Regarding boycotts – I am not always in favor of them (as the case with the holiday issue) but there are times when I feel that they are very effective and necessary. In the case of A&F – the “girlcott” did work. Asian/Americans spoke out and boycotted A&F because of their racist stereotyping was an effective boycott. The American Family Association & The Decency Boycott also worked – A&F pulled their sex-a-log. Recently, NBC cancelled the Book of Daniel, [a blasphemous and abysmal show that was so completely out of touch with any sort of true Christian values or reality] because of the threat of boycott and lack of advertisers. I think that sometimes even the threat of boycotts are effective. The whole point of a boycott is for people of likemindedness to come together and say, listen, this kind of stuff is unacceptable in our culture. So we collectively ask you to stop ______. If you refuse, then we will collectively not support your company. In a capitalistic society such as ours, that is one thing that does speak… the bottom line… the almighty dollar.
So, I don’t believe boycotts are for morons any more than I believe protesting is for idiots. By her simple protest, Rosa Parks began a revolution. She essentially put into practice Edmund Burke’s quote that said “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and women) do nothing.” If we just stand by and do nothing, we have no excuse to whine and cry when society gets worse. If we take action by using our voices and by using our capitalistic system to vote with our checkbook, then at the very least we can say, hey, I did try.
I wouldn’t necassarily say Protests and Boycotts are stupid, but I definitelythink they are minimal in what they accomplish for the time spent doing them. So, we get them to not sell somehting, that doesn’t change hearts. Whydo we not love people and spend time with people we are loving and allow God, through love, to change their hearts will ultimately affect behavior. I would rather having lasting change than a bandaid. Start from where we are at with the people directly in our lives before we start from the outside without relationship..I never see Jesus boycotting…he walked right in amongst them and loved them regardless of whether they were outwardly sinning or not! the only people he “yelled” at or became staunch with were those people who were missing the point by “boycotting” people for where they were and not walking with them through their battles…
A boycott in Montgomery which lasted a year began the 10 yr struggle for civil rights. It took people who stood up and said “Enough!” It was a hardship for Blacks who depended on the bus to get them to work. Worse – it began an era of hate and murder. There was tremendous personal sacrifice A boycott can change history and it did.
Casey is right in that hearts may not be changed but remember, they MAY be changed too. It may be only one or it may be a whole nation. People have to have an understanding of what evil prejudices and the behavior that went along with them to come to an understanding in order to change behavior. In the case of the Boycott in Montgomery, telelvision gave us a window to the world of the south in 1955 and the hate of people to those they considered beneath them. The cause was worth it to those people who had been treated as “beneath” for so long. It did change the world. It changed the history of the US.
Martin Luther King desired to change segregation with love and nonviolence. He said, “In all of our doings, in all of our deliberations whatever we do, we must keep God in the forefront. Let us be Christian in all of our action. And I want to tell you this evening that it is not enough for us to talk about love. Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice. And justice is really love in application. Justice is love correcting that which would work against love. Standing beside love is always justice.”
I sometimes wonder how Jesus would have handled segregation if He has been walking the streets of Montgomery,Alabama. As He did became angry at the actions of the moneychangers in the Temple, I do think that each of us will decide what we will do when the time comes. We need to take a stand for justice and righteousness.
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
I wonder what I would do.
I’m glad you expanded on this issue. Sorry if I started a war. 🙂
I think the obvious conclusion is that there is a time and a place.
I like what your Mom has to say; notice the events she singles out. They are major events in our history, that required action. Who said it, perhaps Churchill? “All evil men need to succeed is for good men to do nothing.”
If you think an issue is heated enough to boycott, please respect others who choose not to participate. Part of that respect is to keep your head on straight and not make everyone else look like morons. Apparently, that’s hard to do anymore.
One last thought—don’t be ignorant. Half of the products you buy in your local stores daily are made by companies who actively support gay and lesbian agendas, pro-abortion agendas, and probably the political party opposite you (goes both ways).
So every time you boycott, just remember that you can’t boycott everything unless you want to live like the Amish. Again, keep your head on straight and don’t make everyone look like morons, that’s all I ask.
Found this speech Representative Ed Fallon from Iowa gave to the US House of Representatives in 1996 but very true to this day:
If you are weighing the political consequences of opposing this bill and find they are too heavy, I’d like you to think about the great moral changes that have occurred in this country over the past 200 years. Ask yourself when you would have felt safe to speak in favor of the separation of the colonies from Great Britain? When would you have taken a public stand for the abolition of slavery? When would you have spoken in favor of women’s suffrage? In the 1960s, when would you have joined Martin Luther King and others in calling for equal rights for African Americans? When would you have spoken out against restrictive marriage laws banning inter-racial marriages?
While the choice before us today — between a green button or a red one – — is a difficult one to make, it is nowhere near as difficult or dangerous as the choices faced by the many freedom fighters who came before us.
We’re elected not to follow but to lead. We’re elected to cast what might sometimes be a difficult, challenging, and politically inexpedient vote.
We’re elected to represent our constituents when they’re right, and to vote our consciences regardless of whether our constituents are right. And our conscience should be telling us to stand up for civil rights regardless of how unpopular it may appear.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.” Such a time is now. With your no vote on this bill, you can help break the silence and stand with those who have no one to stand with them. Thank you.
