'Woman Calmly Fires Contractor Flying Confederate Flag off Truck: Our Money Won't Go to 'Such Hate'

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Wed Jul 3, 2019, 09:22 PM - Edit history (1)

- A black couple was shocked when a contractor pulled up to their Atlanta home with an enormous Confederate flag flying off the back of his truck.-

Allison and Zeke Brown had hired the man to fix the brakes on their golf cart after finding him on Facebook Marketplace. He seemed fine — until he showed up with the flag in tow.

They were so taken aback by the flag, they immediately fired him, however, in a moment captured on the couple's doorbell camera.

“Hi, you know what, I do apologize, I know you’ve come from a very long way, but we’re going to use someone else,” Allison tells the man, who's identified only as Michael.

“She’s upset with the flag,” Zeke says. “No, I’m beyond upset with the flag,” Allison adds.

Michael, the contractor, then offers to remove the flag to allay them. "No, you don't need to take it down," Allison replies. "You can continue to believe what you need to believe, sir. But no, I cannot pay you for your services. Thank you, have a good day."

Asked about the decision to fire Michael, the couple told Inside Edition they didn't think twice. "This is easy," said Allison. "We can control where we spend our money ... and it will not go to someone promoting such hate." "I was just a little surprised that a gentlemen this young was riding around with a symbol of hate," added Zeke.

Allison is being praised for the way she handled the situation, keeping calm while standing firm...

More, http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/woman-calmly-fires-contractor-flying-confederate-flag-off-truck-our-money-wont-go-to-such-hate/ar-AADOmFs?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

~ VIDEO+++++

2 mins. Video, "Inside Edition."

[quickesst]

1. As if removing the flag....

....would make everything okay. Allison deserves the praise she is receiving. She certainly has it from me.

[appalachiablue]

4. racist, and moronic, duh! She was great; ugly story..

[quickesst]

7. this is the second dumbest thing I've seen in a while

the first dumbest thing I have ever seen concerning a confederate flag was a guy who had one flying off the back of his motorcycle which was bigger then the one on this idiot's truck.

[skypilot]

22. This will probably be an unpopular opinion...

...but I think that a teachable moment might have been missed here. A guy who was willing to offer to remove the flag might have been a guy who was willing to listen to someone explain why it is offensive to them.

I know that it shouldn't HAVE to be explained but sometimes things HAVE to be explained to some people.

If he'd have been receptive or not is a question we will never know the answer to.

[quickesst]

25. I understand what you're saying....

..... but when he pulled into her driveway with that huge flag on the back of his truck, I don't think "teachable moment" was something she considered. If I had to weigh her not thinking about a teachable moment against his desire to get paid by simply removing a flag that would have went back up as soon as he left the residence, I would lean heavily on the desire to get paid. If she had tried to have that conversation, she would be doing the right thing. When she did not engage in that conversation, and judged him at face value, that being a giant confederate flag, and asked him to leave because she was offended by the symbolism which was a reflection of the man flying it, that was also the right thing to do.
I'm of the opinion that if someone is going to ride around in their vehicle with a confederate flag that can practically be seen from outer space, I would say this person is pretty damn committed to what he believes in, and odds are, unteachable.

[skypilot]

28. You're right.

I'm looking at the situation in retrospect but in the moment I probably would have just wanted him off my property.

[quickesst]

32. the old saying.....

Hindsight is 20/20

I do believe those teachable moments occur, but I would think that they would most likely occur in a more time-consuming drawn-out encounter. For example, A co-worker, a fellow church member, Etc.

[skypilot]

34. Or...

...they could happen online. The guy did offer to remove the flag and then left without causing a scene, so I still kinda think he could be taught a thing or two. Maybe if he sees some of the online conversations that resulted from this encounter he might rethink that flag. Maybe. Maybe not. Years ago I posted on DU about a friend of mine who is one of the nicest guys i've ever met. I am black and openly gay. Turns out that he used to be a white supremacist. I found this out after knowing him for several years. He was showing me some of his new tattoos and there was one that he was getting to cover up an old white supremacist tattoo. I just saw him recently after not seeing him for a few years. He is living in
San Francisco of all places.

[quickesst]

36. Good point

I didn't think about the social media aspect of the situation.
I am glad your friend found the caring side of his heart. Whether it was through his own self-reflection, or one of those teachable moments we've been talking about, I know it had to make you happy to see the transformation. Good on him.

[skypilot]

38. I never saw the transformation per se.

He was just a nice guy when I first met him. I met him after grabbing his hand in a bar to stop him from rapidly tapping a quarter on the bar because the sound was driving me crazy. I just grabbed his hand and said "Stop that." He laughed and we started talking. That is how I met a former white supremacist.

