Beyond the Swoosh

I think that if a cause is really important to you, than power to you if you want to boycott a company. However, if you're going to boycott a company because they don't provide labor rights, then you should boycott all such companies because otherwise there will be good intentions but not integrity in your act. However, boycotting a company isn't always the most effective thing to do. In mass quantities, boycotts can be very powerful-- the whole point of the company is to make money. But if it's only in small pockets of protesters, then it may not have the dramatic desired effect on the company. For example, many people chose to boycott Oreos after their public support for same-sex marriage. However, these people are probably supporting a large quantity companies who also support same-sex marriage-- including Google, Apple, Boeing, various snack food companies, and so on. Should these people who boycott Oreo also boycott every company that is adverse to what they believe in? Is it even possible? And does our faith call us to do so? It's a tough situation. As an avid supporter of marriage equality and LGBT rights, I decided to boycott Chick-Fil-A after I learned that the head of the company donated money to organizations that work towards the death penalty for homosexuality in Africa. After learning this, I clearly had to make a choice about whether I was okay with my money going toward this cause. I made the choice to not go there, and I haven't since this summer. However, this choice is my own, and other consumers have just as much a right to be informed and go or not go there as I do. I don't think my refrain from buying chicken nuggets once a month will really affect a lot of social change, but I continue my boycott for 2 reasons: (1) I might eventually be one in a large group that could affect change,and (2) it just makes me feel better morally to not go there. I think that everyone hears the call of the higher power in their life differently. If you feel that God is calling you or your religion is compelling you to boycott a company in order to affect social change, then that is your decision to do so. As a consumer, you have a right to know where your money goes-- or doesn't go-- and decide your patronage accordingly. However, instead of putting our energy into boycotting many companies, maybe we should put that energy into a campaign for justice in our society so that we don't have to boycott companies in the first place.