Targeting Republican Individuals

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

I'm torn on this issue. I don't want to beat the dead horse of the realtor lady, but I think it raises a relevant issue. How low down the totem pole are we going to target them?

There's a store in my town that is popular among my friends. It's a European-style newsstand that sells fancy candy, tobacco, magazines, and international newspapers. A lot of us depend on the store for Harpers, The New Yorker, the Nation, the NY and LA Times. But a friend of mine, while he was protesting a B-C pavilion at our farmer's market, overheard the store owner having a very friendly discussion with the freepers. This doesn't necessarily mean the owner is a freeper herself, although that was the witness' impression. But is it even worth looking into? Do we want to hurt small businesses and individuals?

Part of me says "zero tolerance", they've been throwing it at us long enough. Another says no human being below the level of mayor deserves to be politically attacked, and a small business that provides unique and valuable services is good no matter who owns it. Most corporations simply deserve to be targeted, period. I'm not questioning that. But how deeply should a boycott cut?

[Union Thug]

1. I'm a zero policy person...

Screw them all.

[Ladyhawk]

2. I'm getting to the zero tolerance point in my personal life. :(

I don't want to feel this way, but I do. I am so angry and depressed. The people who don't care...the people who voted for the shrub may have sealed my fate: homelessness or death.

I'm thinking about telling the Republican chorus director where he can put his baton.

[XanaDUer]

3. I just stopped shopping for always at the local

bakery. Their baked goods are pretty good for this area (NE FL), suck compared to other places I have lived and gotten bakery items.

We would shop there even though it was filled with born-again literature. Now they have their Bush/Cheney signs still up and all over their parking lot.

Not one penny do they get out of me. I will eat shit from the local grocery-store bakery before I even set foot over their door. This will probably never hurt them since we live in Freeperville, but I know not one red (blue) cent of mine will go towards them.

Individuals? Don't know. I know that at my last career, I had to disseminate information that was reprehensible to me all the time. If they want to spread their opinions in an insulting way, then I guess they may have to pay for those same opinions.

One-half the country (and the world) don't like Bush and don't like the RW turn they are pushing us all into. That's a lot of money.

[Cobalt Violet]

4. Yes if they are so anti-Liberal why should Liberals support them.

Hey if she goes out of business she can always get a job at Wal-Mart!

It' a win-win situation.

[NWHarkness]

5. Zero tolerance

They like to blather about personal responsibility, let them face the consequences of their choices.

[secedeeconomically]

6. Depends and i dont mean the underwear lol

It all depends on how right wing she is. If she is just conservative by nature, small government and low taxes, that one thing. But if she’s a far right religious nut ball hell bent in tattooing Jesus on your forehead, then I would say fuck her and boycott her ass.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

7. I seriously doubt the latter

This town is bluer than blue. And she carries quite a selection of gay and straight porn.

[secedeeconomically]

21. Well now we are getting into a difficult area.

I mean how well stocked is her porn isle? lol. I mean if all she has is a few 70’s porno’s than I wouldn’t loose too much sleep. But if she has whole collections of porno’s such as ASS MAN 1 to 3467 lol then I would give her a pass and please forward me her info. I've misplaced ASS MAN 561 lolol.

[LiberalFighter]

9. I go with this

You need to know how right wing if at all she is.

[Callissto]

8. Zero Tolerance

I won't support right-wing wackos whatever their size. This is war.

[The Constable]

10. So just because someone disagrees with you...

...you're going to try and run them out of business?

That's sick.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

11. Do you understand

The concept of a boycott?

[The Constable]

15. I understand...

...but not in this instance. Ok, so he doesn't agree with your political views. I can understand maybe expressing your concern about his views, perhaps debating with him and trying to figure out where he stands on the issues, but to go ahead and try to run his business into the ground simply because he may be more conservative than you are is just sick.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

16. What's sick about it?

Businesses try to run each other into the ground on general principle. I treat my consumption as a business. I want certain results, I will change my practices. Hey, maybe I want to get a bunch of my liberal friends together and buy this woman's store when she fails! Wouldn't that be just plain American of me?

[secedeeconomically]

25. Perfectly put

We are all a corporation of one. And who we choose to do business should be based on what ever we feel is important to us. For example, I no longer choose to shop at Wal-Mart. I feel that their predatory pricing is detrimental to my community.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. Boycotting is not "running a business into the ground"

Again, this example isn't the best because the owner's stance is not known. But in general, why should anyone shop or spend their hard earned money on some business just so that business can turn around and spend it to support the village idiot? Further, say you are a minority, a woman, gay, bi, a young person that is drafting age...Newsflash, the RW doesn't care about you. In the case of women, well women should be kept in their place, same with minorities. Gays? They HATE you. You are an abberation. Young people? Well they like you in that they can ship you off to fight their wars, but dislike when you speak out against them. Why should any of these people support someone that agrees that new ways to oppress these people should be found?

[The Constable]

20. I'm starting to get what you're saying...

...and maybe I was too hasty to call it "sick", but I still think it's a bit...well...iffy, for lack of a better word.

[noiretextatique]

23. really? pat robertson opens an ice cream store

in your neighborhood. all the proceeds go to his work spreading his particular gosepel of hatred. would you buy ice cream from him?

[The Constable]

24. Good point

[SemiCharmedQuark]

12. Boycotting is a valid form of expression

Again, this case is not really a good example because "I heard from a guy, who overheard..." is not exactly hard evidence. But the other poster who posted about the bakery that is hard core right wing? Yep, that is a target that I believe is valid. That person obviously believes that Bush's "moral" agenda is right. Therefore, they probably think homosexuality is a sin, minorities are poor because they are lazy, women should be denied their choices, etc. etc. etc. And if they don't, they are supporting a man who does believe that. That person is no friend of mine. They think liberals are scum and lowlifes? Well I'll do them a favor and not shop there.

[eleny]

14. It's their tactic

Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

13. Careful......

....some people have to have cordial discussions with freepers so as to avoid being firebombed and/or berated in public....freepers think the same way you are thinking right now.....

Trust me, I'm not looking forward to seeing someone this week I haven't seen since the election who I know will most likely be gushing about Dumbya's latest hijacking, but I have to kind of put up with it so I can enjoy something that's a passion of mine.....

[drb]

18. ZERO tolerance! Matter of fact, I'm all for starting a master list...

...of "personas non gratas."

Those whom we do not tolerate.

[forgethell]

19. I keep thinking that

we are supposed to be the tolerant people. Is it all hypocrisy? Will the boycotts change anyone's mind, do they do any good whatsoever? Or do they just feed into our own feelings of moral self-righteousness? Is it just the venting of frustration and despair?

I'm not trying to start a flame-war. I really want to know what we think that destroying relationships with people we know is going to accomplish. If it will produce a positive good, that's one thing. If it's just venting, we may regret it later, especially if it's our significant other or a close friend, or even a unique shop. Been there, done that, so I know of what I speak.

Big business - boycott the hell out of them.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

22. Here's my take

First, we are without electoral power. Democracy is kaput. Between BBV and the electoral college, the only power we have left is our money. Giving money to Democrats apparently doesn't help, so keeping money away from Republicans is the only thing we can do.

Second, my own assumption is that corporations hold most of the political power in the country. Blue counties hold most of the assets. If they start losing more money than they gain by supporting RW policy, they will change sides.

On edit: Third, the social boycott... Not so sure about the third, but I think we pretty much have a monopoly on looks and brains. Withhold that and they'll either go crazy and come running back.

[mitchum]

26. No quarter