Did you see that clip the other day? It’s a guy named Adam Smith, who was so pleased with his abuse of a patient and polite Chick-fil-A employee that he posted it to the web — and promptly lost his job as a corporate chief financial officer.

Mark Shea has a thoughtful post about the guy. Shea says:

I’m not happy that his attempt to shame and destroy this woman inspired a bunch of people to destroy his livelihood. I’d be happy with a simple apology to the woman he shamed and tried humiliate on a planetary scale. Indeed, a happy conclusion to this story, for me, would be a Youtube in which just goes and apologizes. I’ll bet money this sweet woman would happily forgive him.

I agree. And in fact, the newly unemployed Smith did subsequently apologize to her, on video:

His apology comes across as heartfelt, but he can’t quite seem to let go of the self-justifying view that the devilish Chick-fil-A made him act like an ass. That, and his ardor for justice. He should have just stopped at, “I’m sorry, Rachel.”

Still, it was scary to learn that Smith, his family, and employees of the company who fired him have been subject to anonymous threats by people offended by his treatment of the incredibly graceful Chick-fil-A employee. What kind of cretin protests cretinous behavior by making threats against the safety of the original cretin — and his innocent family members and co-workers? I find it all too credible that Smith’s address was placed on the Internet, and he and his family received personal threats. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. Contemptible stuff. Yes, I think Smith acted like a complete tool the other day, but if he and his family want a place to stay to hide out from the mob, I’ll go all Belgian nun and offer them our guest room. Though I don’t expect him to take me up on it, I’m actually not kidding. I know what it’s like to have psychotics threaten your family because of something you said or wrote in public. It’s horrible. Nobody should have to put up with that.

Anyway, I also agree with Shea here:

I wonder how many OWS sympathizers will see this as his atrocious treatment of this poor woman as the 1% smashing the 99% and how many will resolutely see this through the delusional template of Persecuted Truthteller Speaking Truth to Power.

I think 99 percent will go with the Delusional Template. All class politics in this country are really cultural politics. For a certain kind of middle-class person, nothing done in defense of gay rights can be wrong. History will absolve them.