Hoo boy, it’s finally Friday. Let’s celebrate with a lively discussion, shall we?
As I’m sure your various Internet dealings have shown you this week, Chick-Fil-A has been in the news for something other than ruining spelling for everyone. Between protests from the LGBTQ community and good ole boy Mike Huckabee’s Chick-Fil-A Appreciation day, the company has had plenty o’ publicity this week.
Do your convictions influence which companies you choose to support, and why?
18 replies on “Lunchtime Poll: Political Chicken”
In general, when I am evaluating a company I typically consider the product/service’s quality, price, value, location, convenience, community presence and customer service. I don’t have time to research everyone’s political beliefs. I find this new trend of demonizing people/companies/ organizations to be a very disturbing trend . But I think if someone feels strongly about something and that informs their choices then they have every right to do that. I find the targeting of CFA counterproductive and it seems to have backfired. I’m not sure that it created a productive dialog or solved any problems.
I wish I could say that they do but they don’t. I still shop at Target =(
I keep thinking about this, and – perhaps I’m wrong – but there doesn’t seem to be the same culture over here of companies and their beliefs. I really, really could be wrong on this, I know but mostly companies here are pretty good. We have discrimination laws for a reason, and tribunals, etc. So even the most jerkish of behaviour doesn’t appear to be a fraction of what goes on in America, but then, there isn’t the same religious dominance in everyday life. Instances I could see of this happening are perhaps more possible with smaller companies. But, alas, I ramble. For me, convictions about where I shop do exist. I like Lush and John Lewis, for instance, because of how they treat employees and how their companies behave. I can’t think of companies that I particularly shun, I’m already happy – on the whole – with where I can shop. One exception would be on the supermarket front, where there simply isn’t the choice if there are doubts.
Yes, of course. You have to “vote” with your wallet if it’s at all feasible.
Yes. The links between businesses and backward politics thankfully aren’t that obvious here, but I try to spend what little money I have in an ethical manner.
Yup. Wouldn’t much be convictions if they didn’t influence my actions.
It’s not like I, a Canadian and a vegetarian, would eat at Chick-Fil-A, but ethics aside I’d not eat there due to crimes against grammar. As for a response to the rampant bigotry, I highly recommend this article: http://www.owldolatrous.com/?p=288
Link to products manufactured by the Koch brothers
Yup – it’s my own little protest. I live in a VERY red state (for the next couple weeks anyway) and there’s not much I can do to affect change that’s real and visible. But I can make myself feel better by not patronizing industry that supports the right-wing-machine.
Absolutely. I really love(d) CFA’s chicken, but the idea that my money will eventually be used to fund programs that promote the idea that my child is ‘less than’ is beyond repugnant. I simply refuse to support any business  that helps to promote hate.
It’s not always easy/possible to ‘vote with my wallet’ (Wal-mart is a prime example), but for something like fast food? No sweat. Especially when I can find a copy of their recipe online.
You found a copy of their recipe? LINK IT TO ME, PLEASE. I’d kill to be able to reproduce it. I haven’t got much money, so they don’t get any business from me in the first place, but now I wouldn’t go even if I could. The downside is that they are tasty and a few friends of mine (especially y friend Cody, who is an honest-to-god drag queen) are torn by their logic of ‘I can’t support hate’ and their desire to have tasty chicken. If I made it, they’d love me forever.
In answer to the poll: YES, I do let my convictions help choose where I spend what little money I have. As stated above, sometimes it’s not so easy, but in cases like this, it’s cake.
This is old — my download date says 2007 — but I have it in here. http://bit.ly/RqYuzS
That is a killer list of recipes. I can’t decide which one to try first!
Here’s another one, courtesy of Advocate.com. It’s very similar to the one BaseballChica posted, only difference seems to be soaking the chicken in pickle juice pre-dredging. Bunni tried it recently, said it’s delicious.
I was listening to NPR this morning, and they were talking about how people are making their consumer choices based on politics, and somebody said, “well, would you do that for every company? Â Because that seems absurd. Â I don’t want to live in a country like that.” Â My reaction: Â we DO live in that country. Citizens United ensures that our politics are heavily influenced by corporations, and their money basically drowns out my vote. Â The only way I can influence the corporations is to be a conscientious consumer, and support corporations that aren’t evil.
If I give a shit about the future of this country (and I do), I must use my wallet to influence politics.
(I chose “inspired” because this is something I do to a certain extent, but I need to do more).
Absolutely. I grew up in a home that was very Rah Rah for worker’s rights (My daddy was a union man, and I’ve worked for a union too), so we never bought anything made in China if we could avoid it, and forget shopping anywhere that was having a labor dispute. I haven’t bought a Detroit newspaper since they busted the union back in the 90s. That sort of consumer activism has spilled over to a lot of other areas of my life. I don’t shop at Vicky S’s because I’m not thrilled with their “empowering women” shtick. I don’t like Walmart’s labor practices, so I don’t shop there. (I luck out here, because there is a unionized version of Walmart in my area that is infinitely more awesome.)  The Salvation Army’s anti-gay crap has me turning to other thrift shops. And while there are no Chick-Fil-A’s in my neck of the woods, I wouldn’t eat there even if there was. I get wind of a business being a shit head, I quit shopping there, unless I absolutely have to (not really a problem I’ve run into).
Salvation Army is anti-gay?!? well SHIT.
It’s a conservative Christian church. :/
Some info here:Â http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/why_you_shouldnt_donate_to_the_salvation_army_bell.php
What Opifex said. This is the most recent shenanigans.
Doesn’t surprise me in the least. I’ve worked for them before and knew some of their employees and officers who were gay. I’m assuming they were probably forced to stay in the closet.