Chicago Music Store Owners Forced To Close After Being Outed As Trump Voters?

Worlds of Music Chicago is closing because the owners were run out of business because they support President Donald Trump, the couple maintains. Suzanne Monk and her husband, Alexander Duvel, said online “bullying” over their support of the United States President, has driven away customers and will force their doors closed for the final time next month.

“For the last year I have not loved living in Chicago. I am ashamed of you, Chicago, and the intolerance you now accept in the name of politics,” Worlds of Music Chicago co-owner Suzanne Monk said when detailing what she and her husband have endured after utilizing their free speech rights to herald President Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton.

WORLDS OF MUSIC CHICAGO being harassed for liking DJT https://t.co/JCjX9ZEKCo

— Robert Gary Parker (@stajmato) March 19, 2017

The downfall of the Worlds of Music Chicago store began after Suzanne Monk was vocal online about her disappointment of Donald Trump’s rally in the city being forced to cancel last summer, the Daily Mail notes.

The University of Illinois graduate posted a message to Facebook about her presence at the venue where Trump was supposed to be making a speech. After the post, random social media users, of the anti-Trump variety, began posting incendiary comments on a multitude of Monk’s status updates and photos, Fox Insider reports.

“We drew some attention from the left, and they outed us at that point as Trump supporters. Since that point we have been receiving online threats, ratings wars – just called every name in the book,” the Worlds of Music Chicago co-owner said.

Because of the backlash from liberal anti-Trump individuals, Monk and Alexander Duvel decided to move their store to an entirely online business to prevent more negative comments which were hurting their bottom line, from being shared by local customers.

Suzanne Monk will because on Stephanie Trussell show on WLS 890-AM Chicago AT 10:15pm @SuzzanneMonk @ReaganMom @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/vy2Wx45LJq

— Mark Weyermuller (@publicpolicyman) March 20, 2017

Alexander Duvel and Suzanne Monk have created a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $30,000 to make up for the business Worlds of Music Chicago lost after being singled out as supporters of President Trump. Just because the store is closing does not mean the couple is giving up their love of sharing their passion for all types of music with others, according to Duvel.

“I do a lot of really really amazing repair work on a lot of exotic instruments. I plan on very much continuing all of that wonderful part of what we do to serve our community,” Monk’s husband said. “I teach, I’m definitely a very, very sincere performer of live music, ethnic musical instruments.”

Both Monk and Duvel said it has been a trying time and added feeling unaccepted by a community which they have called home for several decades has been a very difficult experience.

https://youtu.be/wlX8SAnP2n0

“Friends made me feel like I was becoming a liability to them because they couldn’t associate or recommend my shop and business, simply because of their peer group being so seriously anti-Trump that even associating with me would be a problem,” Duvel continued.

After the online bullying over their support for President Donald Trump had reached its peak, Suzanne Monk wrote a letter to the editor of Chicago’s weekly business newspaper, Crain’s, to share her thoughts on their ordeal.

“People I’ve had in my home have turned around and decided we’re white supremacists, we’re xenophobes, not of any evidence just that we voted for Donald Trump,” Monk wrote in her letter.

Monk went on to say she no longer is proud or her city, nor does she feel safe there any longer. Many people may feel unsafe in Chicago because of its astonishing murder rate, but the music store owners are also now fearful due to raging comments being made to them simply because of how they voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Last year was the bloodiest in Chicago’s history. There were 762 people killed in the city and 4,331 victims of gunshot wounds.

The World of Music Chicago store owners also believes other Trump supporters in the city are being harassed as well. In the end, Monk said it was not the high crime, massive maxed, or “political cronyism” which drove them out of the city.

“We have to leave because of the hate you are willing to tolerate,” Suzanne Monk concluded.

What do you think about the Chicago music store owners feeling their business has been ruined because they openly support the candidate elected to become our president?

[Featured Image by Lissandra Melo/Shutterstock]