Brian Lilley with Hillbilly Heaven's Cameron Bailey

Inclusivity mavens have a habit of saying very odd, overreaching things in denouncing words and actions of which they disapprove. Evelyn Myrie, who is executive director of the Centre for Civic Inclusion in Hamilton, Ont., provides us with a classic of the genre in today's Spectator: "He has the right to sell his goods but doesn't have the right to trash other foods that are culturally driven."

The "he" in that sentence is one Cameron Bailey, proprietor of Hillbilly Heaven, a local barbecue joint. The issue here is some attempts at institutional humour Mr. Bailey has displayed around his store. On a list of "things we DON'T HAVE and never will," we find ethnic items such as "halal," "shawarma," "kabob" and "Mexican," along with ethnic-to-other-people items such as "fries," "wings," "1/4 chicken" and "burgers."

Another sign reads, "To better serve you, our staff speaks: ENGLISH." Another asks: "What would make you think this was a Korean BBQ? Do you see any f'n ducks in the window?"

All of this is perfectly in keeping with the hillbilly persona you'll find answering supposedly frequently asked questions on the Hillbilly Heaven website. And Mr. Bailey says most are in response to specific questions about his menu, which he believes were ridiculous. But Ms. Myrie demands he remove the signs and apologize.

Let's have a look at her objections.

1. Does Mr. Bailey "trash" foods that he does not sell? Objectively, he does not. Here's what trashing food might look like: Shawarma sucks, smells like feet. Ditto Mexican food, which makes you fart and is disgusting and for all I know might be full of donkey meat. Hanging dead ducks in a restaurant window is sick. The Australians' love of Vegemite is evidence of widespread mental defect.

As it happens, I only believe the last of those things. But it hardly matters. I do indeed have the "right" to trash "culturally driven" foods. I will face no sanction for the preceding paragraph, and neither would Mr. Bailey — if he was, in fact, trashing anyone's food. Which he isn't.

2. What the hell is a "culturally driven food," anyway? Or put it another way: What's a non-culturally driven food? Catching a fish and putting it straight in your mouth?

3. "Why would he go and attack the people who eat those kinds of foods? He's ignoring a great deal of the population." That's Ms. Myrie again, prefacing her novel interpretation of Mr. Bailey's rights with a novel interpretation of what's her damn business. But we can answer her question quite definitively: He's doing what he's doing because he wants to, and nobody, not even the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, has any bloody right to stop him from doing it.

That, and free advertising.

- National Post

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• BBQ Hillbilly Heaven
• Hamilton Hamilton
• Ontario (township) barbeque

[Siegetower]

@MyRosario2009 Don't be racist.

[MyRosario2009]

Trash