Ken Mann
3/13/2013
The owner of the Tiger Cats is chiming in on a bizarre local controversy.
Bob Young has asked the owner of Hillbilly Heaven to remove the Confederate flag from the front of his downtown restaurant and to replace it with the flags of the state of North Carolina and the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
Young says symbols that are associated with a less tolerant past are outdated, belong in museums and shouldn't be used in a modern establishment.
He presented his offer, along with the flags, in a letter to Cameron Bailey.
As a North Carolina resident, Young adds that he supports the message he feels that Hillbilly Heaven is trying to send which is that hillbillies are genuine and likeable.
The following is a copy of his letter
Dear Cameron:
As the Caretaker of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats I get to take part in a lot of fun behind-the-scenes football stuff. However, because we employ a lot of smart football operations people, I don’t get the opportunity to be a part of one of the most exciting aspects of this business – the ability to make trades. So, it’s with great enthusiasm that I propose the first trade of my Ticats career to you.
Accompanying this letter are the official flags of the State of North Carolina and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. I’d like to trade you these flags in exchange for “future considerations.” (These considerations would see you discontinue the use of the Confederate battle flag for the foreseeable future).
Let me be clear: I love Hillbillies. I like everything about them. When I first moved to North Carolina my wife accused me of making her and my daughters do a "reverse Beverly Hillbillies" by moving from the big city to the hills of North Carolina. She was right, and wrong. From pulled pork (the best in the US by the way) to huntin' turkeys, I've enjoyed everything about living in a modern Southern state for the last 16 years. On the other hand, I have also been a part of teams that have led, and are still leading the technology world, based out of Research Triangle Park here in North Carolina.
The 21st century South is a community much like those of any modern society in the world today, where we embrace all of our fellow citizens as our equals. The old attitudes and beliefs relating to race as symbolized by the battle flag are now part of our distant past. We would like to see these consigned exclusively to museums, and graveyards of fallen Southern civil war soldiers.
As a fellow entrepreneur, Hamiltonian, and Tiger-Cat fan, please accept the flag of the Great State of North Carolina as a much more appropriate symbol of all the positive things you are trying to say with your celebration of all things "Hillbilly.”
Cheers,
Bob Young
Caretaker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club.
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