# Whom do you boycott - and why?



## pamamidwife

Just curious about this from fellow MDC mamas....

I boycott Nestle without a doubt - going on nine years now!

I also boycott WalMart. Ugh. Totally.


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## ~Megan~

I boycott Nestle as well. I wish I had the will (and pocketbook) to boycott Walmart. I try to avoid it as much as I can though.


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## OceanMomma

Nestle for sure as well. Plus as many of their subsideries ( argh spelling







: ) as I know about & there are so many of them. Maybelline, MAggi....

Anything known to have possible GM in it.
Anything I know that had anything to do with monsanto.
Unfairly traded coffee
Unfairly traded bananas
I do my best with chocolate but dh slips some thru sometimes
Any battery farmed eggs/chicken
Anything from McDeathburger & KFC
Any cosmetics or household products tested on animals.
Rainforest timbers.
The next one is easy - gold & diamonds :LOL Altho' I did make myself a new gold wedding ring out of recycled melted down old bits of broken gold jewellery when I did an evening class in jewellery making.

I also try to proactively buy fairly traded goods as much as possible. I figure all these cos like nestle hide so much stuff from us under different labels that I am bound to slip up occasionally. There is also a heap that I am not even aware of. I think it helps to be part of the solution instead of simply not being part of the problem.

I try to buy goods made in NZ as well to avoid the made in China thing.


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## EFmom

Anti-choice companies (Dominos, for example) and organizations
Walmart
Crossgates Mall
Marriot


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## stayinghome

I boycott nestle, and i still boycott exxon from that oil spill so long ago... it's like a habit now not to pull into an exxon. I don't officially boycott wal-mart, but avoid it like the plague. Why do people boycott wal-mart? Is it where they get their goods, or the way the employees get treated? Or another reason?


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## burritomama

Quote:

_Originally posted by HeatherE_
*Why do people boycott wal-mart? Is it where they get their goods, or the way the employees get treated? Or another reason?*
Both reasons - and more. It's not just their union-busting tactics and poverty wages here (check out Barabra Ehrenreich on this in her book - "Nickel and Dimed: On NOT Getting by in America") but also their treatment of employees abroad (The LA Times ran a recent series (still available on the inetrnet, I believe) on this - talk about exploitation of working mamas!) -- arrgh.

I think more consumers need to develop a consciousness that acknowleges that they are also workers too - that saving a few bucks on a DVD player right now may have higher costs later on (declining wages and benefits, etc.)

We need to see the connections.


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## InfoisPower

I boycott Nestle for their impact on breastfeeding in the 3rd world.
I boycott Gillette and Walmart for the use of Radio Frequency Identification chips they're allowing to be put on product.
I boycott McCain, for their unfair practices in the Maritimes.
I avoid the use of GM foods and boycott Monsanto.


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## Hilary Briss

As I have said before, I boycott religion, because religion tends to promote bigotry and intolerance.


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## momto l&a

AT&T

InfoisPower, Radio Frequency Identification chips







Could you explain more to me please?


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## pamamidwife

Here's some info on WalMart:

http://www.walmartwatch.com/

http://www.walmartsucks.com/

http://www.walmartclass.com/walmartc...en=public_home

http://www.1worldcommunication.org/Walmart.htm


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## burritomama




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## burritomama




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## Gemini

Wow, thanks for those links. I'm still reading! Powerful stuff.


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## JessicaS

I boycott nestle.

http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html


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## lilmiss'mama

I boycott Nestle. I don't buy GM food. I am wondering is Target, Kmart, or Shopko any different than Wal-Mart? Should they all be avoided? Awhile back I heard McDonalds was no longer going to use beef that came from cows treated with antibiotics. Is that true? Does anyone know more about this?


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## InfoisPower

For more information on RFID...go here: http://www.nocards.org/
and click on RFID on the left side of your screen or click on http://www.spychips.com/

RFID chips, tiny tracking devices the size of a grain of dust, can be used to secretly identify you and the things you're carrying--right through your clothes, wallet, backpack, or purse.

Have you already taken one home with you?


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## stayinghome

Interesting about Walmart. I just always thought, that if goods are that inexpensive, that someone probably had suffered to either make the goods or sell the goods.

That book Nickel and Dimed was really an eye opener too.


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## adventuregirl

Walmart, CostCo, McDonalds and pretty much all fast food joints.

I have lots of reasons, many mentioned above. I think these companies are ruining our culture, destroying any uniqueness or diversity and pushing us to be the ultimate consumers. Not to mention killing small businesses by the millions.


