I heard this on the morning news and did some research and found it to be true. Apparently Concord Mills is giving the boot to a kiosk owner for selling Conservative themed merchandise.

http://www.news14.com/content/top_stories/612469/group-boycotts-concord-mills-mall-over-kiosk-controversy/Default.aspx

According to the talk show this all started after a customer complained that an anti-obama sticker was "racist"/"offensive". From what I have gathered nothing being sold is explicitly racist and it is all just anti-obama/ anti-liberal shit; the same stuff we would have seen being
anti-bush a year ago at this time. One of the "offensive" bumber stickers in question was one that said "impeach Obama". I do not think
Obama should be impeached no more than hooksaw thinks Bush should have gotten impeached. Nonetheless, I support this guy's
freedom to sell such merchandise which is to a degree just humor (does anyone truely think Obama should get impeached?). The owner of the mall
Simon Property group is led by a major Obama contributor, go figure...


another "offensive" item sold at this store was a bib reading "Thanks Mom and Dad for choosing Life." I am pro-choice but what is so damn offensive
about this???

http://www.foxcharlotte.com/dpp/news/concord_mills_freedom_of_speech_kiosk_protest

I think this is rediculous

7/27/2009 9:53:31 AM

Your spelling is offensive.

7/27/2009 9:57:17 AM

The folks in town for Nascar events are not going to be happy about this

7/27/2009 10:03:48 AM

I'm sure Spivack is telling 100% of the story too, since he knows the mall owner won't comment on lease issues

The owner seems to be well within his rights to not renew this lease, whether it be because of a complaint or any other reason we may not be aware of. For all we know this guy doesn't pay rent on time, doesn't follow rules, etc. The mall obviously has known what he was selling for however long he has been there, can't imagine the supposed liberal bias kicked in a week before the lease was up.

And Spivack just comes off as an idiot for trying to make this a free speech issue.

7/27/2009 10:06:36 AM

I heard this on John Boy and Billy this morning on the way to work. I guess they don't care about offending their patrons? On one hand half the time the place is full of foreigners but not around race week.

The kiosk salesmen that try to put smelly shit on you when you walk by are way more offensive than bumper stickers. Until I hear the other side of it, I won't be going to Concord Mills. Sorry Bass Pro

7/27/2009 11:28:45 AM

Is Concord Mills publicly owned?

Because if it isn't, what the fuck is this thread about?

7/27/2009 11:29:39 AM

7/27/2009 11:33:56 AM

I'm sure Concord Mills had no problem selling

"Impeach Bush"
"Make Love not war"
"Jan 20th 2008 the end of an era error"

bumper stickers but when their homeboy Obama becomes president all of a suddent this is unacceptable and/or having a "impeach Obama" bumper sticker is racist/offensive



I'm not a Bush fan i just find the hypocrisy and double standard disgusting.

7/27/2009 11:36:53 AM

So, it's a privately owned corporation, right?

I mean, you understand that means they can control who does business there, right?

No laws or codes of ethics were broken here. Are you just offended that someone doesn't share your point of view?

7/27/2009 11:40:21 AM

We have a right to free speech, not facilitated free speech.

7/27/2009 12:02:26 PM

Quote :

"Are you just offended that someone doesn't share your point of view"

What point of view is this?
I am not even a conservative, did not vote for McPalin, or a Bush supporter lmao.
I just disagree with Concord Mill's view to censor merchandise that does not meet their own political views. Had the same mall done this for anti-GOP or anti-Bush merchandise during the 2000-2008 period; their would have been a political shit storm with the media and liberal protesters enraged at their 1st amendment rights being violated.
Now that the democrats have control does not give them the right to squash or silence the opposition party. I am pro-democracy not pro-"my party".

In my opinion the Right is far worse about doing stuff like this than the Left; but two wrongs does not make a right.

[Edited on July 27, 2009 at 12:09 PM. Reason : a]

7/27/2009 12:08:46 PM

Quote :

"I just disagree with Concord Mill's view to censor merchandise that does not meet their own political views."

