Mall shuts down kiosk for selling anti-Obama merchandise

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

Freedom of speech is dead.  That is "change" you can believe in.  This mall is owned by the same company that owns Woodland Hills Mall. 

http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-072109-mrn-freemarketwarrior.63b5bce2.html

[Townsend]

So you're equating a decision made by a mall to freedom of speech being dead?

[Hoss]

So you're equating a decision made by a mall to freedom of speech being dead?

Well, at least it wasn't spelled 'speach' like I've seen so much of lately....

[Conan71]

Well, at least it wasn't spelled 'speach' like I've seen so much of lately....

Exactly, I hate it when people butcher words like speatch.

I didn't read any examples in the story about specific racist or bigoted material in the kiosk that the hurt the tender feewings of the young woman/complainer.  I'd like to know a little more in depth before I'd conclude this guy's right to free speech was impinged on for bumper stickers critical of the current administration or simply having confederate flags (which I do consider an abomination but wouldn't demand a place was shut down for it).

[RecycleMichael]

The guy was selling racist pro-confederacy items as well. That can't be the image the mall wants to portray.

The owners quotes, "Nobody in that mall is selling anything from a conservative perspective. Plenty of people are selling things with a liberal perspective, with a pro-Obama perspective," he said. "Given that we are in America and not North Korea, we probably should have some stuff on the other side."

Do people go to the mall to buy their conservative political t-shirts and novelty items? Isn't that what gun shows and the internet is for?

[Conan71]

The guy was selling racist pro-confederacy items as well. That can't be the image the mall wants to portray.

The owners quotes, "Nobody in that mall is selling anything from a conservative perspective. Plenty of people are selling things with a liberal perspective, with a pro-Obama perspective," he said. "Given that we are in America and not North Korea, we probably should have some stuff on the other side."

Do people go to the mall to buy their conservative political t-shirts and novelty items? Isn't that what gun shows and the internet is for?

They failed to quote or cite any specific pro-confederacy, racist items in the kiosk.  The story almost makes it sound as if the anti-Obama merchandise was "pro-confederate".

Amazing what passes for journalism anymore.

[RecycleMichael]

The kiosk has a website that sells stuff with slogans...

Here are some examples...

"I guess it was easier to vote for Obama than get a job"

"Defend America, Fight Obama"

"Kill the Caribou...and take their oil"

"Obama...comes from an old Kenyan word meaning Jimmy Carter"

This comes from the owner's blog this morning...it seems this guy was more interested in a pulpit than a cash register at the mall...

Free Market Warrior was founded to redress an imbalance in the marketplace of ideas.  As more and more Americans wake up to the sobering reality of a government bent on destroying the very foundations of American freedom and prosperity, they may reflect back on what they were drinking last night that led them here.  It was a veritable ocean of Obamamania.

It hasn't been so long since every checkout aisle in the country was festooned with everything from coloring books to jig saw puzzles celebrating a man who was the greatest president in history, before he started.  (He would have secured his place for eternity if only he hadn't been inaugurated!)

We wanted to offer an alternative so parents could show their children that there was still diversity in America.  That our slide into North Korean leader worship could be checked.

Now, we had suspected that the simultaneous descent of all media into Obama worship was not an accident.  Like the hype before a major Hollywood release, nothing was going to be left to chance.  It is also axiomatic that the right likes to debate while the left likes to silence debate.  But our little kiosk seemed small enough to fit under the radar.

But maybe not.  I see our bumper stickers almost every time I drive around Charlotte now, and the classically totalitarian objective of both the Administration and the left wing media is to create the illusion that everybody agrees and there are no alternative ideas.  Free Market Warrior became the weed poking through the cracked pavement of the American left.   
 

[custosnox]

There was no examples of racist items listed in the article, and, like conan, I'll hod my condemnment until these examples are given.  However, we do live in a free, capitalist country that allows us to say pretty much whatever we want (as long as we aren't threatening to kill the president or something along those lines).  And one of the great things about capitalism is that if noone likes the message being sold, you don't have to buy.  If this places chooses to sell things that send an unwanted message, the lack of business would eventually shut him down.  However, while he has the right to freedom of speach, it does not mean he has a freedom of sell what he wants on someone elses property.  The Mall has the complete right to refuse to do business with whoever they want, for whatever reason they want.  

[FOTD]

Get a copy of their lease. The only way to evict a tenant is a breach of agreement. Betcha the lease has a clause regarding non disturbance. Betcha. betcha. you betcha.

Actually, terms on a kiosk lease are real inflexible and totally one sided in favor of the landlord.

Whine you wing nuts. This demon sez: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[Wilbur]

It's funny.  The lady who started this whole thing, by writing a letter to the mall complaining about this guy's material, mentions 'freedom of speech', but then demands this guy be evicted because his speech is offensive to her.

Isn't that the point of freedom of speech?

Do people go to the mall to buy their conservative political t-shirts and novelty items?

Do people go to the mall to buy their liberal political t-shirts and novelty items?

[custosnox]

Get a copy of their lease. The only way to evict a tenant is a breach of agreement. Betcha the lease has a clause regarding non disturbance. Betcha. betcha. you betcha.

Actually, terms on a kiosk lease are real inflexible and totally one sided in favor of the landlord.

Whine you wing nuts. This demon sez: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Actually, their not evicting them.  Their just refusing to renew the lease with them, which ends at the end of this month.

[FOTD]

Actually, their not evicting them.  Their just refusing to renew the lease with them, which ends at the end of this month.

Same difference....same result....same message.

[Conan71]

It's funny.  The lady who started this whole thing, by writing a letter to the mall complaining about this guy's material, mentions 'freedom of speech', but then demands this guy be evicted because his speech is offensive to her.

Isn't that the point of freedom of speech?

Do people go to the mall to buy their liberal political t-shirts and novelty items?

Just like the liberal mantra of:

"You are free to practice any religion you like in public so long as it is not Christianity"

"You have the right to free speech unless it hurts my tender wittle feewings."

[custosnox]

Same difference....same result....same message.

I was simply responding to your statement of breach of agreement and a lease clause. Not renewing makes all of that null and void.

[FOTD]

Just like the liberal mantra of:

"You are free to practice any religion you like in public so long as it is not Christianity"

"You have the right to free speech unless it hurts my tender wittle feewings."

a coco puff!