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## Sustainer

Wal-Mart, because they refuse to fill prescriptions for Emergency Contraception.

Exxon, and now Mobile since they merged.


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## MaShroom

my answer is D, all of the above but i have a new one too. citibank. they are my new favorite to hate.

i think they are trying to take over the world. they suck. they are buying out so many different store credit cards it isn't even funny. phillips, conoco, home depot are all newly ruled by citiba$tard.

the screwed up part of it is that they don't know their butt from a hole in the ground. my sister works for a huge collection firm and citi is one of their clients. she says they are so screwed up it is kind of scary. like they are messing up people's credit because they can't keep their books straight. and the customer service people that she has to talk to sometimes will tell her flat out that they have no clue what they're doing. i think they work off of 6 different computer systems, no wonder they don't know what is going on.

yeah, boycott 'em, hate 'em.


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## phathui5

Nestle- for obvious reasons.

Any company that supports Planned Parenthood or other pro-abortion groups.

Fast food in general.


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## flower

Geez, what don't I boycott?

Nestle, ALL fast food, ALL and any big box store (WalMart, Target, etc.), Gilette, everything tested on animals, everything containing animals or animal products, everything containing food dyes, Made In China items, the list goes on and on...

I take very seriously the notion that we endorse products that we spend money on and try my best to reward only those companies that treat the earth and all its' inhabitants as respectfully as possible.


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## CerridwenLorelei

Thank you MamaTHistle I didn't know that " home depot" is now owned by citibank did they just buy them?
Because I know we got new information on our HD credit card and if it is going to go to annual fee dh will have to deal with it being cut up !
ARGH

And I wonder if that is why I have trouble with them now? Years ago when we were hand to mouthing it the card I had predh had to be let go. We used the new tax thing years ago and they got their $$ from our refund replacing the write off. And they have mailed me and called me twice saying I have a chance to clean up the charge off. Umm Hello look at your own records and the copy of receipt I sent showing that It has been paid MORONS..

They couldn't understand why I sent my conoco card back in pieces. ( you have been a good customer what can we do?) I sent a letter explaining I had another gas card with another company that didn't make me pay a hefty annual fee and new fees for other services that came with it.

Not sure what I all boycott right now loopy due to meds


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## aguacates

nestle. walmart. fast food. unfairly traded coffee. gm food. anything monsanto. anything tested on animals. anything owned by tobacco companies. dominos. snapple. I'm sure there is more...


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## merpk

missbliss, Snapple?

Did I miss an explanation of that earlier in the thread? If not, could you please explain that one?

Thanks.


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## PinkSunfish

Nestle, The Gap, Nike. KFC (it helps that their chicken is awful), Burger King and McD's (until I got pregnant and then it has been helpful from time to time when I feel faint, HAVE to eat and it's there in front of me, I apologise).

Nestle is the only one I have actually written to to register my boycott. They sent me back a marvel of PR literature. I am thankful that Nestle's PR guys don't work for any government or religious organisation, they are geniuses. They actually had me feeling guilty about boycotting them!! To paraphrase "we're not angry with you, just dissappointed, especially when we do so much to help mothers in developing countries".

I realised how manipulative they were being and threw it in the recycling pile. My sister said I should have written back and thanked them for their brilliantly constructed emotionally manipulative reply but I felt so physically ill at the thought of entering in to a correspondance that I didn't bother.


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## Peppermint

Quote:

_Originally posted by phathui5_
*Nestle- for obvious reasons.

Any company that supports Planned Parenthood or other pro-abortion groups.

Fast food in general.*








Me too!


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## Defenestrator

There are very few things that I boycott -- I buy so little stuff that it makes it easy! I tend to just try to make more positiive choices, like buying produce from local farmers, rather than focusing on categories of stuff not to buy.

That said, I am currently boycotting Borders.

I worked for them for seven years, from the time when they were a regional company owned by two brothers, through their being bought out by Kmart, their IPO, and about 10 CEOs after that. I enjoyed my time there until I got into higher management and they started union busting. At the time the unions weren't really offering much to the employees, so I turned a blind eye to it, but the greed and shortsightedness that led to the union busting was starting to permeate the whole corporate structure. I left after a year of being so angry I would scream every day on my drive home. I stayed that long only because I could see who the company had lined up to replace me and I felt a strong loyalty to my employees.

