The Undeniable Right of Voting with Your Pocketbook
January 3rd, 2009 by Dave
We are blessed to live in a country that cherishes freedom - and that includes your freedom to choose with whom to associate and with whom to trade. Even when political machinations may tend to thwart the will of the people, the power of how you choose to spend your money can be an effective tool in bringing about social change. American patriots recognized the importance of this tactic through their boycott of British goods in opposition to “taxation without representation” during the colonial years preceding the Revolutionary War. Mahatma Ghandi recognized it too through his “swadeshi” policy, boycotting all foreign-made goods as part of the movement to obtain independence for the nation of India. These examples demonstrate that when political forces collaborate to obstruct the will of the people, there is still a way to express our discontent and work to bring about change.
Now both sides in the SSM debate are actively using boycotts in an attempt to aid their cause.
LGBT activists in California, angered by the passage of Proposition 8, obtained the list of donors to the “Yes on 8” campaign and published them to call for boycotts of what they perceive as anti-SSM businesses. In response, the National Organization for Marriage created a new website BustTheBlacklist.com to call for a “Buycott” of these same business targeted for harassment by the LGBT activists, by encouraging pro-family supporters to make a special effort to patronize these businesses.
Meanwhile, the American Family Association (AFA) has begun a national campaign to boycott Pepsi and its related family of products (e.g. Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker), prompted by their enthusiastic support and financial donations to LGBT activism. PepsiCo has given $1 million to support the gay agenda, and AFA is asking pro-family supporters to petition the company to stop its pro-LGBT advocacy. AFA is simply asking that companies remain “neutral” in this “culture war”, and has a past track record of successfully influencing the corporate policies of other companies like McDonalds (which was boycotted from May to October during 2008, and which ultimately promised to withdraw its support for LGBT activism and refrain from further involvement in political and social issues).
Closer to home, teachers may be aware that their union (the Connecticut Education Association) was among the groups that endorsed a “No” vote on the question of a Constitutional Convention. Similarly, the California Teacher’s Association funneled more than $1.2 million into the fight against Proposition 8. In response, the Pacific Justice Institute created a new site ChooseCharity.org to inform union members about their right (under Federal law, based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) to avoid supporting causes and candidates they believe are in opposition to their religious beliefs and/or their political views by informing the union of their objection to paying dues. Instead they can redirect their union dues to a charity that is in agreement with their religious faith.
In the end, it’s your money and you should choose for yourself how and where to spend it. Knowing more about the organizations and companies with which you might do business can help you to avoid inadvertently lending financial aid to the very things you find objectionable. Pro-family supporters should be especially alert and vigilant to ensure their hard-earned dollars are used for the good of society, rather than for efforts diametrically opposed to their values.
