Want Guns With That? Chefs Find Politics Hotter Than Kitchen

[Jgarrick]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by hrmjustin (a host of the General Discussion forum).

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/us/chefs-find-political-waters-anything-but-tepid.html

CLEMSON, S.C. — Pete Matsko expected a little pushback when he posted a sarcastic sign banning concealed weapons from Backstreets Pub & Grill, his beer and burger bar in this college town, but he did not expect to become a national target.

Within weeks, he was slammed with so many online attacks and harassing phone calls that he changed his number and started asking the police to open his mail.

A new concealed-weapons law in South Carolina turned his pub into a battlefield in America’s culture wars. Like an increasing number of bar and restaurant owners around the country, Mr. Matsko discovered that his politics can matter more than what he serves.

As the position restaurants hold in American culture grows, so too does the list of issues on which chefs are asked to make a stand. Refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding, requesting that a woman not breast-feed at the table or trying to prevent a diner from wearing a gun can have serious business implications.

(excerpt, remainder of article at link)

It should be noted that not once in the entire article is the word “douchebag” (the term the restaurant owner used to describe people who carry concealed) mentioned. Instead, they say the sign used a “derogatory term used for an obnoxious person”, leaving the reader with the impression in could have been something as innocuous as “jerk”.

[Hoyt]

1. Assuming the gun toters are law abiding, he keeps a bunch of right wing bigots out

of his restaurant (see full article for evidence).

I hope the patrons tip the wait staff well in support. Add a few bucks for the owner's bravery in an area full of gun toting yahoos.

[djean111]

2. Pejorative or not, if I had a choice, I would rather eat and/or drink in an establishment

with no guns at all.

[FSogol]

3. Someone who can't go into a f'ing restaurant without a weapon is a douchebag.

Glad to see the owner standing up to asshats.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. How about retail establishments?

Editor’s note: This article has been amended from its original version to clarify the fact that the shooter used his own gun in the incident.

ORRVILLE — One person is dead after a customer at the Dollar General in Orrville began shouting and waving his gun in the air.

Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman said the incident appeared to be a case of self-defense and no one has been arrested in connection with the shooting Thursday afternoon.

The incident occurred when Dallas County resident Kevin Mclaughlin entered Dollar General reportedly waving a pistol in the air, Huffman said. Mclaughlin then ushered a group of people inside the store into a break room.

“It appears that once the cashier got inside the break room, a customer that was walking into the break room shot the individual, the white male, with the pistol,” Huffman said. “There was only one shot fired and that shot struck the individual with the pistol causing the disturbance.”


Read more: http://www.selmatimesjournal.com/2014/01/16/one-killed-in-attempted-robbery-in-orrville/#ixzz2xTWx6LYg

[FSogol]

16. No idea what you are getting at?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

17. A customer carried a gun into a retail establishment.

Wouldn't that be akin to taking a gun into a restaurant?

[FSogol]

18. yes and? Do we really need guns in stores and restaurants?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

22. " Do we really need guns in stores and restaurants?"

Apparently the people in the article needed one and it's a good thing there was one.

[FSogol]

23. LOL. Moor gunz!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

26. So, in other words, you prefer the people being taken hostage and herded to the back of the store

should have been left to the assailant's intentions until law enforcement could have arrived, however long that may have been. Remind us again how much you care for innocent people.

[FSogol]

28. Yeah, that's exactly what I mean!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

30. Yes, it is. Since you obviously have no response except to criticize the fact

that a citizen was armed, in the store, and ended the encounter before the assailant could continue his crime. What other outcome could your criticism have achieved other than the one I just described? Please feel free to share something other than a dismissive non-statement and a smilie.

NEXT UP: "There's no point in talking to you gun nuts."

[FSogol]

54. Congrats on finding a case were a guy with a gun was useful.

Kudos!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

61. How many times a year do people lawfully defend themselves with firearms?

[wall_dish]

25. In the Dollar General case,

yes, a gun was needed to prevent what could have been a very bad outcome for the cashier and customer.

[HERVEPA]

4. Well, I don't particularly like the word, but douchebag does describe them.

[Aristus]

5. Why would gun-crazed douchebags want to eat in a restaurant, anyway?

Wouldn't road-kill be more to their taste?

