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Southern Heritage
Corporation Index |
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Dixie Rising Presents
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Southern Heritage
Corporation Index |
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Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pull Maurice's BBQ Sauce from Shelves because he flies the Confederate Flag!Background (September 16, 2000) What started out as an attempt to open a
discussion on the proper roll of the federal government to state
governments has developed into a fight to preserve Southern
heritage. This action focused attention on his flags. Then, some person objected to the Confederate flag being flown in the town of Lexington and the City of Lexington cited him for flying a Confederate flag and leveled a $895 per day fine as long as he flew it. It then became a "Confederate flag" fight rather than a discussion point on state sovereignty. The media completely ignored the Constitutional aspects of this fight since they would have had to openly admit they are against state sovereignty and in favor of a strong central federal government. Instead, they played the race card, as they always do against anyone who disagrees with their liberal agenda.As soon as the dust settled from the Lexington Town Council incident, the fight shifted. Sam's Clubs, a division of Wal-Mart, citing the "controversy," has removed Maurice's Gourmet BBQ Sauce from all of its stores and is shipping them back to Bessinger at his expense. This is because of one complaint! They are doing this specifically because of his flying the Confederate flag. In a news story in The State newspaper published in Columbia, SC, Melissa Berryhill, spokeswoman for Sam's Club is quoted as saying, "We do all we can to not let controversial matters get in the way of business, we do not want to get caught up in a controversial issue." But while Sam's Club says that they do not want to get "caught up in a controversial issue," they are the ones that have taken this step to inject themselves into it. The Confederate flag controversy at Maurice's was limited to the City of Lexington. Now Wal-Mart has taken it upon itself to try to bring economic pressure on an independent small businessman for his political and religious beliefs. When contacted by the Southern Anti-Bigotry Coalition in
Bentonville, Arkansas, a spokesman for Sam's Club said that it was
his understanding that the decision was "a business decision."
This is, of course, patently untrue. The same newspaper article
that reported their purely political action also reports what
everyone in South Carolina already knows, that is, Maurice's
Gourmet Barbecue Sauce is the largest selling sauce in the
midlands area where it is being removed from the shelves. Plus, we
have the words of their spokeswoman that their action was
precipitated by what they call "the controversy." Wal-Mart has now removed the product from more than 90 Wal-Mart stores across the South. The discount retailer sold the sauce only in Southern stores, but Maurice's contract calls for them to expand the distribution area across the nation over time. This move by Wal-Mart, not known for being a good friend to small business, will cost Maurice's company a great deal of money and will deny Wal-Mart customers an excellent product made in America. In a store stocked overwhelmingly with foreign (mainly Chinese) goods, it is welcome to find American products on the shelves. It appears that Wal-Mart agrees with the religious prosecution, murder of baby girls and widespread slave labor which the Chinese engage in. Otherwise, they would certainly pull all those Chinese goods. Wal-Mart used to have a Buy American program. Maurice said Wal-Mart was trampling on his right to free speech. He said he came into the world poor and "I may go out poor, but I will not yield to those who would destroy our sacred Constitution.'' It is clear that, despite what Mr. Allen says, that this is all about the Confederate flag and the freedom that it represents. Wal-Mart has overreacted unbelievably in their rush to be politically correct and have demonstrated extreme hypocrisy by carrying goods made by repressive regimes in Asia. Maurice Bessinger's Response NEWS RELEASE Maurice's Statement in Response to Wal-Mart's Personal Attack on Him Jay Allen, Vice President of Wal-Mart, was quoted in the newspaper as saying that Wal-Mart expects their suppliers to have the same beliefs as they do. In other words, they want me to "get my mind right" as the prison guards told Luke in the movie Cool Hand Luke. Wal-Mart has in effect told me, "you got to get your mind right, boy, or you can't do business with us." This attempt to force everyone in the nation to subscribe to the same politically correct opinion is un-American and it violates our most sacred beliefs in personal freedom. It violates the tradition of free speech that Southerners gave the world in the Constitution. The fact that Wal-Mart, a Southern based company, would say such a thing as they expect their suppliers to adhere to their politically correct beliefs is incredible. One wonders why they don't insist that communist China get it's mind right before they handle all those Chinese goods that are all over their shelves. With Asian dictatorships they are happy to do business. It's only American businesses they want to either dominate or put out of business. For more information
The Dixie Index recommends providing your support to Maurice. You can order his products online at: http://www.mauricesbbq.com
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It is time for us to take a stand in defense of Southern Heritage. It is time for those who are concerned to let our elected officials, appointed officials and even corporate representatives know that even Southerners Have a Right to be proud of Our Heritage.
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