Maurice’s BBQ in Columbia, SC takes down Confederate Battle Flag.
Maurice Bessinger has proudly flown the Confederate Battle Flag over his famous chain of BBQ restaurants for nearly a decade but now he says the poor economy is forcing him to remove the flags due to the rising cost of Dry cleaning!
The Confederate Battle Flag will be coming down at his Columbia, SC locations but will remain flying at other restaurants. The South Carolina state flag will remain flying above his Columbia restaurants. He did indicate that if the economy picks up the flags will return. Mr. Bessinger apparently stated that his decision was in no way an attempt to drum up additional business from those that opposed his Southern patriotism.
Read the article at Slashfood
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Webmaster comment –
I am fully aware of the many sacrifices that Mr. Bessinger has gone through because of his show of Southern patriotism at his restaurants. I’m sure these sacrifices have taken a profound financial toll but to take the flag down and blame it on “Dry cleaning” costs is just embarrassing.
If it was about dry cleaning costs wouldn’t it make sense to remove ALL of the flags and not just the so-called “politically incorrect” one? I’ve always admired Maurice’s stand on this matter and am sorely disappointed on his decision to remove the flag. I hate to admit it but I suspect that Mr. Bessinger’s decision is based more on getting his products back onto the shelves of big box retail stores than his “dry cleaning” bills.
I humbly ask my readers to let Mr. Bessinger know that we are not happy with his decision to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from his restaurants and would like him to reverse his decision. You can email Maurice’s BBQ at mail@mauricesbbq.com.
I wasn't botherd by the Confederate flag flying when I visited, but I was bothered by the banquet table filled with racist, pro-slavery literature when we went inside. I can understand why southerners would want to fly a flag that represents their heritage and how they would be offended that people would say they are just being racist, but the hand-outs being offered at Maurice's prove that he's a racist.
If you want people to take your show of Southern Heritage seriously you should dissassociated from and denounce people like Maurice Bessinger.
[Reply]
GoodOldRebel
Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 5:12 pm
The institution of Slavery was dieing on the vine in the Southern State at the outbreak of the War. In fact, the Confederate Constitution expressely prohibited the further importation of Slaves from outside the exisiting states of the Confederacy. I believe that the founders of that nation saw the writing on the wall and were agreeable to letting Slavery die of natural causes in the South just as it had done throught the rest of the world during the past century. That war was NOT about slavery.
However, I don't know which literature you are speaking of directly but if it was from a viewpoint that Slavery was not the foundation for the war, I support it wholeheartedly. If it was from the standpoint that slavery should be reinstituted then I condemn it and can see how it would be viewed as racist but frankly, I've never seen any brochure that said something as abhorrent.
Webmaster
[Reply]
GoodOldRebel
Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I have seen literature that stated that the relationship between master and slave was not often as bad as it is made out to be. I am sure that was true in some cases and in other cases there were absolutely instances of severe abuse. The difference is, the worst cases of abuse were held up as normal behavior by the northern abolitionist propaganda machines. Just like with anything else, I think you have to think about it in a historical context. Back then, just as today, the "media" is really only interested in broadcasting information that supports their own viewpoints rather than being impartial.
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My wife and I were visiting South Carolina last year and after touring the state capitol, we asked the tour guide for the best bbq, and Maurice's was recommened. Mind you, we are from, get ready, California. I am native born. We went and I for one fell in love with it. I thought that it was gutsty for Maurice to fly the Battle Flag. Since the Union side won the Civil War, I really do not get worked up over those that fly the Battle Flag. It is part of our AMERICAN heritage. People should not get so worked up over it. I even bought a Confederate flag in Charleston on our visit. I am disapointed with Maurice taking down the Battle Flag. BTW, I do not remember seeing any racist material but there was A LOT of material. I just thought it was the best pulled pork I ever had
!
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