I Hired a White Nationalist

Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

I love my home.

It is my sanctuary, filled with the people and things I love.

After nearly 20 years of the same walls, floors, and furniture, it is time for an update. I have been putting away money for the last few years, knowing that the estimates for the work would bring sticker shock.

Little did I know that cost would not be the most shocking thing about home improvement.

Floored by the Floor Guy

A friend of mine recommended a guy named Bob to refinish our hardwood floors. A quiet person with a passion for all things wood, Bob was prompt, pleasant, and gave me a reasonable estimate for the three-day job. I hired him immediately.

Weeks later, Bob and his crew showed up to do the work wearing their business uniform with their logo on the front.

As they got to work sanding the floors, I noticed the backs of their shirts. The shirts read:

“Make Floors Great Again!”

I couldn’t believe it. Was that an intentional thing to tie into the infamous MAGA slogan?

Figuring that I was reading too much into a stupid saying on a t-shirt, I tried to let it go as they worked. Then I had the brilliant idea to look Bob up on social media.

There, in the land of Facebook where we all pledge allegiance to our favorite things was Bob’s unabashed belief in all things based on white nationalism. It was harrowing to see all the things he supported, from Rights for Whites to anti-immigration groups, extreme right-wing groups and Fox News.

How could this be? My friend who recommended Bob is a liberal like me. She would be furious to know this. Or did she know and recommend him anyway?

I sat there for the longest time, thinking about what I should do. At that point, my house was torn up, my floors were sanded down with a first layer of stain being applied. They worked as quietly as they could, were polite, and seemed to know what they were doing.

Should I throw them out of my house because I snooped on the owner on Facebook?

On some level, I knew the answer was yes. I can’t support someone who is sympathetic to white nationalism. My…