Posted on 04/12/2006 5:41:50 PM PDT by radar101
Hello all,
This past Friday night I was privileged to visit Fran O'Brien's steakhouse in the Capitol Hilton, Washington, DC. Every Friday night, Hal Koster, the restaurant manager and Vietnam Vet, invites our wounded soldiers convalescing at nearby Walter Reed Army Center to a free steak dinner and drinks. It was supposedly a "slow" night for our heroes as many were on a ski trip in Colorado. But I walked into an absolutely packed room of wounded soldiers and their families enjoying a minor but well-deserved recognition for their service to our country.
I've also discovered since then that the Hilton Corporation will not be renewing the lease. Apparently, there are too many "liability issues" in accommodating American heroes in wheelchairs. In fact , the lease (and therefore the dinners) will expire in a few short weeks. If America had responded as we would in the past, this would be inconsequential really. Obviously we have not and it is a tragic commentary on today's PC-ness.
Please read the attached e-mail with more of the details.
Best, Buzz
Buzz Patterson Lieutenant Colonel, USAF (Retired)
PC gone awry. Emails sent. Hilton is gonna be a big loser.
Anyone holding Hilton et. al rewards cards out there? I think if a few thousand of those were cancelled and returned with a phone call in support of O Brien's, major impact.
Subject: Fran O'Brien's
How much business could Hilton loose if you get active Military and Veterans mad at you?
1.4 million active duty including reserves and guard
26.4 million veterans
$$$$$$$$$$
Plus all their friends,families and business acquaintances....
Source: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-ff04se.html
PS: I personally have access to 65,000 veterans via email, and they can forward to the rest of them.
THINK ABOUT IT!
BTTT
Well, for what good it does me, I'm a member of Hilton Honors (essentially a frequent flier club, but for hotel stays). I'm gonna do some poking around, and they will hear from me.
Aside from everything else, Fran O'Brian's is one of the best steakhouses I've ever eaten at...this is a shame.
veteran ping
Can we organize a campaign to contact the Hilton to try and encourage them to change their minds?
And I just read that Blackie's House of Beef is out of business too ... so much for an alternative. What's going on with DC and steakhouses? Has PETA gotten to Hilton?
Let us know which room you'll be staying in so we can watch. ha.
That's what this thread is about.
Thanks for posting that; hipaatwo. I should have scrolled down a bit. I'll call a few of them after 9:00.
Well then I think it needs a LITTLE bit higher profile, don't you? If I hadn't been pinged to it, I wouldn't have even seen it.
How can they possibly refuse to put in wheelchair access? Isn't that part of the ADA for all restaurants above a certain size? I'd think that a restaurant in a major hotel would have already installed it. Is access to the restaurant obtained by going through the hotel, or directly from 'the street'?
Find another thread to post on.
I agree with you. My E-mail to Hilton was along the lines of "Please tell me this is a hoax."
In the end, I hope this results in more publicity and donations for Fran O'Brien's wonderful act of ongoing kindness.
I think its current top billing on Breaking News is sufficient.
I have one comment....has anyone asked the Hilton Corporation if they've read the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT?
That is what I was thinking. It seems there may be some sort of ADA issue here.
Several years ago I got a company to put in a ramp because there was a $15,000 tax credit available to make the business more handicap friendly?
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