Or, you know, something they shot themselves like real Americans?...

[hack89]

6. Stupidity usually gets punished and being a dick pisses people off.

in a day of ubiquitous social media, this result should be been obvious to all. Especially on such a hot button topic.

[Hoyt]

10. I find gun toting, particularly in cities, qualifies as "being a dick." Zimmerman and Dunn are

recent examples of "dicks" using their gunz for intimidation.

Do you really want some dick who can't leave home without a gun or two strapped to his body standing in line with you and your kid at Chuck E Cheese? Heck, a kid might pop a bag and send the dick into combat mode.

[FSogol]

11. Combat mode = wetting his pants?

[hack89]

15. I am merely talking about the owners lack of business sense

he could have simply put up a sign banning guns in his establishment - low key and non-confrontational. He chose to be a dick about it and now he is crying the blues.

He certainly has the right to ban guns in his business - I absolutely have no problem with him doing that.

[Hip_Flask]

21. Imagine if he put out a "No fatties" sign along the same antagonizing lines...

It's his right to do so but don't be all shocked and shaken when there's some fallout...

[Hoyt]

29. Truth hurts. I applaud him. t may help business, certainly will cut down on yahoo pollution.

[wall_dish]

33. Doesn't seem to be helping his business,

just the opposite, it's hurting his business.
He has every right as a business owner to ban firearms on his establishment, but don't be a dick about it, just put up a regular sign stating that firearms aren't welcome.

Really simple thing to do.

[Hoyt]

37. Don't see any evidence of that. Gun toters don't tip well anyway.

[wall_dish]

39. Gun toters don't tip well anyway?

And you know this how? Do you catalog gun toter's tips? Do you follow those that you think are carrying firearms and watch them eat and tip?

If so, that's really creepy.

[Hoyt]

40. Not as creepy as your support of gunz and toting in a college pub.

[wall_dish]

44. Not going to answer my question?

Ok, I expected nothing less of you.
And, just where did I say I support it?

[HERVEPA]

55. I'm sure we all welcome your concern for him.

[Hip_Flask]

7. Moronic business owner is a moron...

If I put out something to deliberately antogonize a significant portion of my customer base, especially on this issue, I might expect some push back.

If he felt strongly about the issue, then he could have put up one of these signs or the legal equivalent in his state...



Instead, he decided to be an ass about it. Reap what you sow...

[pipoman]

8. Most cc states have an approved sign...

In my state his sign could legally be disregarded...it would be meaningless.

[Hip_Flask]

14. There are definitely guidelines to follow...

However, if it were me, I wouldn't go in just because I wouldn't be welcome and I don't want to support a business whose values I disagree with.

If it's done in a civil way, that's where it ends. No harm, no foul...

This bumped it up a notch and the reaction was easily forseeable... 12 out of 10 on the duh scale...

[Hoyt]

32. You have a point. Gun toters are not nearly as law abiding as they want us to believe.

I think his sign is clear. Toting gun fanciers aren't welcome.

[yellowcanine]

46. Isn't "Approved Sign" kind of like "Approved Speech"?

The Constitution says something about that also - customer gun rights do not trump the free speech rights of a business owner.

I agree that the wise thing for a business owner to do is to use an approved sign. But if he chooses to use his own phrasing, I doubt that someone ignoring it is going to be ok legally if it goes to court, regardless of what the state legislature said. The state legislature cannot dictate approved speech for something which is clearly within the rights of a business owner, i.e., regulating weapons on the premises.

[pipoman]

50. He can post all the

Dumbness he has in his head if he wants. If he wants to prohibit concealed carry in his store and wants it to be legally enforceable he will have to post the statutory sign....at least in my state.

[HockeyMom]

9. I agree that sign would have been better,

but I also think just barring weapons would still have angered many people. Personally, I would go to his restaruant just based on that sign because I agree with his position. Lose some customers, gain others?

[Hip_Flask]

13. Possible but I think unlikely to succeed...

I think the ratios would be skewed against him

Those who feel strongly about guns and don't appreciate being called a douchebag (and their supporters) vs. those who feel strongly enough against guns to go out of their way to patronize and also don't mind that he was an antagonizing ass.

There certainly are some of the second category but I think they don't tally quite as well as the first.