[quickesst]

40. "Stop that"

[TeamPooka]

29. That's like saying "I'll take off my Klan robes while I work on your house"

You know he'll be wearing it again right after he leaves.
She did the only right thing to do there.

[Drahthaardogs]

31. There is do much false information regarding that flag

I bet at least half of the morons flying it have no idea what it really stood for. The email or Facebook bullshit about the red=blood of Christ seems to get passed around every six months.

[ecstatic]

35. He already knew WTF that flag meant. So, no, a teachable moment is not necessary

or warranted. He lives in the Atlanta area, FFS. Just another racist jackass who is purposely trying to hurt others because his own life is so miserable.

[skypilot]

37. With the shitty education system...

...in this country you'd be surprised at the things that people DON'T know, especially a younger person such as this guy. Or maybe you would not be surprised. Conversations about the ignorance and gaps in knowledge of a lot of Americans happen at DU all the time. There are some people who do think that that flag is just a Southern pride thing. I'm sure a lot of them are being willfully ignorant but sometimes ignorance, of whatever kind, is what we have to contend with.

[MyOwnPeace]

2. Excellent!

I had a man in the neighborhood that I've known for several years who was running for school board.
I had signed his petition for the last campaign and he came back for another one this round.
In between he had spent time campaigning for IQ45 and was working the polls on election day.
When he came to my door this past spring with his new petition, asking me to sign, I had to tell him:
"I'm sorry, but I cannot support a person for my school board who shows such poor judgment by endorsing IQ45 for any elected office."

SHOCK would not describe the look on his face!

[appalachiablue]

5. Good on you. It takes some people a lot to learn, dog knows.

[Lucid Dreamer]

3. Absolutely, when Allison says

"We can control where we spend our money..." that is her in her hands.

Makes quite a statement.

[appalachiablue]

6. Absolutely, she was terrific.

[muntrv]

8. Is it common for a contractor to show up in an unmarked vehicle?

Usually, they have their company logo on it.

[appalachiablue]

15. Not so unusual to have an unmarked vehicle, plenty of both.

"Allison and Zeke Brown had hired the man to fix the brakes on their golf cart after finding him on Facebook Marketplace. He seemed fine — until he showed up with the flag in tow."

[TeamPooka]

30. a lot of guys do private side work in private vehicles.

[BeckyDem]

9. The symbol of hate. That is exactly what it is.

[Baltimike]

13. Damn right...also a symbol of traitors, because THIS is the Confederate flag:

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/arm-holding-stick-white-flag-soldier-643383109

[Baltimike]

10. She was great. nt

[packman]

11. Posted this earlier today

[Thunderbeast]

12. I often see small businesses sporting a fish on their signs

and business cards. They believe that connecting their Christian beliefs to their business conveys an aura of inherent trust and goodwill.

I usually choose to shop elsewhere. When I buy goods and services, that fish tells me all I need to know about the owners. It tells me that they believe themselves superior moral beings. My own bigotry comes out when I assume the owners are ignorant fools locked in the Bronze Age.

[Major Nikon]

41. That's so after they rip you off, you have to forgive them

[StarfishSaver]

14. So, this WASN'T a fake video hoax, as some here claimed, without any proof?

How hilarious is it that this guy was hired to fix their GOLF CART?

It probably never occurred to him that black people golf, much less can afford their own golf carts.

[malaise]

19. Ding ding

Had the same thought

[ecstatic]

39. If so, that was a bad assumption on his part, considering the demographics

of the Atlanta metropolitan area and Georgia in general.

[progree]

16. Video

from: https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017546142

[47of74]

17. I saw a house in NE Iowa that had a teabagging flag and a treason flag flying out front

I made sure to give that house a one fingered salute when I drove past.

[Demovictory9]

18. Excellent

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

20. I am in awe of how polite she was.

I wish there were federal laws forbidding the Confederate flag. It's a symbol of treason to begin with.

[Scarsdale]

21. They did the right thing.

I should think that large flag flying while he drives would be a traffic hazard. Congratulations to the couple. They were cool, calm and collected.

[forgotmylogin]

23. RIGHT, EXACTLY

It's not like a window sticker. Dang.

[smirkymonkey]

24. Good for her!

I only wish more people would do the same thing. Hit these bigots where it hurts. In their wallets.

[Captain Stern]

26. I wish this had actually happened as it is represented, but it's staged.

This was posted earlier today, and somebody did a pretty good job of pointing out that this is just a 'cool story'.

[MadDAsHell]

27. This one interaction made national news?

Odd.

Anyways, this woman is awesome!

[ecstatic]

33. I love this! Do not reward racists!

I live by that policy. Some people take the opposite approach of spending money at a racist establishment just to prove them wrong. No no no! Just say no!