'Buy American' Signs Sending Mixed Messages.

September 21, 2001 3:42 PM

'Buy American' Signs Sending Mixed Messages. This is admittedly a very small story, dealing with a fairly small town. But this happening just about thirteen miles north of where I live, in a town I shop and buy lottery tickets at. (I wrote briefly about it in my own blog four days ago, alongside a photo of the "No Camel Jockeys Here" sign mentioned in the newspaper piece.)
posted by tpoh.org (6 comments total)

It's pretty simple really, patriotism is good while nationalism is bad. Some people see one and think it's ok to do the other.
posted by mathowie at 4:00 PM on September 21, 2001

We've got a gas station on our neighborhood that has a hand-lettered by the curb. It says "American born and proud of it" on one side, and "No sand in our business" on the other. The station owner is an Arab-American. How bad is the current climate to make him reinforce a negative stereotype like that?
posted by Oriole Adams at 5:12 PM on September 21, 2001

"American born" is such a wasteful, empty phrase. CHOOSING to be an American, and live according to American ideals & principles, is what's really important. By way of example (extreme, but that's the point): Timothy McVeigh was "American born" and likely very proud of it.
posted by davidmsc at 5:42 PM on September 21, 2001

Update: I was just up in Franklin this evening to speak with Mr. Mahtani (owner of the Lucky Lotto store). I was relieved to hear that he has received a lot of gestures of support from people in the area, following the publication of the article in today's Tennessean.

I am also pleased to announce that the sign at Cat Daddy's Pay Lake ("no camel jockeys here") has been removed as of this evening. To anyone who may have called ... cheers.
posted by tpoh.org at 5:53 PM on September 21, 2001

I understand that China is working overtime to make zillions of American flags.
posted by Postroad at 6:07 PM on September 21, 2001

Update: I was just up in Franklin this evening to speak with Mr. Mahtani (owner of the Lucky Lotto store). I was relieved to hear that he has received a lot of gestures of support from people in the area, following the publication of the article in today's Tennessean.

I am also pleased to announce that the sign at Cat Daddy's Pay Lake ("no camel jockeys here") has been removed as of this evening. To anyone who may have called ... cheers.

That really is good to hear. Tpoh, please give Mr. Mahtani our best and tell him to hang on. And thanks for the post.
posted by Rastafari at 12:01 AM on September 22, 2001