Among other things, the First Amendment guarantees American citizens the right to speech free of government imposition. The First Amendment does not, however, guarantee speech without consequences. For example, there's no constitutional protection against losing a lucrative fuel distribution contract with a image-conscious multinational gasoline concern.
The owners of Lewis Country Store on Ashland City Highway said that a series of controversial and often profane pro-Donald Trump messages on the business' electronic sign led Shell Oil to terminate its contract with the station.
The station gained notoriety in recent months for its sign, which brightly flashed messages including "#TrumpThatB----," which is a likely unintended allusion to a song from Memphis rap film "Hustle & Flow." Most controversially, however, was the message reading "“The only p---- Trump ever grabbed was Paul Ryan," though it is unclear what, exactly, that message refers to, as the Republican nominee has not been accused of manhandling the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Saturday, the sign read, less obscenely "Now that we have your attention, never forget Benghazi, she did it to them, she will do it to you,” plus the "#TrumpThatB----" hashtag and "All deplorables must vote Nov. 8."
It's notable that Lewis Country Store's road-fronting signage is primarily branded with Shell logos, which likely created some uncomfortable moments as the images went viral. Shell confirmed that it dropped the contract in a statement.
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