This just makes one sick to the stomach.
DeWitt R. Thomas of Hawkins, Texas, has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Tyler claiming his "religious freedom" and civil rights were violated when a "negroidal" (his word for African-American) man bagged his groceries. He claims he was banned from Two Rivers Grocery & Market by owner Keith Langston because of his "creed." Langston says that he is indeed banned, but for using racial slurs. Thomas also claims in his lawsuit that he was held against his will in the store. Langston says that an employee simply locked the door because Thomas was in the store shopping after closing time.
From the Longview News-Journal:
[Thomas] stated in a nine-page, hand-written lawsuit that he told the grocery sacker, a black man, “Wait a minute, don’t touch my groceries. I can’t have someone negroidal touch my food. It’s against my creed.”
Thomas claimed the cashier was “perplexed” by his request and yelled at him to take his items and leave.
In a telephone interview Wednesday, Thomas said, “It’s pretty simple. They treated me really bad because I told them it was against my creed.”
When Thomas went back two days later, Langston was there, who promptly called police. The police then gave him a criminal trespass warning, which Thomas is now fighting in court for violating his rights.
Thomas was apparently quite surprised when he had to deal with the African-American grocery bagger the second time.
My question is, why after I told them how I felt and that it was against my creed did this negroid try to impress himself upon me and try to handle my groceries again.
Thomas claims to base his beliefs on Vedism:
Vedism translates into knowledge. I am not this way because I am ignorant. Ignorance is the enemy
I have my doubts that Thomas could say anything educated at all about Vedism, or any other world religion for that matter.
He continues:
White people are to be protected under the civil rights law just as anyone else. It would be the same as if you asked that a congoid (a person from west/central Africa) not touch your food.
Langston is sticking to his guns and not allowing Thomas back in the store. In fact, Langston says:
I’ve had several people say they would’ve touched a hell of a lot more than his groceries if they had been in line behind him.
There are no words to adequately describe how disgusting and idiotic this is. Vedism my ass. Like I said above, he probably doesn't even know what it is. "Religious freedom" doesn't mean squat to this asshole. Just like it doesn't mean squat to the right-wingers who want to use it to give passes to conservative doctors and pharmacists. It's about the ability to be a bigot, and nothing more.
Post-racial society, anyone?