Do Boycotts Work?
Supersized Values Defeat the Golden Arches
People have often said boycotts do not work, but in 2008 a McDonald’s boycott did when the fast-food giant crossed the line in the culture war by choosing to promote homosexuality. McDonald’s joined the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, company vice president Richard Ellis sat on the GLCC Board, and the publicly traded company donated thousands of dollars to homosexual-friendly organizations.
With the help of family values organizations across the country, strength in numbers sent a loud and clear message to McDonald’s. Their supersized attack on family values had to stop! After several months of ignoring the requests, Ronald McDonald heard the message and changed his ways. McDonald’s agreed to stop financing the homosexual agenda, Richard Ellis resigned from the GLCC, and an e-mail was issued to franchises saying, “It is our policy not to be involved in political and social issues. McDonald’s remains neutral on same-sex marriage [and the] ‘homosexual agenda.’”
I applaud McDonald’s for their courageous act to stay neutral in this cultural war. It is not the role of a major corporation to promote anti-family values. McDonald’s made the wise decision. And people like you used buying power to encourage values not only on the menu but in company policy.
This example is a perfect illustration of why I wrote The Faith-Based Investor. If millions of Christian investors chose to boycott the stocks and products of corporations that promote values that oppose our faith, what a difference we could make. The concentrated effort of like-minded individuals coming together and standing for what they believe in promotes action! As this boycott has shown, we can change corporate America. We can take America back to its traditional values based on faith, hope, and love. Let us all continue to be involved and not watch from the sidelines!
What is your opinion? Do boycotts work?
2 Comments
Yes. Yes. Yes. Boycotts work. We have not been to a McDonalds since we heard of the boycott. We will be so glad to return to McDonald’s for their quick meals and healthier cuisine, yogurt parfait with granola and the wonderful oriental type salad with ginger dressing.
K-Mart took so long to change their anti-family policies that we so totally changed our shopping habits and have never been in a K-Mart since. We will go to McDonalds this week. Thank you!
I totally agree. As Christians, we are called to be DILIGENT stewards.
I ask potential clients, “Would you want to own and operate an abortion clinic?” What about a porn distributorship?
It is physically impossible for Christians to, on the one hand desire the downfall of these industries, and on the other, hope to profit from their activities. Jesus spoke of this conflict in the Sermon on the Mount.
For me, even more than ‘punishing a bad company’, it’s just about being obedient – being a “good and faithful servant.” God will honor that attitude and if more and more Christians take that approach, it follows that many of these businesses will fail.