Restaurant sign slamming Obamacare causes huge stir

The sign said "ObamaCare America's punishment for slavery years."

The sign was only up for 45 minutes because the complaints began coming in immediately.

Johnny Howard is the man who put the sign in front of Smokin' Joe’s Ribhouse in Arkansas and he has offered an apology and explanation.

"I apologize for the sign. It's offending people, as it did. I didn't intend for it to be racist-oriented at all," he told ABC 40/29.

Howard went on "it's the policy and I made the mistake of wording it in the wrong fashion. The policy. It’s not the person it’s the policy."

Howard says Obamacare will cost someone at his restaurant their job. "I myself will have to eliminate at least one location if all the policies that were written originally go through."

Howard replaced the sign with a much more laid back "Why cook? Get some carry out."

Johnny says the message was misinterpreted by those who were upset and reminded the station he was referring to the Affordable Care Act, and not the President himself.