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Group calls restaurant flag a hate crime
Rick Zamperin
3/14/2013

A local group says the displaying of the Confederate flag in a Hamilton restaurant amounts to a hate crime.

The Community Coalition Against Racism plans to ask Hamilton Police Friday to lay hate crime related charges against the proprietor of the Hillbilly Heaven restaurant.

The food outlet has the controversial flag as its downtown storefront logo.

The coalition calls the flag a symbol of hatred of people of colour and a glorification of the ideology of white supremacy.

The group likens the flag to the use of the Nazi swastika in grafitti, which is logged as a hate crime by city police.

The coalition claims the owner of the restaurant is seeking to profit from racism.

The Confederate flag flap has forced a food truck in Hamilton to change its look.

The owner of the Dirty South food truck says the Confederate flag on his truck "was never meant to be offensive."

Brett Liersch says the truck's decals were an homage to the General Lee, the muscle car made famous in the Dukes of Hazzard television show.

Liersch told CHML's Matt Holmes Show, he doesn't want to draw any negative attention to the local businesses that allow them to park on their property or any events they attend throughout the year.

He says the flag is being removed from his truck.

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  • 13
  1. J posted on 03/14/2013 06:32 AM
    And Dirty South food truck too? And the guys that sell flags on busy street corners in the summer? If one is targeted, they must all be, or is there just a vendetta against HH?
  2. Who Cares posted on 03/14/2013 08:45 AM
    This is really getting out of hand and it violates ones freedom of rights in this so called free country.
    If they want to pursue this as a hate crime ,then I think any sign in the city that has a flag or symbol of any kind should be removed. There have never been as far as I know any hateful statements or messages directed at anyone, race or nationality by Mr. Bailey.These so called peace loving tollerant groups are showing that they are nothing more than hypocrates that only try to undermine what values this country was built on. Do not try to influence my beliefs or taint the minds of people by your unfounded accusations, I am able to draw my own conclusions , further more it is your right ,since you live in a free country that if you find this offensive don't eat there.Out of principal I still plan to eat the great food they serve.
  3. MariaR_6861 posted on 03/14/2013 10:46 AM
    My goodness. It started with rent control to protect the ones who does not able or want to by their homes. Then from then on the public cut on that they can have their own ways in wishes against s others wishes they have started establish certain standards for them self backed up by the governments because the governments were and are looking for votes. So, they go along with all kinds of implementations of groups with their wishes. It is time to go back to the constitutional right and live it with that and take it no further and make no amendments. . YES, WE, HAVE ENOUGH WITH THE CONSTITUTION. STOP THIS BEFORE WE HAVE DAILY REQUESTS FOR THE MODIFICATIONS AND BEHAVIOR MODIFICATIONS THAT WILL BRING FINES FOR THOSE WHO BY SOME CHANCE ARE NOT IN LINE WITH IT .
  4. mr T posted on 03/14/2013 11:27 AM
    what a crock of crap the confederate flag is not a symbol of hate at all people need to get a life and stop with all this stuff focus on things that matter like the government taking advantage of our people and ripping us off of our taxes ..Please people fight for something worthwhile not petty crap
  5. Bobby V posted on 03/14/2013 11:47 AM
    What do you think of when you see the confederate flag ? What message do you think it sends? Racism? Slavery? Hatred? White supremacy?
    Something worse?
    Now, what do you see when you look at the flag? What is actually on the flag?
    The color Red? White? Blue? Thirteen stars?
    Is that all? See anything else?

    Look closer and take some time to actually think about what you are seeing. Examine every detail of the flag and it's design, because the layout of the contents of this flag actually portrays the true message the flag is sending.

    And for the record... neither the design nor the content have anything to do with racism, slavery, hatred or white supremacy... or anything worse!

    All the COLOR could be removed from this flag, leaving just the outline of the details, and the true message the design is sending could still be determined by anyone with a basic knowledge of history and an ounce of common sense.

    First of all, this flag is NOT the "Confederate Flag." It is the "Battle Flag of Northern Virginia." This design, however, is the one most synonymous with the term, and the one used in various forms on many of the other flags that were flown by the Confederate States. It is also the one most hated by those who are completely and totally ignorant of what it stands for.

    So take another look at the flag and answer this very simple question : Do you see a big letter "X" anywhere on the flag? What if I were to lay that X down on its side like this? X Do you see it now? The X is formed by the big, blue bands which are outlined with white trim.

    Now take another look at the flag. On this big "X" there are thirteen white stars. See them? Do you know what these thirteen stars represent? They represent the thirteen original, united colonies from which the United States began. Each one of these colonies had its own system of self government... until the start of 'northern aggression' when the northern states began trying to usurp authority over the southern states. This was the main cause of the Civil War.

    Point of fact : The thirteen stars on this flag appear to lie on the blue X... but in reality, the X lies on the stars, allowing them to shine through.

    Now, a simple question : Do you remember from your grade-school years how the teachers would sometimes ask you to circle the right answers or picture on a work page, or to put an X on a picture or word or other item that didn't belong in a group? That is the same concept this flag is designed around; the stars are laid out in the pattern of an X, and the blue bands are put on the thirteen stars to show that the southern states no longer wanted to be a part of the union with the northern states. In simpler terms, the message of flag's design is simply this... CROSS US OUT of your Union! The southern states withdrew from the union in a movement called "secession," which led to the Civil War.