When I was younger the world I grew up in was one of alike people who went to the same church, school and we did not see alot of diversity ( Mom can attest to this). In our family we have alot of diversity in color,sexual orientation and this is a wonderfull and beautiful thing and basically just shows that we are all the same so why are we afraid of anything different then us and our beliefs. Boycotts are usefull for good ulterior motives and also for evil ulterior motives. I’m more worried about our loss of freedoms under this current administration then what the “in” people are wearing, who cares?
Kevin, while honestly I’m mostly agreeing with you on this subject, you cannot tell me that there is not a problem with the self-image young girls are seeing as they grow up. You also cannot possibly be supporting the gay and lesbian agendas A&F supports. Seriously, have you seen the catalog? It’s porn in disguise, marketed at teenagers. Sex sells.
While I think that businesses should be able to do what they like, I am strongly opposed to marketing filth to young people. There are decency laws in this country, and if A&F goes much further, they will be an adults-only store and catalog. Their objective is to go as far as they can without getting that tag.
Your argument is like saying, “This guy in my neighborhood raped someone. But that’s not so big of a deal; I’m more worried when a guy like Hitler kills millions.” They are both disgusting. Not only that, it’s apples and oranges: Why anyone would compare the disturbing trends in our current government to the filth in A&F, I dunno.
So take this with a grain of salt: You were on to something, but now you are starting to spin. 🙂
How can it be the gay and lesbian agenda behind the selling of young girls at A & F. Isn’t it marketed to the “straight” society at large You right Sex does sell and it has for a very long time A & F didn’t invent it. I really havent seen their catalog to make a statement it is porn or not. But if you know it’s porn and still look at it what point of view are you trying to make. And to say that I would think it’s not a big deal is a guy in the neighborhood rapes someone is just not right. Rape is not about sex but about power.
Josh,
you love this dialogue dont ya. lol
Kevin, Kevin. Now I’m putting words in your mouth? I was trying to make a somewhat objective analogy.
“Your argument is like…”
It was a comparison. Comparisons are often exaggerated to make a point. So cut the bullshit, you know what I meant exactly.
I’ve only seen an A&F catalog twice, and both times it was with Joshua for the same reasons he wrote these entries. If you say I look at A&F porn, you say it for him too. Stop while you are ahead.
If you want to be ridiculous, get your own blog. Oooooooooooooooooh.
Heh, have a sense of humor, Kevin!
Bradley needs to chill out….
Hey Brad
If you knew me you, you would know I have a wonderful sense of humor. Just a good arguement and disagreement of ideas? And thanks anonymous whoever you are (probably one of my sister’s—Josh’s aunts)
I guess in this country, due to our past and present freedom fighters, we all have the privledge to agree to disagree! Sounds like Bradley needs to get his own blog!
Heh… Well, apparently you missed the joke. Perhaps I need to put a bunch of 🙂 🙂 🙂 after each line.
This reminds me of an episode of TikiBar TV, where they thank a writer for leaving such an inspiring comment.
“That’s very courageous for you to just come out and speak your mind to the whole world like that… em… er… anonymous.”
BTW, Shawn, you’re reading this from my website. Doh! Click my name, silly. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Now I’m just spamming Josh’s comments. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Well it helps that Shawn is another of my nephews which includes Josh.
wow…. when i last checked this, there was one comment… now I see the whole family on here! i guess this must be quite the electrifying topic. dialogue is good, but one thing i won’t tolerate is any sort of character assassinating or name calling. we get enough of that during election year and talk radio thank you very much. so be nice, and have fun disagreeing. after all, disagreements cause us to consider our positions, to think, ponder, and sometimes even change our minds. i appreciate good dialog – liberal, conservative or communist. that was a joke. i only allow conservative comments from now. haha. another joke. see, i am a funny guy sometimes… but i am not putting so many smileys in the comments like brad did. and so everyone knows, brad gives me the webspace that my site resides on… but he still needs to be nice to my family or i will have to get out “my angry eyes” (Toy Story 2).
I’ve read none of these comments but since there are so many he need to leave the stamp
I don’t take anything personally and I wasn’t offended by any comments that were made. I love a good lively discussion of ideas. We made not always agree but it’s good to discuss things and ideas. I’m not a big fan of smiley faces so I won’t make them.
I hate smileys too. Really. Just felt like being obnoxious. I’ll try to be civil from now on. I’d probably go psycho if Josh left a comment like that on my blog, so kudos to you for not censoring me. 🙂 You’re always welcome to delete knee-jerk comments in my book.
I think we all just set a record for the most commented entry. Woo-hoo!
*Jerry Falwell voice*
“Won’t you all join me, in a boycott against knee-jerk comments?”
Okay, I’m finished. Done. Promise. High-five. Fade to black.
GAH! I used a smiley and didn’t even know it. Yikes.
gee , i thought i was in the walmart web site with all the smileys ……
they kind look like kevin when you look at them closely….. love your brother tom…….
anybody else from the family want to get in on this??????????
for real… susan, nancy? where are you guys?
Can’t we all just get along??????