Good intentions are often met with ambiguity. That’s one lesson a Jersey deli-man is sure to learn after he put up a poster on his shop that caused quite to uproar in the community.
Jim Bogges, from Flemington, Jersey put up a sign on the window of his deli encouraging a “White History Month”. The community immediately saw this as a hate crime, but Bogges assured he put the sign up not to be racist, but to encourage everyone to be proud of their heritage.
'White History Month' sign stirs up Flemington http://t.co/DSA1b00Ept pic.twitter.com/CgD5QC3Xx8
— Russell (@BlkPoliticSport) March 4, 2015
“No matter what you are — Muslim, Jewish, black, white, gay, straight — you should be proud of what you are. I shouldn’t have to feel bad about being white.” he told the Hunterdon County Democrat.
Those are wise words, Bogges. No one should ever feel ashamed of their heritage. Unfortunately, his neighboring shop owners don’t see the situation like he does.
John Puckett is the owner of a nearby bagel store. He had concerns about the sign, saying that it’s “an embarrassment to Flemington,” and “makes us look like a town of inbreds.”
Another nearby shop owner and former customer, Bhakti Curtis, who is bi-racial, told reporters that the sign was “mocking Black History Month.”
Curtis even went as far as filing a police report on Bogges in order to try and get the sign taken down, but the police said Bogges wasn’t doing anything illegal.
After a seemingly unending amount of complaints, Bogges decided to take the sign down but insists that he meant no harm.
Do you believe the sign was offensive or should a business owner be allowed to hang a sign outside his store without receiving such backlash? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