You can disagree with Concord Mills giving this guy the boot, but disagreeing with their right to do so is dumb.

If you're a conservative Christian, are you gonna let some guy set up pro-choice bumper sticker booth in your mall? Fuck no. Dude has an opinion and a private business, he can do whatever the fuck he wants.

7/27/2009 12:16:45 PM

were any vendors selling anti bush stuff a few years ago?

I used to work at this mall and never saw anything implying this.

7/27/2009 12:26:08 PM

I strongly doubt that the owners of Concord Mills are liberals.

7/27/2009 1:54:56 PM

Quote :

"I strongly doubt that the owners of Concord Mills are liberals."

i too am sure there is far more to the story than what this guy is hollering about. i'll bet he was consistently late with rent and/or a poor tenant for other considerations, so they declined to renew his lease.

conservatives love to play the victim

anyhow, big fucking deal. take your trinkets and peddle them somewhere else.




[Edited on July 27, 2009 at 2:22 PM. Reason : .]

7/27/2009 2:22:23 PM

Quoting:

Now they've banned a kiosk vendor, apparently because his products bear politically conservative slogans.

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

CONCORD, N.C. -- "Impeach Obama."
"Al Qaeda's favorite days: 9/11/01 and 11/04/08."

"Work Harder. Obama needs the money."

The bumper stickers and posters sold at "Free Market Warrior" at Concord Mills are meant to be "biting," the kiosk's owner Loren Spivack said.

At least one passerby found them racist and bigoted, and took time to tell the mall in a letter and a letter to the editor of the Charlotte Observer.

Whatever your opinion, the fact is this: At the end of July, Free Market Warrior will not be allowed at Concord Mills Mall. The kiosk chain's owner shared e-mail correspondence with NewsChannel 36 that explains that the mall management has decided that the items sold are not "neutral" enough. The lease will be allowed to expire July 31, 2009 without an option to renew.

Spivack, who first leased the space this spring, says the decision came as a shock to him. He says mall management seemed pleased with the kiosk just a few weeks ago.

"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."

Spivack says he is careful not to sell things that personally attack a politician and wants a fair exchange of ideas. "The material that I sell is about politics and ideas," he told Newschannel 36. "It's all legitimate criticism."

Concord Mills, owned by Simon Property Group, would not comment for this story, cited a policy against talking about tenant and landlord situations.

____________________________________________________________________

Simon was also involved in stopping a tea party type event in Atlanta recently.

The event had been agreed to by the property owner, but Simon put pressure on the owner of the neighboring property (including "exercising" an easement provision that had no legal force because it was expired) and the owner withdrew his consent to use the property.



[Edited on July 27, 2009 at 3:27 PM. Reason : .]

7/27/2009 3:26:10 PM

Quote :

"Is Concord Mills publicly owned? Because if it isn't, what the fuck is this thread about?"

7/27/2009 3:27:37 PM

the bias that Simons group has.

7/27/2009 3:34:51 PM

lol @ "Impeach Obama"

7/27/2009 3:38:02 PM

no conservative view?

There's a christian book store in the mall.

also just because something is "pro-obama" does not mean its liberal.

7/27/2009 3:39:34 PM

because christian is by definition conservative in politics

7/27/2009 4:02:10 PM

Oh my gawrsh bias

7/27/2009 4:26:11 PM

Conservatives getting upset about the free market ITT

7/27/2009 4:56:41 PM

^^^ yes that is what I said.

also without more facts this whole thing is stupid

7/27/2009 5:01:15 PM

[old]

the mall said his items he sold "weren't neutral enough" so they weren't going to renew his lease

at the same time, its a privately owned mall so they can choose not to renew his lease for any reason

so while they obviously didn't renew his lease based on not agreeing with his politics, they have the legal right to do that

Quote :

"i'll bet he was consistently late with rent and/or a poor tenant for other considerations, so they declined to renew his lease. "

no, it was because, according to management, "the items he sold weren't neutral enough"

Quote :

"I strongly doubt that the owners of Concord Mills are liberals."

based on what? cause they are

7/27/2009 5:09:12 PM

maybe they're black

7/27/2009 5:33:16 PM

well, whatever.

about time a corporation, especially a real estate developer/manager, showed some progressive convictions.

considering all the Diebolds or ClearChannels or every local and regional Builders Association... it's nice to see tables turned for once.

