W.G. Grinders downtown (Motorists Building) « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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W.G. Grinders downtown (Motorists Building)

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Started 9 months ago by sundown060
Latest reply from tomatty

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I love it.

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sundown060
Merion Village
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My wife and some friends had quite the experience downtown at the W.G. Grinders today. When they left, they noticed a pick up truck in the parking lot with an obvious racial remark regarding the 2012 election and President Obama; it said "...Don't Re-*** in 2012..."

They went back inside to ask what the deal was. The franchise owner said the vehicle belonged to one of his employees, his brother-in-law, in fact. He said that the employee had a First Amendment right to express his feelings in this manner. I've no issue with that; it's certainly his right to be racist. So I figured I'd exercise my First Amendment right to call or write the location's franchise owner and ask him what he thinks of his employee having viewpoints such as this, and give you folks the opportunity to do the same if you wish. The address is

W.G. Grinders, 250 E. Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
614-224-2446

The corporate office is:
W.G. Grinders
9002 Cotter Street
Lewis Center, 43035
614-766-2313
There is also a contact us link on wggrinders.com

I do have a photo of the vehicle in question, and it's pretty obvious. I've lived in Columbus for my whole life, and while I understand we don't always all get along, I don't feel that this type of overt racism has any place in our local community.

Posted 9 months ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
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This is absurd. Leave the guy alone. He has a right to express what he feels.

Posted 9 months ago #
jpizzow
580 N. Park St.
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Yea, he does have the right to say whatever he wants and, unfortunately, there will always be the random racist around the corner wherever you go. Still a pretty low move in my book though.

Posted 9 months ago #
RoundTowner
Miranova
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jpizzow said:
Yea, he does have the right to say whatever he wants and, unfortunately, there will always be the random racist around the corner wherever you go. Still a pretty low move in my book though.

Indeed!!

Posted 9 months ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
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If anything he could use his right to express himself to overturn any punishment or anything. It might of be a joke after all. Yes, people do joke like this.

Posted 9 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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sundown060 said:
I don't feel that this type of overt racism has any place in our local community.

Agreed.

Posted 9 months ago #
HogRoaster
Grandview
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If the guy truly acknowledged he is the owner, then I say he's an idiot and his business deserves to suffer as people figure out who he is. Just keep in mind that he also has the right to sue you if any of this is reported inacurately. Make sure he was indeed the owner and make sure you represent his sentiment accurately, otherwise the damage you are causing to his reputation can be monetized as libel.

Posted 9 months ago #
sundown060
Merion Village
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HogRoaster said:
If the guy truly acknowledged he is the owner, then I say he's an idiot and his business deserves to suffer as people figure out who he is. Just keep in mind that he also has the right to sue you if any of this is reported inacurately. Make sure he was indeed the owner and make sure you represent his sentiment accurately, otherwise the damage you are causing to his reputation can be monetized as libel.

Good point to consider. The employee in question claimed the vehicle as being his, and was quite unapologetic about it. That's certainly his right. Libel claims are usually sustained if the claim turns out to be false. This fellow's own family unapologeticly said it was his vehicle. It is what it is...

Posted 9 months ago #
DavidF
Elysium Fields
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The question is, what do you hope to achieve with this? I certainly don't support his opinion, but will it really make you feel better to cost him his job? Or do you just think "those people" shouldn't be allowed to express their feelings?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I'm pretty absolutist about allowing people to express their opinions whether or not I agree with them.

Posted 9 months ago #
sundown060
Merion Village
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DavidF said:
The question is, what do you hope to achieve with this? I certainly don't support his opinion, but will it really make you feel better to cost him his job? Or do you just think "those people" shouldn't be allowed to express their feelings?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I'm pretty absolutist about allowing people to express their opinions whether or not I agree with them.

It's a fair question. I'm fairly sure all of us have opinions that may not always flow with societal norms. Whether we/they choose to make their feelings known is up to the individual. With that comes the possibility that others may not agree with the sentiment, and take issue with the matter.

This fellow is trying to stir the pot; of that I have no question. So does that mean that I am too, by virtue of making him known? Maybe or maybe not, I dunno. But using a term like that, after everything our country has been through, is just out of bounds. For me, that's the line. Maybe that's not everyone's line. That's okay too. Maybe it's personal experience that makes that word so harsh for me, but no one deserves to be called a term like that.

Posted 9 months ago #
ToddAnders

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Even though I don't agree with the viewpoint on the truck, so what.

To me, it seems like the old, "This person is a horrible person, and they are working for the company. So, I'm going to stomp my feet as loud as I can b/c I have an internet connection and people will listen to me. I am important Mr. Corporate owner and all my internet friends will agree with me and not eat you sandwiches until you do something." kind of rant.

Next.

