Mall boots kiosk selling Confederate flag clothing

TuscaloosaNews ^ | December 13, 2002 | AP

[stainlessbanner]

The manager of a Mobile mall has evicted a merchant selling clothing with Confederate battle flag designs, citing complaints from people angered by the merchandise.

The merchant, Camo Unlimited, opened a kiosk in Colonial Mall Bel Air just after Thanksgiving. The Blountsville-based company sells Dixie Outfitters clothing at the Mobile mall and at other malls throughout the Southeast, owner Toby Smith said.

Dixie Outfitters offers more than 600 designs with themes such as hunting, trucks and dogs, all including the stars and bars of the Confederate battle flag. The clothing line's "Legends of the Confederacy" series features generals and other leaders of the Confederacy.

Smith said that soon after he opened the kiosk, employees of another store at the mall complained. Soon afterward, the mall's management told him to clear out by Sunday.

Tim Nolan, the mall's general manager, said he heard from several people who indicated the store could spur a boycott of the mall.

"May I remind you that blacks and other minorities constitute a major portion of consumers who patronize Colonial Bel Air Mall," chapter president Lettie Malone wrote in a Dec. 5 letter to Nolan.

"They should not be embarrassed or made to feel uncomfortable by those who are still fighting and trying to revive a war that never should have been a part of our civilized society."

The state president of the NAACP, the Rev. R.L. Shanklin, said the group never had plans for a boycott, and that he would have to approve any boycott carried out by the organization.

Nevertheless, Nolan said the mall was in an "emotionally charged controversy that we didn't want to be in the middle of."

"There was going to be no easy decision," he told the Mobile Register. "Certainly customers are disappointed that we took them out. Customers would have been disappointed had we left them in."

Asked whether he thought his clothing was offensive, Dixie Outfitters owner Dewey Barber said, "We certainly don't put any designs out there that we feel are offensive to anyone."

Dixie Outfitters' Web site has links and news stories about the Battle Flag, and in a section called "Our Mission" it states:

"The truth about the Confederate Flag is that it has nothing to do with racism or hate. The Civil War was not fought over slavery or racism. We at Dixie Outfitters are trying to tell the real truth via our art and products in regards to the Confederate Flag."

Ben George, head of a local Sons of Confederate Veterans camp, said he was considering a protest against the eviction.

[stainlessbanner]

I can think of other, more offensive stuff in malls.

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

You don't have the right to come on to private property, which the mall is, and sell any product. If you come to an agreement with the mall owner then you can sell in the mall.

[Polybius]

Is that legal? I mean if the conderate flag hasnt been made illegal...then this person has a legitamate business enterprise. I therefore would sue everyone who moves on this one.!

Let us say that Native Americans complain to a mall manager because a store sells T-Shirts featuring black Buffalo Soldiers and the Native Americans consider that a "glorification of the cultural genocide of the Native Americans".

If the store evicted the store owner for selling those Buffalo Soldier T-shirts, the NAACP would be screaming "Racism!" on their way to the Courthouse.

[Karsus]

How is this any different that CWFA trying to get the hardcore porn mags like Cosmo banned from Wal-Mart?

[F-117A]

Dixie Outfitters

[Temple Drake]

if Christians protested against those novelty shops in malls with all the rude, crude sexually-related merchandise, do you think those shops would be kicked out?
If whites objected to those "art" shops featuring giant "black Jesus" paintings and violently anti-white books, think they'd be gone?

[Polybius]

You don't have the right to come on to private property, which the mall is, and sell any product. If you come to an agreement with the mall owner then you can sell in the mall.

Store Owners's Attorney to Mall Owner's Attorney: "Show me the clause in the rental lease that my client signed that gives your client the right to pass political judgement on the wares that my client sells. If you cannot, your client is in breach of contract."

[Dog Gone]

This whole country needs to chill out and quit being offended by legal activities of fellow citizens. That goes equally for the right and the left.

This new constitutional right not to be offended will be the death of us all.

[F-117A]

Jack Russell

[fone]

Some folks are just more equal than others...

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

Since the contract would have been written by the Mall Owner's Attorney the clause is in there.

[Kay Soze]

Ternt Lott started a business?

Did not the confedrates attack the United States of America and kill more US Citizens than Osama could ever fantazise about?

[Karsus]

I think that the vast majority of Christians would simply not go into those stores. While it may help you sleep at night, grouping all Christians into one group is not the smartest thing that one can do.

One thing you have to admit is that the NAACP and related groups have a talent for staying on message.

[stainlessbanner]

See Post #13

Stay calm...

[PAR35]

Stay calm...

Sir, is that an order or a request?

[varina davis]

Did not the confedrates attack the United States of America and kill more US Citizens than Osama could ever fantazise about?

NO!

[varina davis]

See Post #13 Stay calm...

Trying hard -- very difficult. Where DO those people get their education!

[Temple Drake]

I agree with you that Christians definitely do not stick together. I also agree that, as you point out, nobody is forced to enter any store or purchase any offenseive merchandise. Which should have been the end of this problem.

[Karsus]

True. So anyone who this bothers should not shop at the mall or any of the stores in the mall. They should also let every store in the mall know they will no longer shop there.