Posted on 07/23/2009 8:59:27 AM PDT by This Just In
July 23, 2009
Conservative kiosk not allowed at mall Jim Paul
One of major mall operators in America seems to be aligning itself with the Democrats. Apparently the Simon Property Group has again bowed to the transparent complaints of a single person to shut down a conservative memorabilia peddler due solely to the political slant of the items sold.
As reported by BETH SHAYNE / WCNC.com:
The owner of the mall group, Mel Simon, has been a generous contributor to Democratic causes and politicians, including Barack Obama. Spivack [owner of the kiosk in question] thinks the decision about his lease is political.
"If they have decided to make their malls conservative/libertarian free zones, where those opinions can't be expressed, I do think it's their right to do that, but it's our rights to publicize the fact that they are doing that," he said.
If the issue is about causing offense, he told us, the mall should police other stores. Spivack sent NewsChannel 36 pictures of several T-shirts and banners from novelty stores at the mall that were so crude we've chosen not to share them.
You remember the Simon Property Group, they are the ones who chose to cancel the Atlanta Tea Party at the last minute. Perhaps a review of our shopping habits is in order?
Sorry fellow FreePers a Mall is PRIVATE PROPERTY and as such the Mall Owners can decide what(and Who) goes in his Mall. HOWEVER this doesn’t mean that you cannot protest on the PUBLIC sidewalk that goes AROUND the Mall.
It also means that the businesses who do business in the mall can be the targets of boycotts. It’s time that we apply some pressure of our own.
I agree they can do what they want, but so can I. Therefore I have sent the Simon Group an email indicating I will no longer patronize any shops which reside in malls they either own or manage.
Here is the web site. I invite you all to comment to management as you see fit.
I would agree that the private owner has every right to call the shots, and we, as consumers, have every right to spend our hard earned cash somewhere else.
Email sent to their corporate offices:
We’d just like to give your firm the ‘heads up’ on a change in our family shopping habits. Unless you stop making politically motivated decisions that stifle freedom of speech, we will not even entertain going onto your property or spending any money with the merchants that you lease to.
We are specifically referencing your Atlanta decision to put a stop to a Tea Party this month AND your decision to cancel the lease of a SC kiosk selling conservative memorabilia.
You do have the right to make the decisions above, but we also have the right to shop elsewhere. Please write back if we are in error or you change your policy.
Thank you.
If there’s a Spencers in any of these malls, it proves the company doesn’t care whether or not there is offensive material in their malls.
Absolutely.
One question does come to mind, what exactly is a “Conservative Kiosk”?
A Kiosk that sells anything that tells the truth about RINOS, Obambi, and the ENTRE Dem party.
sent similar email....
I contacted the co. and told them that I and my conservative friends would respect their wishes not to have conservative thought or displays in their malls, and refrain from shopping at any Simon mall, and that we would spread the word to every conservative group we could find.
“Conservative Kiosk”? ........................... About a 10x10 foot floor space in the open.
I haven’t been to a mall in years and have no need or intention to ever go again.
The Good News here is that most of the Simon Group malls in my 2 state area (IS,NE) are either “outlet” type or a Mall that is either dead or dying. Most will soon be eligible of inclusion on: deadmalls.com website.
Whew. Glad to see that the malls I like to patronize are not owned or managed by Simon.
I agree. Malls are a scourge on America. Shop in town. No superstores either.
The little hardware store in our little town has survive generations of “mall competition” by providing great service and dedicated hometown friendly advice.
WA Ping.....heads up - this company owns....Tacoma Mall, Northgate Mall, Tulalip Mall, Snoqualmie/Fall City Mall and I think one other.....
I’m in Ocean Cty NJ and I have called and emailed the anchor stores in the mall here and informed the mall manager of why neither myself, my family and as many of my friends as i can convince will no longer shop at either their stores or any other stores managed/owned by the Simon Group.
The mall manager was a polite individual and after I was done he asked m,e if i thought it was fair to all the employees and business owners in the Ocean Cty mall to penalize them for the decision in which they had no part.
My response was that the mall manager who made the decision did so because he had the freedom to do it and I assume it was based on what he believed was good business sense. I also have the freedom to disagree with his actions and if by exercising my rights cost the tenants of his mall money, then maybe it is he that ought to consider the fairness of his actions in refusing to renew the lease of the tenant selling conservative t-shirts, slogans, etc.
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