Beaudin firing: Maybe it’s a case of “All Words Matter”

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Rick Beaudin — AKA the community-promoting Pinckney Pirate — lost his job selling real estate with ReMax Platinum on Friday. One of Livingston County’s top-tier Realtors, Beaudin told WHMI-93.5 that he was fired for a single Facebook post on a local Pinckney page concerning a protest being planned in the town in support of Black Lives Matter; the post read: “Can’t we all just promote in Pinckney that All Lives Matter?”

The problem for Beaudin is that the phrase “all lives matter” misunderstands what Black Lives Matter means. Of course all lives matter, but it’s the black lives — not all lives — that are in danger. The best way I’ve seen it explained is the parable of the 100 sheep. Jesus says: “Which of you men, if you had 100 sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the 99 in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

“All lives matter” is like the 99 sheep crying out: “What about us? Don’t we still matter?” Jesus responds that, of course, the 99 still matter, but that they aren’t the ones in danger; the missing sheep is.

The difference between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter is no small thing. To say “all lives matter” ignores the reality of minorities in the U.S.; it ignores the peril of that one sheep.

If you see Beaudin around on Facebook, you know that while his own page is 99 percent community boosting, he has never been shy of posting less-than-politically-correct opinions using less-than-politically-correct verbiage on other pages and as comments on other people’s posts. This isn’t anything recent or new; it’s part of the package that is Rick Beaudin.

In addition to him being a top-tier Realtor in Livingston County, Beaudin’s one of the community’s most tireless volunteers and promoters. From the American Cancer Society to Pinckney High School athletic events, Beaudin makes no bones about where his passions lie. He is also a mover and shaker in the business community, currently serving on the board of directors of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as on the Pinckney-Lakeland-Hamburg-Hell Division of the organization. You can read more about Beaudin by clicking here.

Maybe this is a “words have consequences” kind of moment. There are other people facing Black Lives Matter backlash, including a trustee from Oakland County’s Brandon Township, who posted on Facebook that the organization is “inherently racist.”

All this pushback comes in the wake of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for nearly 9 minutes, killing the man who was suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd’s death has ignited protests across the globe, which continue to take place in big cities and small towns, like several in Livingston County, including Pinckney on Friday, as well as in Howell and Brighton the week before. You also need to keep in mind that these protests, according to a recent poll, have the support of 75 percent of Americans. Another poll pegs support at two-thirds of Americans. Across the country, Floyd’s death has ignited a great awakening with which everyone is scrambling to come to terms, and that great awakening has spread across the globe.

I am guessing Beaudin’s “all lives matter” post was likely the straw that broke the back of Joe DeKroub, owner of ReMax Platinum. DeKroub, one of the most successful businesspeople in Livingston County, told WHMI that tensions with Beaudin over his social media presence had been building for a couple weeks, and that as a real estate company, ReMax Platinum “cannot be perceived as having bias in any manner or that we don’t fully support fair housing.”

I am guessing that we’ve not heard the end of this controversy. Messages of support for Beaudin, his right to free speech, and “all lives matter” are being posted on social media. Is Beaudin’s firing the end of the story, or is it somewhere in the middle?

Maybe we are at a place in time in which we need to hold close the parable of the 100 sheep.

Perhaps the parable for today is “All Words Matter.”

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Maria Stuart worked at The Livingston County Press/ Livingston County Daily Press & Argus as a reporter, editor and managing editor. These days, she runs The Livingston Post.

10 Comments

  1. Ms. Stuart – your article is simplistic at best. The use of the 99 & 1 lost sheep parable is not applicable. There are many elements to this situation that you either have not investigated or have chosen to not write about. Your article without those elements is biased.

  2. Some really good points about saying All and BLM. Such a crazy volatile year. Crazy opinions from so many and many are right being opposite views of others. I personally do not think that his comment was the whole complete reason for the firing. i think this was just the last thing to break camels back between the two of them. I personally have received “not so nice” comments from Rick on my Facebook page when he did not like my post. Plus being in this community for years we all hear things. Everyone talks about others, everyone. I am sure this will pass just as this PlannedDemic!

  3. Ms. Stuart the story of the forsaking the 99 for the one, had nothing to do with this story. You are taking a story based a lost sole and license for a story. If anything this lost sole would have been the police officer in this story. The Bible does address racism in many areas, when Jesus spoke of his kingdom spreading to Samaria, he was speaking of those with different beliefs. If you would have chosen Jesus second command, Love one another as you love yourself, it would be more appropriate. No life is more valuable than another and that is what Rick was saying, and he is right. Are there bad cops, absolutely, are there bad people absolutely, but not all cops are bad. You want to stop racism, then you may want to start in the schools and teach about mitochondrial DNA, bring back the teachings of creation. Everybody is on edge and hypersensitive but Mr. Floyd’s death although it was murder, had nothing to do with race. Of the 17 complaints against this officer, his last three were all against young white males, he had no propensity of targeting any particular race, he was just a bad cop that should have been off the force years ago. His complaints were all over the map, he was a bully with a badge.

    • This quote is making the rounds and I believe it works well.

      “If my wife comes to me in obvious pain and asks, ‘Do you love me?”, an answer of ‘I love everyone’ is truthful, but also hurtful and cruel in the moment.

      If a co-worker comes to me upset and says, ‘My father just died,’ a response of ‘Everyone’s parents die’ is truthful, but also hurtful and cruel in the moment.

      So when a friend speaks up in a time of obvious pain and hurt and says, ‘Black lives matter,’ an answer of ‘All lives matter’ is truthful. But it is also hurtful and cruel in the moment.”

      (attributed to Doug Williford)

      • Again, the life of Mr. Floyd had nothing to do with race, so in this case, which was the impetuous that caused this situation to occur. It may have been insensitive but certainly not racist.

  4. The lost sheep analogy is great with regard to what “matters,” Maria. Thanks for that.

    You are absolutely correct: All Words Matter. I support the difficult call Mr. DeKroub made as an employer, especially in his field, where there is a long and shameful history of bias against minority buyers.

    • This has nothing to do with bias against minority buyers. The last such legal action against a Michigan Broker was approx. 1974-1976. This has to do with a group of persons objecting to others expressing their thoughts even when those thoughts are not threatening or bias. It would be well to become informed for how this group works & the manner in which they work to “persuade” people to their way of thinking.

  5. This kind of reporting is reminiscent of Mao’s cultural revolution back almost 50 years ago. Think as I think or you will suffer the consequences. Mr. Beaudin has a right to his opinion like any other American. Just because it doesn’t conform to yours, Ms. Stuart doesn’t make it less correct.

  6. Interesting some can have their say while others cannot, What happened to free speech in this country. Be assured when it comes time for me to use a realtor i will not be using this remax broker. Free speech from all is an american right weather you want to hear it or not!

    • Would be well for you to know the WHOLE story before making a judgement about Joe DeKroub & Remax Platinum. This article was not inclusive of all the facts.

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