Ozarks bar owner uses Jerseys as doormat accused of racism

[Chief Roundup]

http://www.komu.com/news/lake-ozark-...seen-as-racist




LAKE OZARK – A Lake of the Ozarks bar owner was taking heat Tuesday for what at least one passer-by saw as a racist doormat out front.

“It’s not a race thing,” said Jason Burle, who owns the S.N.A.F.U Bar near the Bagnell Dam. “A lot of people want to twist it around to be a race thing.”

Burle said he ordered two NFL jerseys to be used as doormats outside his bar after NFL players started kneeling during the national anthem at football games.

“We pulled them out of the box, taped them down. There was no ill-intent,” Burle said.

Burle used the jerseys of NFL players Marshawn Lynch and Colin Kaepernick. When placed side-by-side, the jerseys read “Lynch” “Kaepernick."

“If someone thinks that I mean personal harm to someone, they don’t know me,” Burle said.

But that’s what crossed Taylor Sloan’s mind when he saw the jerseys outside Burle’s bar over the weekend.

“That’s not the Missouri I know,” Sloan said. “It just kind of upset me really bad. Put a bad taste in my mouth.”

Sloan posted on the bar’s Facebook page. He and Burle had a heated exchange online.

Sloan wrote on the page, "You are also expressing hate, violence and continuing American racism under the faux guise of patriotism."

Burle responded, "It's funny to me that someone would look that far deeply into it just to find a racist link."

Burle told KOMU the doormat is about standing up for himself and his family, many of whom served in the military. Burle spent six years in the Air Force. Seeing NFL players kneel during the national anthem didn't sit well with him.

“A lot of us military folks take that personal to heart," Burle said.

Burle started the S.N.A.F.U Bar to honor military veterans.

“It was kind of our way to give back, I guess," he said. "We give discounts to veterans, we have a hall of heroes inside. We have flags that have flown overseas mounted inside."

Burle said the "hall of heroes" includes pictures of customers or relatives of customers.

“We have some people’s fathers, grandfathers, uncles, aunts," he said.

But Sloan doesn't remember the bar for the pictures of veterans. Instead, he remembers the doormat he saw as racist.

"I thought I needed to document it," Sloan said.

Burle said, “If he came in and actually told me at that moment or my manager, it would’ve been taken care of that moment exactly.”

Sloan said in his online conversation with Burle, he didn’t think Burle saw the problem with placing “Lynch” and “Kaepernick” back-to-back.

“If he honestly didn’t see that, he should change it,” Sloan said.

Burle sent a picture to KOMU Tuesday afternoon, showing that he switched the placement of the jerseys. He said his makeshift doormat is about nothing but respect for the American flag. While he recognizes NFL players’ right to kneel during the anthem, he disagrees with it.

“I commend them for what they’re doing, as far as the right goes. I fought for that right,” Burle said. “The same thing that gives them that right gives me the right to place these out here.”


Picture in link.

[tooge]

Should've used Fuller and Cox jerseys.

[alpha_omega]

Ya....he knew what he was doing.

Had he put the jerseys in the opposite order...or maybe throw in a couple of other jerseys, i would have thougt it was a clever idea and quite funny...but....

[Hammock Parties]

Hardcore, man.

[KCrockaholic]

Immediate butthurt.

[KCrockaholic]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the two racist Indian teams playing on national TV Monday night. Surely there's a protest somewhere.

[Hammock Parties]

this guy probably has a klan getup

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Why couldnt he have used Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers jerseys instead??

Those guys are ok.

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Probably bad taste but not likely race motivated.

CP: where noting is racist unless they specifically admit it.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Fish

Yeah, when you start your explanation like that, it's a race thing....

That's the whole problem nowadays. Everyone is being accused of racism. The problem is that once someone gets accused, then they have to try to defend themselves. It's a no-win situation for the accused. You or I have no idea about this person's heart and whether there was racist intent with this stunt.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

Immediate butthurt.

I'm completely outraged by what some Ozark bar owner is doing that doesn't affect my life......

dididoitright?

[KCrockaholic]

I mean he did actually switch the jerseys order to ease some of the butthurt. I'm more offended how one jersey is black and the other is red. Can't he have a white jersey? Cue the OUTRAGE

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by Cave Johnson

CP: where noting is racist unless they specifically admit it.

You don't know what is in that man's heart and neither does anyone else on here. Maybe it was racist and maybe it wasn't.

It is hard to believe that those two specific jerseys were not placed like that for a reason though. At the very least it is a bad look.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

this guy probably has a klan getup

LOL This dude says ****er at least three times a day.

About 10 more years of seasoning and he's what I imagine Vailpass looks like. Racist. 100% confirmed.

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by OmahaChief

You don't know what is in that man's heart and neither does anyone else on here. Maybe it was racist and maybe it wasn't.

It is hard to believe that those two specific jerseys were not placed like that for a reason though. At the very least it is a bad look.

Let's be honest, it's a 50/50 chance that they're placed in that order.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

Let's be honest, it's a 50/50 chance that they're placed in that order.

of course this guy is a racist, and so are probably 75% of his patrons. My point: WGAF about what some bar owner in the back woods is doing at a private business?