Consumer Activism

Back Up Your Thinking With Your Spending

Recently there was a big annual parade scheduled in Boston.  St. Patrick's Day Parade, as I recall.  Many businesses provide sponsorship to that parade.  This time, though, a homosexual activist organization wanted to march and advertise their sexual proclivities and, presumably, recruit.  The parade organizers decided that would not be especially family-friendly, and therefore denied that group a permit to march.  That group protested, to no avail.

Several sponsors pulled their sponsorships to show their displeasure with the parade organizer's decision.  Among them were Samuel Adams brewery, Heineken brewery, and Guiness brewery.

I guess St. Patrick and his followers liked beer. 

In any event, this pulling of sponsorships over this particular issue offended me.  So now I don't buy Samuel Adams beer, which I truly do like and which I have bought many gallons of over the years, nor do I buy Heineken or Guiness, neither of which particularly impress me.

So I got to thinking - I have a history of being selective with my dollars.  For example, I wouldn't buy a Government Motors car if they were free; nor would I buy a Fiat - ooops, I mean Chrysler product.  They took bailout money from the taxpayer and gave it to their unions.  My money.  Your money.  And even if they hadn't, they won't stand behind their products unless people die and they're caught with their hands in the cookie jar.  Or they are owned now, in the case of Chrysler, by a company notorious in the world as a producer of shoddy products, only marginally better than the now Fiat-owned Yugo or the East German Trabant.

Entertainment - I have a whole list of entertainers I won't go to see on the silver screen.  I'm told that is stupid of me, that I should overlook their actions and words and enjoy their performances.  But to my way of thinking their performances are just entertainment.  I can be entertained just as well by others, and I don't want these idiots getting one dime from me.

There are many other examples of my selective spending, or my activist spending, or my personal boycotts.  The point is that I'm making decisions on what to support with my money, and what to impoverish.  Certain television channels don't get viewed in my house.  Ditto radio stations.  

Do you do something similar?  If not, next time you're spending discretionary dollars, think about what your money is supporting.  Pay attention to issues and public statements and actions.  When you do you'll find yourself making choices, and that's healthy for both you and your family, and for our society.

My second cup of coffee is calling.  You're welcome.