Opinion: All God's creatures have something valuable to say

John Calvin for president.

Our nation could use some leadership from a guy like the owner of the Casa Rondeña in Albuquerque.

Calvin’s winery made news last week when it hosted a group of President Trump’s political supporters and — in response — a prominent Democrat called for a boycott of the business.

Calvin’s response should make you proud to be an American.

“We have been supporting anybody who wants to speak, anybody who wants to use our constitutional right for free speech ever since this place came to into being,” Calvin told KOB-TV.

“Wine has been something that brings people together for literally thousands and thousands of years.”

Former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish asked for the boycott on her Facebook page last Monday. She wrote — incorrectly — that Trump would be at the winery and “how about letting him know that in NM we don’t tolerate hate — even his.”

Then Denish took aim at the winery.

“Then when he leaves remind folks that Casa Rodena supported his hate, his failure to curb gun violence, his corruption and his racism. Boycott them too,” she wrote.

Calvin said the effort “hurts my heart” because he had also hosted an event for former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson when Denish was lieutenant governor.

It’s sad that our political climate has become so volatile that private businesses are getting dragged into the mud just for doing business.

At least Denish no longer holds a political office so she’s speaking only as a private citizen with no authority to enforce her views on anyone.

Still, what kind of world are we trying to build here?

It’s bad enough we can’t seem to have civil discussions about public policy; now we’re wanting to divide private businesses into red and blue camps — even when those businesses aren’t trying to be identified as “conservative” or “progressive?”

Our goal as a society should be trying to create heaven on earth as best we can. We can disagree on the path to reach that place, but surely we can agree with something else Calvin told KOB-TV:

“If you’re a Democrat, an independent, you’re a Republican, you’re all God’s creatures and you have something valuable to say. That’s why America is so strong, it’s our diversity.”

Here’s to you, John Calvin. Thanks for the reminder.

— David Stevens

Publisher