First of all, let me be perfectly clear: Firehouse Barbeque, located in a strip mall on LA. 16 about halfway between Denham Springs and the unincorporated town of Watson, has the absolute, unquestioned best BBQ I have ever tasted in my entire 76 years on this planet – and they don’t cheat you on portions.
Second of all, I will never enter that establishment again.
They won’t miss be because apparently, every Livingston Parish anti-mask Donald Trump supporter in Livingston Parish – and there’s no shortage of those – is more than eager to make up for the loss of one occasional diner like me.
Shoot, even publicity-hound prophet Tony Spell, he of the Life Tabernacle Church across the Amite River in Central in East Baton Rouge Parish, showed up on Monday to sit at God’s Table, LLC (the corporate name of Firehouse BBQ) to partake of a generous helping of something from the Firehouse menu.
But of course, Spell could be expected to stick his nose into any issue that could conceivably adversely impact the donations that might fall into his numerous offering plates, the issue being a limit on the number of people who might be able to congregate at a given event. He’s already been embroiled with the state over its earlier 50-person crowd limit.
So, Spell knew that the media would be on hand to display his freshly-scrubbed face and perfectly-coifed pompadour on TV and in the newspaper. And he was RIGHT, of course.
Eunice and Danielle Bunch, owners of God’s Table, LLC (and for the life of me, I can’t comprehend why God’s table, needs to organize as a “limited liability corporation”), claim that some of their workers have suffered adverse medical reactions to wearing masks and that they would allow their customers to decide for themselves whether or not to wear them. (Perhaps Rev. Spell could pray those reactions away.)
“The illegal mask mandate has been attempted to be enforced upon our store by harming the income of the business and employees without a hearing,” said a hand-written notice on the door alongside a July 31 Louisiana Health Department document ordering Firehouse’s closure.
Well, that’s fine and dandy and Spell and a few other patrons want to make it an issue of liberty and the right to bear bare faces, a right that could turn noses and mouths into virtual weapons of mass destruction. (Does that make this a Second Amendment issue?)
Spell, after the State revoked the restaurant’s food permit, called the state’s action “tyrannical,” adding, “It never was about safety. It was about taking away our freedoms.”
B.S., pure B.S.
Let’s talk about freedom, Rev. I have the freedom to be assured that some infected employee hasn’t breathed or worse, sneezed onto my food.
I don’t care if one of their employees does also work for Ochsner Clinic just down the road. In fact, especially if one of their employees does also work for Ochsner Clinic just down the road. I have the right not to carry their infections into my home and to expose my family.
Almost as much as contaminated food, I detest grandstanding by some self-righteous preacher who invokes God’s name every time someone pisses him off. Rev. Spell, I’ve yet to see anything carved in stone that informs me that you are endowed with the exclusive hotline to God. You are, in the final analysis, just a man like me. No better, no worse. Your word carries no more weight than mine.
But you’d never know it by reading some of the comments beneath The Advocate story.
While there were voices of reason that supported the use of masks as proven to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, one reader said Spell was “the only person standing up for our freedom and liberty.”
Sorry, but I lump safety and health in with freedom and liberty. And I can’t make the stretch that wearing a mask is a threat or even an affront to our freedom and liberty. In fact, I don’t even see it as any more of an inconvenience than wearing a baseball MAGA cap backward or a Trump T-shirt—fairly regular sights at Walmart, the dollar store or even Firehouse BBQ.
And I haven’t seen any women offended at the infringement on freedom of mask mandates clamoring to go topless in Livingston Parish.
But that was of little consequence to that reader who somehow managed to morph his comments into someone’s yelling “fire” in a crowded theater as evidence that mask mandates are illegal.
Another reader opined that tyranny from the government is already here and that if you believe the news, “you are already oppressed and ignorant.”
Wow. So, what, exactly, are you supposed to believe? Apparently, Trump news, because that reader also said he has personally used hydroxychloroquine and that it cured him. He must be getting his news from some source. I wonder if he’s ingested bleach?
The same one who championed Spell as the only one standing up for freedom and liberty later actually advocated for a civil war and at the same time, managed to tie those who advocate masks to communism:
“I look forward to civil war. Something needs to happen. Hopefully like what happened in Chile back in 1973. All these communists need to disappear.” (Yeah, that worked out well for Chile: 130,000 arrests, death squads, torture and detention centers, assassinations, general turmoil.)
Now that’s scary and hopelessly irresponsible – and an infringement on my liberty and freedom.