    That is the only message this flag is sending! That is all there is to it! It is just that simple!

    If this flag actually represented slavery, hatred, white supremacy, or something worse, as so many biased and uneducated people so foolishly believe, then it's design would reflect that by incorporating images of those whom it stood against, and there would be a big X on their images.

    But that is NOT what is on this flag! And that is NOT the message this flag sends!

    This flag is NOT racist! NEVER has been! NEVER will be!
  6. johann posted on 03/14/2013 01:22 PM
    Just wondering....Are the flags of Portugal,Britain,France Spain & The Netherlands also symbols of hate? These countries were the greatest purveyors of slaves in the world.We have enough government & politcal correctness as it is. Should we open a Hurt Feelings Ministry to handle these complaints.
  7. Carrie posted on 03/14/2013 01:29 PM
    I'm so tired of everyone being offended by everything. Don't like the flag? Don't go to the restaurant. Simple.
  8. smcqueen posted on 03/14/2013 03:38 PM
    Mr.T says it all.
  9. Average Joe posted on 03/14/2013 04:09 PM
    It's a free country , if you don't like it that people are exercising their rights without directing hate or hateful messages towards any individuals or individual groups too bad. No one asked you or forced you to come to this country, stop trying to opress us . If these groups or individuals would stop rehashing this issue , it would be a non issue . Some of these groups just look for reasons to start this B.S. to bring attention to their narrow minded ways of thinking and lack of tolerance. Don't like it don't eat there , better yet leave. Let's look through all the smoke and mirrors who really is sending out a hateful message here.
  10. Lindsay Wilcox posted on 03/14/2013 05:20 PM
    And I can remember my parents telling me about back in the 1920s and 1930s the Ku Klux Klan was very active in Canada AND in Hamilton. They mentioned a parade (Main St.?) with these bigots carrying Confederate flags.

    The Confederate flag was co-opted by the KKK and now represents for many exactly what the Swastika does - racism, hatred, killings in the name of the pure white race.

    If you are on Facebook or Twitter, go to anti-Obama or anti-gun control sites - there you will see plenty of confederate flags. And you will read the racists' smart questions: "where was Obama born?", "what about his Kenyan (=African) heritage?", "Obama is a Muslim", when you just know they are dying to say "Let's get that @#$%&^&#$ uppity &$%^#%@ out of the White House". If you are old enough to remember the 1960s you will remember the pictures on TV, in LIFE and other magazines, of the Civil Rights Activists and the murders of several, white AND black, with confederate flags visible.
    1. Average Joe posted on 03/14/2013 05:42 PM
      @Lindsay Wilcox Now you are totally offtrack, this is about a persons right to be able to express themselve's freely. I didn't see anywhere where Hillbillly heaven is organizing any marches let alone any affiliation to the KKK or any other group of extremist nuts. This is about a flag that is part of a sign for a business. The downtown has been in decay for decades , why are we going after people who will take the risk to open a business there. Alot of individual and groups are making a big deal about this ,also making alot of unfounded statements and accusations.Talk about ignorrance.
  11. Gerrit van der Sleen posted on 03/15/2013 01:08 PM
    Is it possible the 'Community Coalition against hate crimes' should themselves be charged with a hate crime for coming up with this silliness. This restaurant, which I have not yet been to, is only telling me that they cook southern style food. Any other concept is just foolishness
  12. Terrence posted on 03/15/2013 11:28 PM
    I had to make my point about this 'Confederate Flag' Topic. (I am black who was born and raised in Hamilton)

    I do NOT believe what he is doing is a hate crime as defined By the law, However I do think that it makes people that have experienced being discriminated against, or have a connection to hate crimes or discrimination very uncomfortable and it does come across as a place that promotes white supremecy above any other race. Which in itself can and will have a ugly domino affect in this city and this country. He is bringing up a huge debate and a even bigger negative reaction!! To prove anyone wrong that sees his restaurant that he is not racist you would have to sit down with him (Mr Bailey)and interview him to prove otherwise. (Come on who is going to do that)

    My reasoning for my comments, just because HE believes that it doesn't have a racist tone, and that it means to HIM being a rebel to promote his resaurant, doesn't mean the flags negative history toward white supremecy does not exist. You can't erase history by Opinion. My problem with it that he is profiting off of this flag that I have a Huge problem with. It's beyond bad taste for a city as multicutral diverse as Hamilton. He is laughing in the face of people that have a sensitivity to it. Hillbillies are associated for being ignorant so that I get but leave it in the south for crying out loud.

    As a close friend of mine said. "The Problem with the owner of Hillbilly Heaven (Cameron Bailey) is that he doesn't understand the flags history. He is expressing his own logic on history. (what happens to be a very controversial history between whites and blacks in the south with slavery and fear).
    If I follow his logic... Nobody should have an issue if I open a German restaurant and put a giant flag with a swastika on it out front right??? Cause the swastika didn't ALWAYS represent the Nazi party, it's just a small group of people who associate the two things. And the holocaust didn't go down here in Canada so... all good right?"

    Yes it isn't a swastika, but it is associated with white supremecy and no one can erase that history. If if isnt why doesnt black people from the south show it proudly above their restaurants. The Confederate Flag belongs in a museum of history with the swastika and other symbols that create racial debates. It dosent make sense and is just wrong to profit from these symbols. He dosen't understand that to profit from it has consequenses.
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