According to media reports, a store in New Mexico posted a message at the front that read, “Obama & other Muslims Not welcome here”. The racist message has sparked outrage among citizens who saw it but the owner reportedly is adamant on his views and doesn’t fear his public image. In fact, he has been posting such signs for years but it was brought to notice only after a tourist spotted it.
The manager of the store that’s located in the town of Mayhill, about 265km southeast of Albuquerque, seems to be rigid about his views because reportedly he has thrown out people who have voiced their disappointment at the message or felt offended.
“It’s been here a long time. If you go in there and you offend him, you can’t go in there no more. He turns lots of people away,” former employee Marlon McWilliams told local TV broadcaster KOB.
Wow, is the owner of Mayhill convenience store even being investigated by the @SecretService ? Note sign" Kill #Obama-care- #NewMexico @FBI pic.twitter.com/ESgHyqpQDu
— Vivian (@VivNed23) December 30, 2016
Shocking as it may sound, one of the messages at the door also read “Kill Obama”.
Reportedly, people on social media are furious and have even called for boycott of the store. However, there are some who argue that he is exercising freedom of speech whether or not people agree. The store owner was not available for a comment
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy group, released a statement requesting the store to remove the sign. “While everyone has the first amendment right to free speech — even offensive speech — we urge the store’s owner to remove the sign in the interest of common decency and of our nation’s unity at a time of increasing divisions,” CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper is quoted as saying.
The drive to boycott the store has been on for quite a while, with people posting reviews on social media platforms such as Facebook.
