LIBERTY, Mo. — People who live in a Liberty, Missouri neighborhood woke up to a sign advertising “Slaves 4 Sale” hanging over a Confederate battle flag at a neighbor’s home on Tuesday.
Richard Geisneheyner told WDAF the sign is a reaction to being treated like a racist because he flies the flag in front of his home.
“If people actually believe that a Confederate flag stands for slavery, well, I might as well be just as stupid as they are,”said Geisenheyner, who has mixed-race grandchildren.
He says he flies the Confederate battle flag to make a political statement: “It is for people who are tired of the government telling them what to do and what to think. That is what a Southern rebel is.”
“His rebel flag don’t have a damn thing to do with me, wave it all you want,” said a man who asked not to be identified. “This idiot with his slaves for sale, are you fricking kidding me?”
Some of Geisenheyner’s neighbors are highly offended by his sign.
“I am going to tell you why it is offensive to me. I remember the signs on the wall that says ‘white only.’ I am that old. I remember the signs on the wall that says ‘negros only entrance here.'”
Geisenheyner took his sign down Tuesday afternoon because he believes his point has been made. His neighbors hope that next time Geisneheyner want to make a statement, he chooses another way to express himself.
“If people called him a racist because he was flying the rebel flag and he wanted to make a statement and put up slaves for sale, well, I didn’t offend you, I haven’t called you a racist so you have got to think about the other people in the community,” said a woman who lives nearby. She also asked not to be identified.
Neighbors WDAF talked to on Tuesday hope that Giesenhyner might choose a different way to vent his frustrations in the future.
