesses?” added Gram.
So historic is the store that even President Trump paid the site a visit, despite the co-owners stating outright that they “didn’t want anything to do with President Trump.” Despite the current owners declining the visitation offer, former owner John Rode III was drafted in to host the President. “I just appreciate President Trump coming today; everybody here does,” Rode said.
So, what’s next for the store owners? Gram says he’ll likely retire earlier than originally planned, while Willette says he’ll be looking for a new job, although he didn’t specify if it would be in the same field.
All images Shealah Craighead, courtesy of the White House.
Haha, did I read you well from the start or what! Good luck with your insurance money!
It's okay though cause they were mad. When you're mad you're allowed to burn down stores and cars and shoot people. I was in LA for the Rodney King riots. They burned everything down, attacked bystanders and you know what they changed? Nothing. That was 1992. If you don't vote, then keep your ass at home. You don't deserve to get to protest events you allowed to happen, because you didn't vote against them in the first place. If you're out there burning and looting for the hell of it then you deserve to meet the cops you're pretending to protest against.
How does one vote against police corruption and systemic racism in the force? I've never heard any nominee claim these things exist, much less present a proposed solution. Voting is fine if you're generally ok with the way things are but you'd like to see a little more spent or saved on x,y or z. When a system is clearly broken, voting does nothing.
Thanks for asking because it's a good question. Who is in charge of the police force? Police Chief (usually appointed by the mayor)? Mayor? Governor? President? There is a whole ladder of people in office all the way to the top that can be voted out. If the current people in charge aren't listening, vote them out. Burning down a police station or destroying cop cars? We pay for those through taxes and they will want more taxes from us to replace and rebuild so that's just pissing in the wind.
It's the news job to get ratings so they pick and choose which stories to throw out. Which police shootings will get the most ratings or anger people to protest or destroy things so they can air that as well for more ad revenue. Don't throw a brick through a window and expect change, go after the foundation and rebuild it from the ground up.
Again, if no 'opposition' candidate, Mayor, Governor or President is acknowledging that any of your concerns are an issue, or even exist, then how is voting going to help?
If both sides (and lets be realistic, there are only 2 sides in US politics) are ignoring certain issues (it's in their interests to not rock the boat with potential voters) then what difference does voting make?
Everyone wants to keep their job. Maybe if they feared losing their jobs instead of some random building getting burned down, that they don't care about, they might start caring. Saying "What's the point if they are all evil?" is what they would hope for. Just give up and let them stay in charge.
In LA the police union is in charge of the police force... Every politician left right ot in the middle wants that union endorsement. which doesnt come free.
Thanks Mike Ditz, between that and 'generous donors' there is no space for ordinary people to have their grievances heard. The system does not serve us, if you're in a group that isn't being totally screwed over be happy, for now.
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A study on police corruption and prosecution rates https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249850.pdf
Systemic racism https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2019/08/07/472617/s...
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-systemic-racism-in-charts-graphs-data...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/if-you-dont-believe-systemic-rac...
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With mob mentality it's okay to blame everyone in the city because one neighbor's dog crapped on their lawn.
If everyone else in the city was covering up for the neighbours dog or claiming that the dog was in the right...
Poor excuse for lawlessness.
Exactly, those dirty cops should be ashamed of what they started.
Political photo-op, dying industry and the insurance claim was probably a better payout, rioting is wrong.
Whoa... careful bud, you'll get attacked by TWO angry mobs talking that way lol.
The mistake they are making is damaging their local community instead of dragging the elite out into the town square and...
Much as I'd be excited to see that happen, it would end VERY badly.
Our species has made choices over the last century or so, the consequences of which we were warned.
What is coming is going to hurt.
Well, even on a photography web site, the world is treated to America's Civil War.
As an European it's quite interesting to witness.
Interesting and sad. I lived in the US for 15 years and worked for an American company for most of my life. Now, I'm not sure I'd go back. Still, living in Britain isn't much better as we shoot ourselves in the foot with Brexit. ;-)
The prior owner had no business misrepresenting himself and acting against the owners wishes. What happened to private property rights? I would sue the bastard.
It seems that it was his property.
And what law did he break if that wasn't the case? Why calling someone names before knowing what you are talking about?
The building was, not the shop. It's very, very unlikely that Trump would have showed up for the destruction of an empty building. That's when this thing turned into a photo op since the shop owner had no interest. Beside, the shop owner said processing was a big part of the business. A used Noritsu T15SM right now is going for $3k. Big deal, easy to replace. There was probably more money from cameras on shelves but the owner did not mention if he took those out before the riot.
Ah the good old lawsuit, the foundation that America is built on.
The irony of this 'uprising' is the fact that the cities that are experiencing this plundering, led by Democrats, and allowed to continue with little consequence, will be the reason that Trump will be serving a second term. Biden can't condemn the plundered city's leadership for poor management in allowing these hoods to do what they did to the camera shop with little or no reprisal. This is just about the same as endorsing the big city's poor response to the rioters.
In a free society, protests are part of the equation. However, in a free society, destruction of property is a crime and is not part of the equation.
Further, because these gangs are balled up in tight groups, this wretched virus will continue to decimate the US population. My contacts in small businesses in the states are not happy due to the fact that the governing bodies have placed all sort of restrictions on the businesses yet let the rioters and looters to run rampant. Fine the businesses for not following protocol, but let the hoods run wild. Understand this frustration and when Trump is taking the oath of office for the second time, you'll understand why he was reelected.
No word on the PPP rioting? I mean looting (in the $ billions).
The guy in the picture with trump is not the owner, He is the previous owner. The present owner said he wanted to have nothing to do with trump, and his show.
Pavlich knows that or he clearly can't comprehend the story at this point.
We can read the article. Why repeating something that's literally in the article?
Some cannot or do not care about the facts, it doesn't fit their own beliefs.
My old camera shop / employer Adolph Gasser of San Francisco disappeared years ago due to new market forces. Now we witness other forces at work pillaging and plundering in whatever lost cause they follow. There was a time when adults were sensible and not identifying with extreme views. Reason lost in the crush as people take sides?
Caption: DJT My favourite camera the Kodak Instamatic just like my politics. Why are all the cameras not made in the USA? Somebody tell him.
I mean if I owned a retail camera store today, I might just burn it down myself.
Childish retards did the same thing in downtown Chicago to Central Camera.