Restaurant owner refuses to take down bumper sticker deemed racist, ‘disgusting’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gross’ Burgers in Danville, Ill., isn’t planning on removing a controversial bumper sticker from its wall.
The bumper sticker at the center of the dispute reads, "If you can’t read this, thank a Marine,” and displays a message written in Arabic that appears to say “Allahu akbar.”
The restaurant’s owner, Brad Gross, told Fox News the sticker has been displayed in his restaurant for over 10 years and is just one of many "patriotic items" displayed around the establishment. A Marine himself, he claims to have received it from a Marine who served in Iraq.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RESTAURANT MENU WARNS PARENTS THAT 'SCREAMING CHILDREN' AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL BE BOOTED
A local customer, however, only just recently noticed it and she isn’t happy.
Sam Schnelle shared a picture of the bumper sticker on Facebook, along with the caption “f--- Grossburgers [sic]. Absolutely disgusting.” She later followed up with another post, claiming that she called the restaurant and asked them to take the sign down.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“They then handed the phone to the manager who said, 'We are most certainly not taking it down. YOU PEOPLE are too sensitive nowadays.' And then proceeded to argue with whatever recommendations/points I made and then hung up on me," she wrote. "Nice.”
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Gross, who also employs several Marines and says he comes from a long line of military service, claims he has no plans on taking the sticker down. According to him, the local community has been very supportive in response to the complaints.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I can’t thank them enough,” he told us.
On social media, plenty of people from both sides of the argument chimed in. On Schnelle's original Facebook post, one user asked, "Why are all these Americans cheering for ignorance? The ability to speak more than one language should be applauded. Pathetic."
Another user simply stated, "I would love to have one of them stickers I would post it proudly."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Twitter, Rachel Parker posted, "Hey Danville people, don't eat at Grossburgers! Don't support racism!"
For other users, however, the whole debate just seemed to make them hungry, with one person saying, "Ya know. I’m not about racism at all.. but all this talk about gross burgers really has me craving their fries.."