A Missouri man by the name of Richard Geisenheyner decided to prove to his neighbors that he was not a racist in a somewhat… unconventional way. Geisenheymer has regularly flown a Confederate battle flag on the front of his Liberty, Missouri home and has received some complaints about it.
Here’s where it takes a bit of a turn.
Geisenheyner states that he’s tired of being treated like a racist. Which seems odd, considering he flies an abject sign of racism in front of his home. Geisenheymer told reporters:
“If people actually believe that Confederate flag stands for slavery, well, I might as well be just as stupid as they are.”
In order to be as “stupid as they are,” Geisenheymer painted the words “Slaves 4 Sale” on a sheet of plywood and hung it above the flag. He told reporters of his intended meaning:
“It’s for people that are tired of the government telling them what to do and what to think. That is what a southern rebel is.”
Several of Geisenheyner’s neighbors do not appreciate the political statement he is trying to make. One man, who chose not to be identified, stated:
“I’m going to tell you why it is offensive to me: I remember the signs on the wall that said ‘White only.’ I’m that old. I remember the signs on the wall that said ‘Negroes only – entrance here.'”
Whatever he was trying to do, it appears his neighbors did not share his sentiment.
Geisenheymer plans he was only trying to make a point, and took the flag down shortly after attention was drawn to it. Just like people who protest against the removal of Confederate monuments, it appears that he was a bit confused on how to best make his point. You can watch the full story below:
Featured image via YouTube screen capture.