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GA Barbershop Owner Drops a Massive Truth Bomb About the Struggles of Being a 'Non-Essential' Business Owner
Townhall.com ^ | April 25, 2019 | Beth Bauman

Posted on 04/25/2020 8:30:07 AM PDT by Kaslin

Those in the beauty industry – barbershops, hair and nail salon and spas – have all taken a massive hit during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. They have been deemed "non-essential" from the beginning. In some states, it will be another four to six weeks before these businesses are able to reopen. In other states, like California, they are closed with no reopening date in sight.

Critics, especially rich critics on the left, want beauty professionals to stay home. Taurean Overall, the owner of three successful Blessed Up Barber Shops in Atlanta, said what's being asked of them is unrealistic and unfeasible. He is, however, thankful that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has decided to reopen the economy and allowed these so-called "non-essential businesses" to reopen.

"What do you say to all the folks out there who think this is so dangerous, you are putting people’s lives, you know, in jeopardy?" Fox News' Laura Ingraham asked. "Al Sharpton today said that what you’re actually doing is bad."

She then played a clip of Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC.

"I don’t know any barber in Georgia that has 6-foot long arms. How are you going to have social distancing in a barbershop or in a beauty parlor?" Sharpton said. "I mean, let’s be serious. You are really telling people, put yourself in danger. For what reason, I cannot imagine."

Overall smirked when he heard the comments.

"Rev. Al, you might have a couple million dollars in the bank. Us non-essential owners do not," the barbershop owner said. "The only thing we can speak from is our perspective. For the last two months – I speak for myself – I had no income for the last two months. I own three barbershops, I also cut hair myself, and us being out of work is no money coming in at all. In the last few months, I have spent over $20,000 in rent, in mortgages, you know, stuff like that. I applied for the SBAs, applied for the unemployment. I haven’t even received the stimulus."

"So my question to people out there: what should we do? Should we just sit back and wait for the government to bail us out, or take advantage of the opportunity we have them be as safe as possible and still, you know, make as much money as we can and play it safe?" Overall asked.

His three barbershops are taking extra safety precautions, like requiring customers to sanitize their hands, spray down in Lysol and wear disposable gloves and ponchos. Employees are wearing masks.

Ingraham played a clip from a New York Times reporter who suggested that allowing economies to freely reopen would put us back to square one in the pandemic.

Overall, again, asked how businesses that are deemed "non-essential" should maneuver this crisis when they're being asked to stay home.

"If you don’t want us to work, find a way to make an extra stimulus package or some kind of funds for us non-essential workers to save our homes, to save our cars from being repoed, to save from being evicted, to save our businesses," the barbershop owner said. "I’ve busted my butt for the last six years building a franchise from the ground up and what people are telling me [to do is] to sit at home and wait, for something no one has an answer to, save me."

Overall said he would rather reopen, take the opportunity to be as safe as possible while having faith in God to provide.

"The key is to be as safe as possible. It’s no different than coming into the barbershop as a person going to the grocery store. And touching that bag of chips. Who knows who touched that bag of chips before you did," he explained. "When you come into a barbershop, I know who sat in my chair so I’m going to wipe it down. I know who’s touching my door handle so I’m going to wipe it down."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: briankemp; foxnews; georgia; lauraingraham; neb; smallbusiness; taureanoverall; wuhancoronavirus
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To: cp124
Make America America again.

A big "AMEN" and and a bump . . . we've let the pols and media swipe our mojo . . . screw 'em . . . and the horse they rode in on

21 posted on 04/25/2020 9:12:46 AM PDT by RatRipper ( Democrats and socialists are vile liars, thieves and murderers - enemies of good and America.)
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To: Kaslin; All
This is what happens when we allow the government to pick and choose who is essential and who is not. Who are the winners and who are not.

It's not longer the free-enterprise, free marketplace. It's flat out socialism and communism.

Why is being ordered to lockdown and stay home any different than running a business practicing the same precautions that we're told to take at home?

Businesses can have their employees and customers wash their hands, wear masks, use hand-sanitizer, keep their distances when possible and wipe down all surfaces regularly.

This is just like global warming. The Left doesn't really care about saving the planet. They want to install their socialist system as a replacement for capitalism.

And the Left really doesn't care about containing the virus. They just want to control people so they can have power over them and run things by mandate instead of by free enterprise.

22 posted on 04/25/2020 9:19:53 AM PDT by HotHunt (Been there. Done that.)
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To: Kaslin

The virus started up early in New York and San Fransisco for obvious reasons. They then are closer to heard immunity than the rest of the nation and should open earlier. On the other side, areas like where I am at in central Oregon the virus has barely got started.

