I’ve often thought that Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc owes her popularity to her habit of being “one of us.” Like some of our current popular politicians, she likes to speak in the vernacular, down-home, faux folksy, sprinkled with bad grammar and vulgarities.
My favorite Kelsey throwaway is “I love Jesus, but I like to cuss.” Her truism is emblazoned on selected SHBB Inc merch including fund-raising tumblers. It’s amusing since at about the same frequency as her “cussing” she reminds us that she is doing God’s work and that Jesus walks beside her. She has regular convos with both.
Now, we admit that we at times use what is euphemistically called “bad language”‘ here, but it’s been a flashbang with a point, not the gratuitous atomic bomb that Mrs. Kelsey likes to drop, most recently on TikTok in response to someone pointing out that her public vulgarity challenges her claim to professionalism. She says she gets lots of complaints like that. No doubt!
We don’t care how people express themselves, and we don’t, generally speaking, like to play language police, but professionalism is the point here. An occasional “objectionable” word or phrase in public that emphasizes a point is not a problem and gets the message across. But when someone represents a company or an organization, calls itself a “Christian mission,” seeks to be taken seriously, and wants credibility, it’s best not to cosplay the Enola Gay, especially when you’re boosting Jesus out of the other side of your mouth. Consider the optics!
If you’re speaking on your own dime, have at it!
What we have below is a hissy fit. A gotcha! Classic juvenilia. We’re surprised that Mrs Kelsey didn’t hold her breath or jump up and down like Rumpelstiltskin to own her critic. This is embarrassing.
If you were considering donating for a box, would you after seeing this? If you were considering using a Safe Haven Baby Box, would you after seeing this?
We hope not. And that’s a good thing.
Welcome to the asylum!
“I’m going to tell you you look like a a fucking asshole.”–Monica Kelsey, CEO Safe Haven Baby Boxes
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