THE TROUBLE WITH KANSAS
For J.R. and Robin knight, owning a bed and breakfast is everything they’ve always wanted. “We came here in search of our dreams, my wife always wanted a bed and breakfast and I always wanted a restaurant,” says California native J.R. Knight.
But recently their dream has turned into a nightmare, all because of a flag they’re flying outside. “It’s a rainbow flag – to some people it means friendship to some people it means gay pride,” says Knight. But for knight, it was just a souvenir from his 12-year-old son.
Knight says the local Meade newspaper is trying to put him out of business and was frustrated when it ran an article about the flag and did not even bother to contact him regarding why he put it up. In fact, most people we spoke to in Meade said they didn’t even know what the flag meant until the article ran. But once word got around, the reaction was harsh.
Knight says the radio station has called him threatening to remove the restaurant’s commercials if he does not remove the flag. A local pastor stopped by said it was equivalent to hanging women’s panties on a flag pole. When Knight jokingly said he might consider that – the preacher said he would have him arrested.
His business has suffered – down to only a few local customers. The folks in Meade who’ve boycotted say it’s too offensive for them to eat there.
Local resident, Keith Klassen says the flag is a slap in the face to the conservative community of Meade. “To me it’s just like running up a Nazi flag in a Jewish neighborhood. I can’t walk into that establishment with that flag flying because to me that’s saying that I support what the flag stands for and I don’t,” says Klassen.
Yeah, ’cause those gays and lesbians gassed how many millions of straights?
Would Kansas just please go ahead and secede and leave the 21st century to the folks who want to live in it? (via C&L)
3 Responses to “THE TROUBLE WITH KANSAS”
 Comment by Daryl Cobranchi August 2nd, 2006 at 9:39 am |
You used the words “Christian,” “gay,” and and “Mecca” in a single sentence and you weren’t struck down by lightning? Verily He is a forgiving and loving God. 🙂 |
 Comment by Stephanie August 2nd, 2006 at 10:04 am |
Wow. Hey, are those more of the diverse kinds of people my kids are supposed to be socialized with? |
 Comment by Rikki August 2nd, 2006 at 12:59 pm |
hmm… well, we do have our 15th anniversary coming up, that’s reasonably priced, and not too horrible of a driving distance…. Seriously, stuff like that, makes me *want* to patronize places. |