Wisconsin DQ puts up ‘politically incorrect’ sign, owner doesn’t back down
A sign spotted on the front window of a Dairy Queen restaurant in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, has caught the internet’s attention. The billboard boldly showcases the establishment’s commitment to what some may deem as politically incorrect, highlighting its frequent use of holiday greetings such as “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Easter,” and “God Bless America.”
Speaking to WDJT-TV, owner Kevin Scheunemann said he “felt the sign was appropriate to hang in terms of being transparent about the views of the owner and staff supporting God and country.”
The sign has been up for the last four years and it didn’t cause any problems until recently when a customer took a picture of it and complained about it.
The location’s owner, franchisee Kevin Scheunemann, told Gomn that “a student from Oregon” posted the photo of the sign on the official Dairy Queen Facebook page last Wednesday, triggering a huge thread of comments.
Mike Mozart/Flickr
According to Scheunemann, the complaint by the student described the “politically incorrect” sign as “extremely offensive” and demanded that the company “deal with (the) franchise owner.”
Most of the comments under the photo that attracted plenty of attention but has since been deleted were in support of Scheunemann.
- Most of the comments under the photo that attracted plenty of attention but has since been deleted were in support of Scheunemann.
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Scheunemann says he’s not planning on taking the sign down and adds that store is a “huge tourist landmark at this point,” with “people driving hours to take a picture with (the) sign.”
Dairy Queen responded to the controversy with the following statement: “American Dairy Queen Corporation does not encourage our independently owned and operated franchisees to post non-business related messages in their locations or on their external reader boards. This sign expresses the views of this independent owner only and does not speak for ADQ Corporation or any of our other independent franchise owners. We expect our franchisees and employees to treat every person who walks through our doors with the utmost dignity and respect. Nothing less is acceptable.”
The idea to put the sign in the first place came after a complaint from a customer who was upset about the Christian music playing inside the store.
What are your thoughts on this?