FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — When it comes to choosing the name of his business, Ralph Rodriguez rolled the dice. He went with Fort Liberty Pone & Gun.
It costs him about $30,000.
“It’s a change in signage, uniforms, stationery, business cards, advertising, state licensing and federal changes,” he said.
When he was submitting his establishment documents last fall, Rodriguez knew one of the presidents.Donald TrumpThe campaign promise was to restore the names of Confederate officers to military facilities.Rebranded under the Biden administration. However, it was thought that Rodriguez should use the name of the installation as he did back then.
“We were trying to stand in military bases and support them because we know it would become our client,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t really care about Braxton Bragg.”
Less than a month after Trump’s second term, Defense Secretary Pete HegsesI ordered the installationthis time I’m paying respectWorld War II Sky Tro Force Roland BraggMain.
Two things quickly passed through Rodriguez’s mind.
“The first thing I said was, ‘It’s going to be expensive.’ And the second was, “Who is mad at this?”
Even before Trump won the election, people told Rodriguez that he should call his store fort Bragg Pawn and gun. After all, it’s on Fort Bragg Road.
Then, shortly before the grand opening in December, someone smashed his sign.
“We came to work and saw the yellow line across ‘freedom’,” he said.
Rodriguez is used to catching FLAK for his Michigan roots and peace symbol tattoo on his right arm. And next to him is his wife’s crystal shop.
“My clients call her a ‘liberal containment centre,” he said with a laugh.
And what does her client call him?
“‘Trump,'” he said. “Or “Megagun nuts.”
As a SOP to her husband’s client, Hannah Rodriguez carries several stones carved in the form of pistols and hand rena bullets.
“Crystals and pistols,” she said with a laugh.
But when it comes to Bragg vs. Liberty, that’s not a laughing matter.
“Look, Fayetteville doesn’t have a middle ground. They’re either very right or left,” Ralph Rodriguez said. “If we tilted any way, we’d lose our customers…but if we kept it fort rider pawn and guns, we would definitely lose more.”
Several other businesses in and around Fayetteville also used their freedom, including local federal credit unions. It takes time to redo all the signs, but it’s already changed.
At least one company is sticking to the name Liberty.
“I came up with the whole name based on Alteration, because I’m a big writer nerd,” said Sabrina Soares, broker at Fort Liberty Living, a real estate company. “So we’re probably going to keep it as is.”
In 2023, the state spent $163,000 to change all Fort Bragg Highway Signs to Fort Liberty. Once they’re backed, they’re expected to run for over $200,000.
Rodriguez thinks he got off easily.
On a recent sultry afternoon, retired Army officer and mayoral candidate Freddie de la Cruz stopped by to chat and check out his purchases.
He told him that Rodriguez wasn’t supposed to be that difficult.
“It was a wise move,” he said. “at that time.”
Retired Army Master Sergeant. Sydney High said he has no problem coming to a store called Fort Liberty.
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” he said. “I always call it Fort Bragg anyway. So that doesn’t make a difference for me.”
Rodriguez believes it will take about six months to switch everything. He looks forward to putting this chapter behind him.
“I just want to do business,” he said. “I want to be happy. I want to be happy to everyone else. It’s difficult. It’s difficult, and you can’t keep both sides happy.”
To be safe, he holds both names on paper.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.