7/27/2009 5:36:09 PM

They have every right to not renew the guy's lease.

Others have the right to call the mall owners a douchebag for letting politics get in the way of good business. Much like liberals criticize the actions of private businesses all the time.

Wow, these two views are utterly irreconcilable! If only people who were so genuinely and deeply offended had some way to express their outrage; somehow agreeing to get together and not frequent this place of business... ah, but it is a fool's fevered dream.

7/27/2009 6:06:27 PM

I just figured I'd chime in and give the summary since this story broke in Charlotte like a week ago

7/27/2009 6:08:50 PM

If it was Billy Bob's Flea Market that made headlines a year ago after banning some hippy from selling "Obama 08'" or "Impeach Bush" merchandise; i would have felt equally motivated to make this thread.

7/27/2009 6:31:38 PM

I'm not really passionate about politics like the mall owner and kiosk leasee but my main opinion is to echo what TerdFerguson said. If you're trying to make money, cater to your demographics. Seems like CONKERD MEEYULS would go over the top to have enough conservative political shops/stands as a lot of people in the area agree with those standpoints

Sadly though, the people who are boycotting aren't hurting the mall owner's pocket book as much as they're hurting the other small business in the mall

7/27/2009 6:37:00 PM

Quote :

"Seems like CONKERD MEEYULS would go over the top to have enough conservative political shops/stands as a lot of people in the area agree with those standpoints"

lol for real.

from a business perspective I do not see how the Simon douche considers this a rational business move.

7/27/2009 6:40:00 PM

im going to get a shitload of those stickers just so i can fucking murder the first faggot to call me racist for it.
you college shitheads are just ridiculous with the racism claims and it's gotten fucking old

7/27/2009 8:26:45 PM

Not to anyway diminish your claim that being hypersensitive to racial issues is something that people could find annoying... you still gotta expect "college shitheads" if you're going to spend much time hanging out on an online college message board.

7/27/2009 8:51:34 PM

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/854652.html

While protesters rallied in his support, the owner of a Concord Mills kiosk that sells conservative merchandise said he met with the mall's manager Sunday to see what arrangements can be made for him to remain after his lease expires Friday.


Nothing was agreed to, except that the two would meet again today, said Loren Spivack, owner of Free Market Warrior.


Spivack has contended that he's being kicked out of the mall for political reasons. He's traced his exile to a letter to the editor in the Observer criticizing his business, saying it promotes “ideas such as racism, sexism and even slavery.”


He said he was at work again Sunday when he got a call from mall manager Ray Soporowski inviting to talk in his office.


“It was a pleasant, amicable conversation, but we didn't come to any resolution about whether our business would be able to stay in the mall,” Spivack said. “He wanted to include some of his company's senior management and we agreed to talk again Monday.”


Mall officials have repeatedly declined to comment. Reached Sunday, Soporowski continued that policy. “With all due respect, that conversation is between Loren and myself,” he said.


Sunday, about 100 people rallied in front of the mall to support Spivack and his right to free speech.


He opened his Free Market Warrior kiosk last spring, selling such items as “Impeach Obama” bumper stickers and baby bibs that say, “My parents chose life. Thanks Mom and Dad!”


Spivack said he's found other stores in the mall selling T shirts and other merchandise with offensive slogans and feels he's being targeted “purely for politic reasons.”


Since the controversy arose, he said his business has picked up.


