Austin Noodle House Owner in Hot Water Over Racially Charged Comments About Sandy Hook Shooting
The owner of a Thai Noodle House in Austin has been on the receiving end of significant backlash since posting a Facebook status update expressing a lack of concern for the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting.
"I don't care if a bunch of white kids got killed," the Thailand-born Eddie Nimibutr wrote in the update he posted on Friday, shortly after the incident took place. "Fuck Post-Racial bullshit. When kids from minority groups get shot, nobody cares. When Israel launched missiles at the school on Gaza, everybody was too busy jerking off. Why should i care about people who dont give a damn about me?"
Nimibutr claims the post inspired several people to call him "with threat of violence." He responded with a follow up post, attempting to clear up his earlier comments.
"I have stated throughout the years in my beliefs with millions in cut to mental health programs, school programs, after school programs," Nimibutr wrote.
He continued:
Years after years, thousands of kids in juvenile detention centers. Hundreds of them hungry tonight and have no places to sleep. Thousands are mentally and sexually abused by someone they know. Catholic churches and the Boys' Scout are hiding pedophiles everywhere. I mentioned Gaza and Israel. Aurora, Virginia Tech, and 4 other shootings since Columbine. I don't even remember. Where is the sympathy for them? It's just a headline news.
The follow up did little to assuage Nimibutr's critics, so he gave it one more shot:
If you don't like me or my opinions, I suggest you to unfriend me and fuck off. I am pretty much sick of some people telling me what to think, how to think, or how to feel today, and if you don't like my foods, fuck off and eat someplace else.
Ultimately, it seems the negative response took its toll on Nimibutr. A call placed to Thai Noodle House by restaurant writer R.L Reeves resulted in a bizarre exchange with an employee who claimed Eddie was the restaurant's chef, not its owner, and was no longer working at the establishment.
(Reeves found Nimibutr listed as the restaurant's owner, and suggests the diversion was an attempt at "a bit of damage control.")
On his Facebook page, Nimibutr appears to confirm a leave of absence at least: "I think It's time for me to get out of this city for awhile for a nice hike down south."