Posted 9 months ago #
HogRoaster
Grandview
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Sounds like you did take steps to verify he was the owner. Petty as it sounds, there is a big difference in basically stating, "the owner of the business supports racist sentiment and therefore I ask that you not support his franchise" versus "the acting manager did not take my complaint about a bumper sticker seriously." All I'm saying is that calling a particular person racist and implying that people should boycott his business / cause him monetary harm is something you need to be very careful with. "I think he might have said he was the owner" is no excuse if you are wrong.

Either way, hopefully this guy gets some strongly worded letters and realizes that his *alleged* support of the bumper sticker is not very cool and is bad for business.

Posted 9 months ago #
buckeye54

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While I understand that people are allowed to express themselves in a manner that they want(for the most part). It is also important to understand that this is a matter in which a managerial reprsentative of the company acknowledges that their employee is using a racial slur on a personal vehicle and that they have associated their resteraunt with this decision. Companies do have the right to dictate policies for their employees on their property.If this was at the guys house or another location, it would be a different matter.In turn consumers can vote with their feet and pocketbooks. I see no problem in allowing people to understand that grinders is aware of the situation and has stated that they essentially are fine with it. This is not just a political bumper sticker. Its an obvious racial slur.Any company worth their salt would have nothing to do with it.

Would I feel better if someone lost their job over advertising racist statements on their car at their workplace?? Yes, absolutely. That has absolutely no place in a work environment and people have lost jobs for much less. It is this persons decision to use racial slurs in public and represent his company in this manner. It certainly is his right to his opinion but I would be very suprised if grinders did not have direct policies against such action which I'm sure he would be in violation of.Either way,I'm not going to frequent that location considering it seems as the owner is fine with his employees racial slur.

Posted 9 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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ToddAnders said:
...and not eat you sandwiches until you do something." kind of rant.

That's assuming people were eating their sandwiches to begin with. ;)

Posted 9 months ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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buckeye54 said:
While I understand that people are allowed to express themselves in a manner that they want(for the most part). It is also important to understand that this is a matter in which a managerial reprsentative of the company acknowledges that their employee is using a racial slur on a personal vehicle and that they have associated their resteraunt with this decision. Companies do have the right to dictate policies for their employees on their property.If this was at the guys house or another location, it would be a different matter.In turn consumers can vote with their feet and pocketbooks. I see no problem in allowing people to understand that grinders is aware of the situation and has stated that they essentially are fine with it. This is not just a political bumper sticker. Its an obvious racial slur.Any company worth their salt would have nothing to do with it.

Would I feel better if someone lost their job over advertising racist statements on their car at their workplace?? Yes, absolutely. That has absolutely no place in a work environment and people have lost jobs for much less. It is this persons decision to use racial slurs in public and represent his company in this manner. It certainly is his right to his opinion but I would be very suprised if grinders did not have direct policies against such action which I'm sure he would be in violation of.Either way,I'm not going to frequent that location considering it seems as the owner is fine with his employees racial slur.

I'll agree that if the franchise owner is claiming they are hamstrung by 1st Amendment protections, then they're ignorant or dissembling on the law. Once an employee is on company property they are very much at the mercy of company dictated policies & procedures so long as they do not break existing federal statutes. The 1st Amendment does not guarantee the absence of consequences from speech deemed offensive by others.

Posted 9 months ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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Why can't the racist employee take the bus to work downtown?

Posted 9 months ago #
melikecheese
Merion Village
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The best thing to do to bumper stickers you don't like:

Rip them off, cover them with a sharpie marker, or if you can find a hog marker write over it with that and it will not come off no matter what. Or my personal favorite, go collect some Obama stickers and carry them around, then cover up what you don't like with what you do. It takes most people days to realize someone stuck a new sticker on their car.

Yes you have freedom of expression, but be prepared for feedback if you say it in public. And yes, some people will be very mad at you if they see you doing anything I suggested.

Posted 9 months ago #
BuckeyeShadow
Behind that Buckeye Tree
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Political views are one thing, but racism is definitely crossing the line. The employee needs to grow up, get real and live in the 21st century. If I were his boss, I would pursue the "hostile work environment" legal angle to give him a choice: clean up your attitude or find another job.

I am not his boss, but I have been a customer. No more. W.G. Grinders won't get any more of my business, and I certainly won't recommend them to anyone for lunch or whatever.

Tell your friends. Hit them in their bottom line. That will hurt them more than anything.

Posted 9 months ago #
tomatty

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I suggest you re-visit the definition of libel because even though the owner did state that his employee has a right to put whatever he wants on his bumper, you also did not state that the employees vehicle has since been moved off of the parking lot and was ordered to remove the sticker, which he has done.

And it is the Midland building, not the Motorists building.

Make sure you report the entire story accurately before bashing someone and their livelihood.

Posted 9 months ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
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You people are blowing this out of proportion. Think about this... If you don't buy the food there, revenue goes down, cuts are needed, stores close, people loose there job and then it AFFECTS YOU. Because they may shop at your employer or other service. Therefore it affects you. Yes make a complaint, be my guest but don't "boycott" the chain because of one stupid driver who hasn't grown up.

Posted 9 months ago #