So there's this gas station and restaurant out in the northwest part of the county called Lewis Country Store. According to the store's website, the Lewis family "built a business based on downhome values, a local demand and what we believed in."
We don't know about you, but our definition of "downhome values" doesn't include signs like this:
In a video gleefully posted to the store's Facebook page, one can see that the full scrolling sign says, "Trump Just Said It. Bill Clinton Did It! The Only P*$$y Trump Ever Grabbed Was Paul Ryan! #TrumpThatB*tch." That video has been viewed 166,000 times.
One woman posted that she found the sign offensive; the store responded, "Well we aren't registered republicans and we don't make shit on gas so you can go fuck yourself! Hahaha now that's offensive!"
The store's owner, Brad Lewis, hasn't returned a request for comment. He told NewsChannel 5 earlier this year that his postings are "fun" and that "the last time I checked we still have freedom of speech in the good ‘ole U.S. of A.”
He's right. He does have freedom of speech. But he also has a contract with Shell to sell its gasoline. Shell hasn't yet responded to our request for comment, but they told NewsChannel 5 in June, "We do have brand guidelines in our licensing agreement that all independent sites must adhere to. When there are violations, we ask for the issue to be addressed. Continued violations could result in more aggressive action including potential de-branding."
If Shell cares about its customers, it should do the right thing and pull out of Lewis Country Store.
UPDATE — Friday, 2 p.m.: A spokesperson from Shell responded to our inquiry.
"Similar to other major fuel brands, Shell retail fuels business in the U.S. primarily supplies quality motor fuels to wholesalers who operate under the Shell brand and sell Shell-branded fuels," says Natalie Mazey of Shell. "So while the name on the sign reflects the brand of the motor fuel being sold on the premises, the sites are independently owned and operated. The content of messages posted on digital signage at Shell-branded stations does not reflect the views or opinions of Shell.
"Shell has been made aware of inappropriate messages being displayed at the station located at the corner of Old Hickory Boulevard and Ashland City Highway in Northwest Davidson County. The content of the message does not reflect the views or opinions of Shell and we are following up with this independently owned location to investigate further."


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