“We're obviously getting a lot of attention and I'm happy to say a lot of support,” Spivack said. “Overwhelmingly, people I've talked to are rallying in support of us. That's very gratifying. But as it stands now, we're out at the end of the business day Friday unless there's a change.”



[Edited on July 27, 2009 at 8:52 PM. Reason : .]

7/27/2009 8:52:10 PM

Quote :

"Sunday, about 100 people rallied in front of the mall to support Spivack and his right to free speech."

So now we know there are at least 100 people within driving distance of Charlotte who don't understand the idea of free speech.

7/27/2009 9:11:36 PM

AMERICA!

FUCK YEAH!

7/27/2009 9:15:32 PM

USA #1

The democrats are acting like the bullied little brother who has finally grown up. Instead of minding the partisan political divided created by George Dub the democrats and liberal population in general seem content with a tit for tat, eye for an eye attitude.

Quote :

"you college, [insert a certain ethnic minority group here] and liberal hippy shitheads are just ridiculous with the racism claims and it's gotten fucking old "

I must agree with the poster below you. YOU ARE IN A COLLEGE MESSAGE BOARD

7/27/2009 9:45:39 PM

How many people who have posted on this thread in this message board are at college?

7/27/2009 9:49:23 PM

at college or in college?
Does it count if I'm back in college, but left at one point? How about if I am leaving soon?

7/27/2009 9:56:19 PM

If we're in message boards, then we're also at colleges, I guess.

7/27/2009 9:57:55 PM

im in yr message boardz, auditing your collegez

7/27/2009 10:03:11 PM

Quote :

"Free Market Warrior"

self-pwnt

BTW, it's Concord Fucking Mills, I would expect to see conservative shit as I would expect to see liberal shit at a local coffee shop.

[Edited on July 27, 2009 at 10:23 PM. Reason : ]

7/27/2009 10:12:02 PM

Quote :

"So now we know there are at least 100 people within driving distance of Charlotte who don't understand the idea of free speech."

How exactly is this guy showing he does not understand the idea of free speech?

7/28/2009 1:45:26 AM

^
Free speech means the government can't ban your speech. A private property owner may choose to not allow certain speech on their property. One's right to free speech doesn't entitle them to freely speak on someone else's private property. Spivack's free speech rights aren't being affected here -- he is perfectly legally still able to sell his wares, complete with their partisan speech, just not on the property privately owned by Concord Mills. The 100 or so Spivack supporters that rallied to supposedly "support his right to free speech" may be in support of Spivack and oppose the Concord Mills decision, but Spivack doesn't have a right to a Concord Mills lease and this issue isn't about free speech, so the supporters aren't really supporting his right to free speech because his right to free speech hasn't been denied.

7/28/2009 2:57:42 AM

^Oh I already know and agree with all of that - I just didn't catch the line in there that they were there "in support of his right to free speech." I thought they were just there in support of him, and to pressure the mall to allow him to stay.

Calling it a free-speech issue certainly does show their ignorance.

But, at least we have to give them this - they haven't petitioned the government to stop the mall from getting rid of him. That either shows they really don't believe it's a free speech issue and have just spoken carelessly, or they just realize they would lose in court

Unless they are planning to sue and I also skipped that part.

[Edited on July 28, 2009 at 3:16 AM. Reason : a]

7/28/2009 3:11:06 AM

If concord mills banned him b.c he was an african american and/or sold Obama t-shirts, rap music CD's, African looking garb; there would be a media shit storm with Al Sharpton himself coming down to lead the protest rally.

Banning this guy is ok though since he is white and merely just disagrees with your political viewpoints.

7/28/2009 3:37:34 AM

^
Not the same thing and you know it.

7/28/2009 4:24:15 AM

no its exactly the same thing and if you turn your mtv neuron link off for a fucking second you could see that

7/28/2009 7:14:19 AM

Quote :

"Is Concord Mills publicly owned? Because if it isn't, what the fuck is this thread about?"

7/28/2009 9:16:39 AM