This startup time of the shutdown has a huge negative effect on the more rural areas. It will drag on much longer. In Sweden they say science is driving what they are doing. In Oregon our idiot governor says science is driving what she is doing.

We need to immediately move on and take what ever happens. Otherwise our economy will be totally destroyed and the Dems will happily blame Trump, having no sense of responsibility or understanding whats wrong in their heads.


23 posted on 04/25/2020 9:19:59 AM PDT by Dennis M.
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To: Kaslin
Saw the interview when it was first aired.

This man is doing what he needs to do to SURVIVE.

I support 200% everything he's doing.

IMO, he's displaying the "True American Attitude."

24 posted on 04/25/2020 9:34:31 AM PDT by VideoDoctor
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To: Kaslin
Question for Reverend Sharpton:

Do abortionists have six-foot-long arms?

25 posted on 04/25/2020 9:41:46 AM PDT by ZOOKER (Until further notice the /s is implied...)
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To: VideoDoctor

“I support 200% everything he’s doing.”

200%?

Chintzy bass turd


26 posted on 04/25/2020 9:46:09 AM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: PGR88

I agree but want reinforce that he should not be required to do that by the government.

The goal is to slow the spread NOT stop the spread. We need more people to be exposed not less.


27 posted on 04/25/2020 9:46:27 AM PDT by FreedomNotSafety
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To: Kaslin

I saw him interviewed last night and I’m impressed! Hope he’s up and running and more successful than before.....


28 posted on 04/25/2020 9:47:44 AM PDT by Dawgreg
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To: Kaslin

I am tired of the “you reopen and you are putting other people’s lives in jeopardy mantra”. There is nothing forcing people to go out and do anything. If a person is scared they can take their own responsibility and stay home.


29 posted on 04/25/2020 9:50:14 AM PDT by dforest
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To: FreedomNotSafety

Hip-hip-hooray. What you said!


30 posted on 04/25/2020 9:55:01 AM PDT by mumblypeg
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To: PGR88; Kaslin
His three barbershops are taking extra safety precautions, like requiring customers to sanitize their hands, spray down in Lysol and wear disposable gloves and ponchos. Employees are wearing masks.

No Way am I going to spray down with Lysol.

If he and his employees want to buy in to this Virus fairy tale that’ fine, but I don’t so I won’t.

31 posted on 04/25/2020 9:56:23 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit)
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To: Kaslin

First thing I’m going to do when I get out of lockdown is
get a $150 haircut.


32 posted on 04/25/2020 10:03:14 AM PDT by sasquatch
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To: Kaslin

There are no nonessential businesses. Everything is tightly interwoven. Sidelining just one industry in this country leaves a mark.


33 posted on 04/25/2020 10:13:48 AM PDT by alabama_heart
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To: ealgeone
Something lost on the dims.

Odds are he's been voting for the Ds all his life. Even with this, most won't change.

34 posted on 04/25/2020 10:14:47 AM PDT by JonPreston
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To: Kaslin

Saw him interviewed on Laura Ingraham’s show last night, he did a great job. A very likeable guy, spoke common sense.


35 posted on 04/25/2020 10:15:29 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Kaslin
In other states, like California, they are closed with no reopening date in sight.

Oh, I'm pretty sure Cher and Streisand have hairdressers. Go to their mansions for a cut. Make an afternoon of it and score some ice cream in San Fran Gran Nan's kitchen.

36 posted on 04/25/2020 10:22:34 AM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: PGR88; Kaslin

He sounds like he’s on the right track.


37 posted on 04/25/2020 10:31:08 AM PDT by thecodont
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To: Kaslin

If non-essential, then close them for good! Obviously, they are essential within a time frame of more than 4 weeks. They can go on vacation for a week in July, and the world doesn’t end. But if they were closed for good, everyone would soon see how essential they are.


38 posted on 04/25/2020 10:46:14 AM PDT by I want the USA back (I fear democrats more than the bug. I hate the media.)
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To: Dennis M.

Hallelujah..... Finally someone who agrees with me..... So many New York haters on this site that they are willing to go against logic and say stuff like “let filthy Lib New York stay closed for a year, let the rest of the country open up”....really???.... Anyone who says that is playing right into the hands of those that claim that lockdowns are the only thing that can save us


39 posted on 04/25/2020 11:02:47 AM PDT by The Fop (God Bless Donald Trump, Frank Sinatra, Joan Rivers, and the Fightin' Rat Pack Wing of the GOP)
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To: sasquatch

Wow


40 posted on 04/25/2020 11:05:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
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