Posted on 09/18/2001 6:17:45 AM PDT by aomagrat
It took the worst terrorist attack in American history to move him, but Maurice Bessinger has put Old Glory back up at his Piggie Park restaurants.
Bessinger replaced the Confederate and S.C. flags with the Stars and Stripes over the weekend. He said he would re-evaluate his flag stand after an appropriate period of time.
"We made a decision to honor the war dead from the terrorist attacks," the barbecue baron said Monday. "States' rights are on hold until we get through this time of mourning."
Bessinger, a colorful but divisive figure in South Carolina for more than 50 years, struck the national colors from his main flagpoles a year ago to protest the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House dome.
Bessinger's flag stand, and his distribution of pamphlets at his restaurants defending slavery, spawned statewide protests. Major grocery store chains pulled his Carolina Gold barbecue sauce from their shelves.
Bessinger said he has lost 98 percent of the grocery store business, but the switch was not intended to mitigate his losses.
"This is America. Everybody has a right to his opinion," he said. "I resent anyone trying to deny me mine. But all that's on hold until we get through this time of mourning."
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