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NEW DELHI: The man who earned his name by killing Osama bin Laden is once again amidst the centre of a brewing controversy as the armed forces brewing company gears up to establish a military themed brewery in Norfolk, Virginia.
According to a report in Fox News, former Navy SEAL Robert J. O’Neill, a partial stakeholder in the brewery has drawn opposition from community members over racist and homophobic remarks he allegedly made in the past.
Robert recently turned to social media to complain about a Navy sailor who performs as a drag queen and was reported by police in Texas as using a racial slur. After the incident, the brewing company has toned down O’Neill’s public-facing role as a brand ambassador, while also dismissing the claims against them.
However, the planning commission’s recent 4-2 vote advising the city council to deny permits for the brewery’s taproom and distribution center indicates widespread opposition. Approximately 800 comments, many opposing the brewery, were lodged during the application process.
Moreover, the brewery also failed to garner support from the neighborhood association, primarily representing Norfolk’s Park Place, a predominantly Black community. Critics argue that the brewery’s ownership lacks reflection of the military’s diversity, veterans, or the city’s liberal-leaning nature.
In response to the commission’s decision, the brewery’s attorney, Tim Anderson, alleged bias, claiming the vote was swayed by the owner’s political views. Anderson asserted that if the brewery supported LGBTQ ideas, the application might have encountered less resistance.
Critics have also highlighted O’Neill’s August arrest in Texas for alleged assault on a hotel security officer while intoxicated, coupled with the use of a racial slur. O’Neill vehemently denies recent use of such language.
According to a report in Fox News, former Navy SEAL Robert J. O’Neill, a partial stakeholder in the brewery has drawn opposition from community members over racist and homophobic remarks he allegedly made in the past.
Robert recently turned to social media to complain about a Navy sailor who performs as a drag queen and was reported by police in Texas as using a racial slur. After the incident, the brewing company has toned down O’Neill’s public-facing role as a brand ambassador, while also dismissing the claims against them.
However, the planning commission’s recent 4-2 vote advising the city council to deny permits for the brewery’s taproom and distribution center indicates widespread opposition. Approximately 800 comments, many opposing the brewery, were lodged during the application process.
Moreover, the brewery also failed to garner support from the neighborhood association, primarily representing Norfolk’s Park Place, a predominantly Black community. Critics argue that the brewery’s ownership lacks reflection of the military’s diversity, veterans, or the city’s liberal-leaning nature.
In response to the commission’s decision, the brewery’s attorney, Tim Anderson, alleged bias, claiming the vote was swayed by the owner’s political views. Anderson asserted that if the brewery supported LGBTQ ideas, the application might have encountered less resistance.
Critics have also highlighted O’Neill’s August arrest in Texas for alleged assault on a hotel security officer while intoxicated, coupled with the use of a racial slur. O’Neill vehemently denies recent use of such language.
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