YMMV

[HockeyMom]

24. I meant without publicly saying douchebag

Just put up the sign. It would still anger a lot of gun owners.

[seveneyes]

19. He is no better than those he taunts

And now a real dirtbag can come in, hold the place up with an illegal gun and be fairly confident no patrons will apprehend or stop him.

[upaloopa]

34. And that couldn't have happened before?

I never fail to laugh at the gunners who think having a gun around means the bad guys will get their due.
I don't want your fucking guns around me!

[Hoyt]

35. Give us a break. Another NRA meme that has been proven false.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/gun-free-zones-mass-shootings

[HERVEPA]

57. Great. More of the "more guns make us safer" bullshit.

[Hoyt]

27. I agree with the owner and appreciate him standing up to yahoos who would carry a gun into

a college town pub. I can't imagine anyone other than a yahoo doing that (that area of SC has plenty of them), and I applaud the owner for standing up to such yahoos and sending a needed message that gunz aren't welcome everywhere.

Will have to stop in next time through the area.

[upaloopa]

36. You don't get it do you! He doesn't want gunners for a customer base.

Thus the sign.

[wall_dish]

41. So why not just put up a sign stating that firearms are prohibited on this establishment?

Why be a dick about it?

[upaloopa]

52. Well gunners are never dicks about anything

so he must have thought to himself, since gunners are such nice friendly people and they never use bad words I'll use one so they can see what one looks like.

[HERVEPA]

58. People carrying their guns into a restaurant are the dicks.

[Hip_Flask]

42. Well he certainly got his wish then...

[upaloopa]

53. Yep and he'll get more customers like me who

Don't want gun toting people around them.

[wall_dish]

56. Maybe, maybe not.

It is South Carolina after all.

[Hip_Flask]

59. I would suggest that recent politcs have shown...

... that the pro gun movement cares more and is more effective in getting their message out than the opposing faction. I will wager a shiny nickel that this guy loses more money than he gains.

For reference, refer to the overall loosening of gun restrictions nationwide since Sandy Hook, with notable exceptions in NY and CT.

[cali]

20. o boo fucking dog shit hoo. whether you call someone a douchebag or a jerk

the intent is the same.

and it's the douchebags who have been threatening this guy that I find objectionable.

So sick of the gun nuts and the gun nut culture. It's demented and sick sick sick.

[upaloopa]

31. So what kind of words do you think were used

in the emails and phone calls he got?
I'm sure the gunner emails started like this "dear sir"
Not!

[wall_dish]

38. Well, maybe if the owner hadn't been such a dick about it,

then he wouldn't be receiving such e-mails and phone calls?

Simply putting up a regular sign stating that fireams are prohibited would've been sufficient and he wouldn't be getting the pushback.

[Hoyt]

45. Maybe he felt more strongly about the law passed by the bigoted right wing SC legislature.

Good for him.

[wall_dish]

47. This is just too funny by all accounts.

Well, if national attention is what he wanted, he got it, but not the way he wanted it I'm sure.

[Hoyt]

49. He seems to be doing just fine except for some gun toting white wingers

with hurt feelings.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/backstreets-pub-and-grill-clemson

[upaloopa]

51. Come on get real.

[wall_dish]

60. I am getting real.

Why invite the pushback by being such a dick? Why not just put up a regular sign prohibiting firearms?

[Paladin]

43. Gracious, look at all the regular DU Gun Enthusiasts with hurt feelings!

Take a look at the threats that this owner received from the pro-gun movement. "Douchebag" is way too kind an epithet for that sort of maliciously sick and oh-so-typical behavior. The next time you Second Amendment absolutists pontificate about worshipping the entire Bill of Rights, it's going to ring awfully hollow.....

[hack89]

48. What hurt feelings?

the owner certainly had the right to do what he did. We are just marveling at his lack of business acumen in doing it in such a way to hurt his business.

[hrmjustin]

62. Locking- very sorry but this post does not fit the SOP of GD.

Statement of Purpose

Discuss politics, issues, and current events. No posts about Israel/Palestine, religion, guns, showbiz, or sports unless there is really big news. No conspiracy theories. No whining about DU.


You may post it in one of the gun forums.

Again very sorry.