Grocery Chain Accused of Racism Over Quality of Asparagus

Really

UNIVERSITY CITY • A dried-out batch of asparagus has touched off a debate about racial discrimination, grocery stores and the role of citizen-led commissions.

It started in May when resident David Olander was perusing the produce section of the University City Schnucks. He noticed the asparagus weren't resting in a tray of water.

"It was just sitting there dried out," said Olander, a member of the city's human relations commission. …

Olander admitted to being in an "ornery mood" the day he visited the store. "I just felt like stirring it up a little bit, letting them know that somebody cares," he said, according to the recording.

Comments

[Sevo]

"Olander admitted to being in an "ornery mood" the day he visited the store. "I just felt like stirring it up a little bit, letting them know that somebody cares," he said, according to the recording"

Why didn't he just go out and shoot a couple of peasants? I mean being in a bad mood is certainly reason to invoke the coercive power of the state, so why take half measures?

[Live Free or Diet]

He noticed the asparagus weren't resting in a tray of water.

I've shopped a lot of produce in a lot of towns (Hell, in different countries!) and I never saw asparagus "resting in a tray of water" in the store.

Come to think of it, I was in a Whole Foods last week looking at asparagus that wasn't in water.

[Tejicano]

I guess we haven't gone full-tilt-PC enough just yet. One bunch of vegetables being a little bit dry is now a the same as the N-word over the store in neon?

I cannot even see how this could be taken seriously. The only rational explanation is that this dude hates The Onion so much that he wants to destroy any basis for parody in any context.

[Beezard]

If I may jump to the conclusion that this was food stamp heavy part town, I can relate to working at a grocery store in those conditions. The problem is, no one buys anything two weeks out of the month. Perishable departments let things rot on the shelf to make their inventories. And the dried asparagus just makes it easier and less messy for the women who steal stuff and hide it under their kids in the stroller.