An Alabama food store proprietor is standing firm on his political views– by pulling preferred soft drinks and also sports beverage brands from his shelves. The S&Z Grocery gas station store in Athens, Alabama will no longer sell Pepsi and also Gatorade beverages that have a National Football Organization logo on them in protest of the NFL players that kneel throughout the national anthem every Sunday.
On Sunday, shopkeeper Phillip Stewart withdrew all PepsiCo containers with the NFL logo design, and took to Facebook to clarify his stance.
Stewart composed: This may cause me to lose some business, but here goes. S&Z supermarket currently will not be selling 20 ounce Pepsi or Diet Pepsi. These two items are currently produced with the NFL logo on them. I refuse to sell the product until the logo is removed. I will not bow down in order to the make a dollar as long as the athletes are allowed to bow down and disrespect the flag and country that I love.
Colin Kaepernick first began the stooping activity in 2016 and also other players have proceeded with the fad, in an initiative to bring attention to unfair police cruelty.
Stewart will certainly have a little bit of a wait until he can return the bottles to his racks, as the logo designs will certainly remain on Pepsi and Gatorade bottles till the Super Bowl in 2019.
He informed WAFF that he will certainly hold strong on his choice, noting: I dont want to support them in any way, because I feel like its just wrong. I cant in good conscious sell the product because it does have the logo on it.
He also said: I pulled them myself, the customers didnt know I was doing this. I sold the product that I had that did not have the logo on it. And I told my rep as well as the delivery guy that I did not want those brought into the store because I would not sell them.
Stewart went further with his explanation to WHNT that he’s not opposed to the reason the NFL players are elevating attention concerning but does not agree with kneeling throughout the national anthem for any reason. He discussed The cause is just. I think there are other ways to deal with it. This has brought attention to it Im sure there is good that comes from this, I just dont agree with the tactic.
He proceeded: This helps me sleep at night. I can sleep knowing that Im not supporting somebody thats doing something I dont believe in.
In addition to not marketing the products, Stewart stated he won’t even watch football after the way the players protested. He described to WAFF: Im just trying to not really make a statement. I just dont want to support anything dealing with the NFL. If I see 3 minutes of a game, I feel guilty. I get up and turn the TV off or go outside. I cant watch it.
Not everybody who comes into his store is giving Stewart’s activities much attention, with Aaron Diocesan, an ex-Marine, telling WAFF: Do I personally care? No, I dont. Ill grab a Pepsi, Ill hit my Nike golf clubs. That will make some people mad, but Ive got other things to worry about.
Another client, Susan Riggs, agrees with Stewart, however, claiming: I stand behind S & Z 100%, and I hope other people support him and pull together.
