Boycott AG? For or Against and why...

**cebula_2005** · December 8th, 2005, 02:15 AM

Do you think it will really help?
Is it true that only the ICAN bands $ go to Girls.Inc?
Is it true that the end of the relationship will be Dec. 26th?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks,
Tra

**StarTrekCaptain** · December 8th, 2005, 02:46 AM

AG rep told me there have been a lot of complaints.

I will just be honest and tell you this. I have spent over $ 6,000.00 over ten years (I keep painstaking records of every purchase I ever make lol) and I told them in no uncertain terms I will not be purchasing from them AT ALL because of this.

They are a big business. What they hear is money. If you discontinue being their customer they take notice of that.

Okay, maybe not if one person does it. But with enough people refusing to buy form them, they take notice. And it seems they have!

[ December 07, 2005 10:46 PM: Message edited by: StarTrekCaptain ]

**cebula_2005** · December 8th, 2005, 02:56 AM

Wow! 6k... lol...sounds like a real addict. I think it is great of you to give up something you love so much for your beliefs... I just bought a doll b/c i thought it would be ok if I didn't buy ICAN... thanks for your views. They make a lot of sense. I won't be buying from AG anymore for a while...

**KariS** · December 8th, 2005, 03:08 AM

One thing I have noticed is that for every company that gets boycotted, they will also gain free publicity. So while AG may have lost you as a customer, by repeated magazine articles and news shows covering the boycott of AG by some Christian groups, they are attracting new customers who disagree with your viewpoint and want to spend money just to make a point. You may not agree with being gay or abortion being legal (which has nothing to do with AG - their donations go to totally different programs, but I'm sure that's not important here) however there are a lot of women who do support abortion rights and have no problem with someone being gay, and they also have no problem buying these dolls for their daughters, and knowing that the company is facing a boycott could cause them to spend more than they normally would.

I heard on the news this afternoon that some Christian groups want to ban Target because their employees are required to say the more generic term "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas. What is wrong with that? If you celebrated Hanuakkah, would you want people saying Merry Christmas to you? Or reverse the roles - say you, as a good outstanding Christian citizen, were shopping at Target and they told you Happy Hanuakkah. Would you be offended? Hearing that groups like that want to ban a store that is trying to please everyone and make sure people don't get upset or bothered over a greeting make me want to do all my holiday shopping at Target.

chrstnwmn7 · December 8th, 2005, 03:09 AM

I will proudly post here and on AGFB. I agonized over this decision for a while. I did buy marisol's collection...but i haven't purchased since. I keep waiting for the affiliation to end. I also think that protesting with graphic signs in front of the store is a bit too drastic. I don't know if that was done...but was discussed by some in the media. I should take that with a grain of salt!

I agree with other posts that Jesus loves those who sin. It is the sin that He doesn't like. And we all sin. It is just a matter of belief and forgiveness. That is the only difference between myself and someone else. I am no better...just forgiven.

Cleopatra...I see where you are coming from. I have had those same thoughts myself about the boycott publicity. I understand needing to take a stand too.

I think the whole happy holidays thing is a little off...but that is just MHO.

[ December 07, 2005 11:12 PM: Message edited by: chrstnwmn7 ]

**cebula_2005** · December 8th, 2005, 03:16 AM

Chrstnwmn7... [img]smile.gif[/img] great way of putting it. Thanks for posting on this board! You are so welcome here!

**cebula_2005** · December 8th, 2005, 03:23 AM

The Happy Holidays thing I dislike is that people are trying to do away with Christianity and anything to do with it. Instead of Merry Christmas...a Christian thing...people are saying Happy Holidays, which would be fine except for the reason people are doing it...to take Christian things off the public things. There is no reason to do this. People are so afraid of offending anyone with Christianity that they do away with it all together. What was that verse about being ashamed of Jesus, He would be ashamed of us before His Father in Heaven.... That's Just My Opinion...

**KariS** · December 8th, 2005, 03:26 AM

I applaud people who can take a stand against companies whose values differ from their own and not buy their products. There are several companies I will not purchase from for various reasons myself. But I don't march or protest in front of their stores waving signs and yelling at the people who do choose to shop there, or call and verbally harass their employees who have no say in what the corporate bigwigs are doing. Sorry, but that's not going to help. Write a letter expressing your feelings and tell them why you've stopped purchasing. When you bring a lot of media attention to it is when things get out of control.

**KariS** · December 8th, 2005, 03:31 AM

Originally posted by Tra:
The Happy Holidays thing I dislike is that people are trying to do away with Christianity and anything to do with it. Instead of Merry Christmas...a Christian thing...people are saying Happy Holidays, which would be fine except for the reason people are doing it...to take Christian things off the public things. There is no reason to do this. People are so afraid of offending anyone with Christianity that they do away with it all together. What was that verse about being ashamed of Jesus, He would be ashamed of us before His Father in Heaven.... That's Just My Opinion...

They're not trying to take Christianity out of the public, it's more of a case of trying to be more accepting to everyone. Face it, not everyone in this country is Christian. I am Catholic and although I celebrate Christmas, just out of common courtesy to people I say things like have a nice holiday or enjoy the holiday season, because it would be awkward to tell someone to have a Merry Christmas when they don't even celebrate the holiday. Do YOU as a Christian want someone to tell you Happy Ramadan? Would you like it if you were checking out at the grocers and the clerk told you Happy Kwanzaa? Instead of just focusing on one holiday by saying "Christmas," holidays/seasons greetings is just becoming more used.