WAL-MART BACKS DOWN (-mostly)
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
reported on this issue a while back, it is important to at least send
this update - sourced from WorldNetDaily.com:
WAL-MART BACKS DOWN (-mostly)
Family advocates claim victory as retailer says it won't give to
controversial issues like 'gays' - Nov 21, 2006.
-Extracts by Bob Unruh
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
The American Family Association is dropping its planned boycott
of Wal-Mart for Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, after
the corporation said it would clean up its corporate relationships.
"Wal-Mart will not make corporate contributions to support or
oppose highly controversial issues unless they directly relate to
our ability to serve our customers," the company [Wal-Mart] said.
The AFA immediately suggested to its constituents, who had
been asked to boycott the retailer on what often is the single most
important day for retailers in their fiscal year, that they send the
company a 'Thank you.'
"You have made a difference!" the AFA said. "(We) are pleased
with this announcement."
The family-friendly association, along with other groups, had
launched the protest campaign because of Wal-Mart's new
affiliation with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of
Commerce, and several other actions families viewed as less-than-friendly.
"Wal-Mart does not have a position on same sex marriage and we
do not give preference to gay or lesbian suppliers. Wal-Mart does
have a strong commitment to diversity among our associates and
against discrimination everywhere," the company said.
AFA officials said because of the company's announcement, they
would no longer encourage people to not shop at Wal-Mart or
Sam's Club Friday and Saturday. Those days immediately after
Thanksgiving often mean the difference between a good year or
bad for a retailer.
"We believe that Wal-Mart will remain neutral in cultural battles,"
the AFA statement said.
The association, as WND reported, was among the first of several
to issue calls intended to get the attention of the retail chain.
The AFA had said its boycott effort was to wake Wal-Mart up.
"Wal-Mart should remember that the majority of people in this
country do not support things like same-sex marriage, and don't
want the company giving money to groups that do support it,"
American Family Association Chairman Donald E. Wildmon said
earlier. "Shopping at retailers other than Wal-Mart might remind
the company of that fact."
AFA boycotts in the past have proven effective, even though the
organization doesn't take credit for all of the impacts. An example
is the Ford Motor Company which more than a year ago embraced
the "gay" community in its advertising and programs.
The AFA and dozens of other Christian groups joined in a boycott,
and since then Ford has lost hundreds of millions of dollars, laid
off tens of thousands of workers and is trying to regroup and stabilize.
~SOURCE: http://www.WorldNetDaily.com
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