Louisiana Voice 
Firehouse BBQ was also one of my go-to restaurants (that I went to more often than I probably should have.) That is past tense for a reason–when restaurant owners bow up over having to wear face masks, a public health issue, then it makes me wonder what other health and food safety regulations they are willing to break because it is inconvenient or they don’t agree with them.
Excellent observation. I will apply that concern to any business that appears to flout the mandates on masks, social distancing, disinfecting after use, etc..
Today’s news says Southwest Airlines is cutting back on cleaning and disinfecting between flights to save time and money. You’re right, what other corners are they cutting? Guess SW won’t be getting our business on our (formerly) frequent flights to Denver to visit family. Businesses need to see that people have choices and putting customers at risk cost money in the long run.
Copy of my comment on The Advocate site:
Rev. Spell: If a civil war starts because of people like you, are you going to own it and be proud of your part in bringing it on, or blame it on tyranny? Once all newspapers exist only for people sharing your beliefs, we will truly be oppressed and ignorant. Are you ready to step in as the font of all knowledge? When we all stop acknowledging civil authorities, like our governor, chaos will reign supreme until a dictator steps in tell us all what to do and when. I hope you like it. Maybe you can get on national TV again and, who knows, make a little more money in the name of religion.
I would suggest everybody go to The Advocate site and read all the comments, including those Tom cites. When an article stirs this number of comments you get a lot of insight into what people are thinking and whom we are all walking among.
Neighbor Steve, I can’t stomach reading the ignorant and hate contained in those comments. But The Advocate is not alone in attracting these bigots. Have you ever read the comments posted on the Daily Report of the BR Business Report? Disgusting.
I have, and I agree.
…and WBRZ, my go to news station. There is a nest of racist bigots commenting there that leap over the line regularly, and it doesn’t appear that anyone moderates it. Most days I just skip comments because I otherwise wouldn’t let that trash into my house in person.
Why don’t either the Livingston Parish DPW or the State Fire Marshal simply have the utilities cut off?
The one thing that Trump has done (good or bad) is to reveal just how ignorant many Louisiana folks are. I don’t say this based on my humble judgment alone, but based on mountains of evidence that the junk that they spew out is just simply not truth or informed. However, when folks surrender their will and brains to False Prophet Preachers, matters only get worse that the FPP get richer. As Pogo once said (I think he said it): “I have met the enemy…and he is us!” I have another mask story….the local bank in my small town has the entry door plastered with all of the “Must Do” stuff before one can enter beyond the entry door….OK, enter the door doing all of the stuff required and be met by the two ladies that work there NOT wearing masks….period….full stop!
Anyone who thinks that being required to wear a mask in public places is an assault on freedom and liberty is a fool. The Supreme Court and lower courts have consistently held that there are limits to free speech and expression. When one considers what makes the US “the land of the free” – free speech, freedom of the press, voting rights, (supposed) equal justice under the law, ability to obtain education, make career choices, live where we choose and buy property, and all the other things we take for granted, wearing a mask in public until a dread disease is conquered is beyond inconsequential.
I have not heard those same people howling about a loss of rights and freedom when unidentified stormtroopers assault and terrorize peaceful protestors, arrest people and take them away in unmarked vehicles, when DHS, a government agency, spies on and compiles data on journalists and citizens and lies about that to Congress, people are killed and injured while in police custody, a president and attorney general make a mockery of our legal system, a president ignores the Constitution, Congressional budget authority and oversight…the list of assaults on our freedom and liberty by this rogue administration is endless. But certain people overlook all that and carry on about a little piece of fabric or paper over their big mouths. Talk about choosing a hill to die on – literally.
Thanks for that post – couldn’t agree more.
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BBQ gives me heartburn, false prophets give me the red ass. Tums fixes heartburn, nothing will fix false prophets. We must keep our hearts and mind pure without hate, without criticism, not join them in their narcicistic? ignorant world. Please let me know if my plan works, never has never will. We are human and we we we can at least redo this aberration of a President by voting and never respect nor trust a Republican representative. whew I feel better. ron thompson thanks Tom!
Spot on!! That place was on my list of places to try… now I wouldn’t go there if Jesus Christ asked me to! And I couldn’t agree more with every one of you!
You sound no better than them, get off your political high horse.
Neigh.
And they are doing just fine…
Great. They can keep on doing fine without me but they’re still idiots for defying masks when people were dying from Covid. That fact will never change.