The Japanese American Citizens League, a national Asian-American civil rights organization, is considering action against O.C. Welch after the Bluffton-area car dealer used the phrase “rice-ready” to describe vehicles made by Japanese companies.

OC Welch, the owner of Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships in Bluffton, Hardeeville and Savannah, ran controversial radio advertisements that recently aired on a dozen stations. Listen to his spot entitled, “Wake Up America”At the 34 second spot of the ad, you will hear this:

“All you people who buy Toyota and send your money to Japan. When you don’t have a job and can’t make your Toyota payment, don’t come crying to me. One thing I wanna ask you, with those Japanese cars. Even when they are brand new, how come they don’t smell like a new car? They are rice ready, not road ready.

When will you Wal-mart shoppers, you import buyers, when are you gonna wake up and do something for the United States of America.”

“I don’t think it’s going too far. It’s reality and I think we need a reality check,” Welch told TV station WTOC. Welch has no apologies for his latest radio ads. “Right now, it’s running a 96 percent approval rate,” he said. He says December sales have finally improved. His radio ads will continue to run. Welch even welcomes negative responses to them. “That’s fine with me. I’ll help them write it. Mail it in. Whatever,” he said. As long as he gets his message across.

What is wrong with this guy, we understand that car dealerships are struggling, but this is not how you go about promoting cars. He welcomes the negative responses. If you want to tell OC Welch how you feel about his ad, here’s the contact information for his dealership:

OC Welch

4920 Independence Blvd

Hardeeville, SC 29927

Tel : 843-288-0100

Fax: 843-288-0105

Email: o-welch@dealeremail.com

Racist “rice ready” car ads

TV station WTOC report on racist “rice ready” car ads