Anyway, they are headquartered in my hometown, and the hometown store has unionized and tried to negotiate a contract. The corporation has basically refused to talk, cancelling scheduled negotiation after negotiation, for really random reasons. The employees are on strike, pending some progress toward a contract. What are they asking for? A $.25 per hour raise, some freezing of escalating benefits costs, and a wage structure that rewards long-term employees.

Until they settle the strike, no Borders stuff for me.


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## MaShroom

cerridwenlorelei, actually it is just the accounts, not the store. but hey, they might as well own the store since if you have an account with them you're doing business with citibank and not home depot.

i told this story in another thread somewhere but it is worth repeating. when citibank took over the phillips 66 and conoco accounts they dropped everyone's credit limit to $100. this meant everyone no matter how long they had been doing business with phillips or conoco or if their bill was paid on time and in full every month. like us.

i called and told them that we spend far more than that on gas every month and we pay our bill on time and in full so why would they drop our credit limit? they said it was policy and if we wanted an increase they had to run a credit report. at that point i told them to go screw themselves and to cancel the account. if they didn't want my business i would go elsewhere.

they did this to the local school bus company too. every day the school busses go fill up at the phillips station that they park behind. one day they couldn't get gas and were told that they had a $100 limit on their account. i don't know what they did but i so hope that they raised hell over it. it is just so crappy.

citibank has crappy business practices and i refuse to do business with anyone who treats their customers like that. and that includes the companies whose credit card accounts they have taken over. i don't need no stinkin' credit anyway.:LOL


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## Sustainer

Snapple! Forgot about them. I've always boycotted them, too, simply because I've always found their advertising to be so annoying! If there's a more serious reason to boycott them then naturally I'm even happier about the fact that I've been boycotting them.


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## TiredX2

Quote:

Any company that supports Planned Parenthood or other pro-abortion groups
Please don't call Planned Parenthood a "pro-abortion" group.

<<<GM Foods>>>

How do you know what food are genetically modified. I read that something like 70% of food *are* at this point and they don't need to say anything about it on the packaging, so how do you do that?


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## Sustainer

I assume everything is genetically modified unless it is labeled Organic. Organic foods are the only foods required to be GMO-free. Everything else is legally allowed to be genetically modified without being labeled as such.


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## lilmiss'mama

Another reason to boycott Home Depot....they sell old growth redwood.


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## plum

i've heard proctor and gamble is bad but why?


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## Sustainer

Quote:

_Originally posted by plum_
*i've heard proctor and gamble is bad but why?*
Shoot... I know that one... what is it... darn it. Usually I remember who is bad but I don't always remember why.


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## Sustainer

Oh, I just remembered another reason Exxon/Mobile is bad, though. They are the only top 10 company that refuses to prohibit discrimination against gays.


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## TiredX2

Quote:

Organic foods are the only foods required to be GMO-free. Everything else is legally allowed to be genetically modified without being labeled as such.
Really? I thought I had read that organics did NOT have to be GMO-free, which was causing some controversy.

Thanks,
Kay


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## Sustainer

The originally proposed standards were inexcusably weak, and generated such outcry that the final standards were much more strict. According to the national standards, food may not be certified organic if it contains Genetically Modified Organisms.


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## Sustainer

http://www.sciencenews.org/20021102/food.asp


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## Ilaria

Procter&Gamble
Nestle
circuses/zoos
Exxon

That's all I can think of right now


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## doulamomvicki

I try to buy mostly from small markets and from the co op.
I refuse to buy so many product/places the list would take pages!
But, it is getting tricky because my 2 oldest kids are wanting stuff from places mama doesn't like to shop.


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## magnoliablue

Made in China goods....though this is a hard one to accomplish...I love Melissa and Doug's toys, but they are made there...had a hard time finding anything that wsn't except for through Rosie Hippo,Hearthsong, etc...but I do my best.....Loreal, Nestle, Wallyworld, anyplace that has a union picket line(I come from a long line of union men/women..ex included),GM foods, always try to buy organic and from the small farms,I only buy fair trade coffee, but have a Starbucks jones and though they have a line of Fair Trade coffee, not all of it is ...I slip up there,but I am addicted,kwim??..I try to avoid fast food at all costs but occasionally succumb to the pressure of three kids screaming in my ear..and no more Booby King ever...though I have been thinkin it would be kinda fun to take ds the nursing toddler there and tell him its ok to have a "snack"....







.....but that would be wrong,eh?


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## Ms.Doula

Fair Trade coffee???.............
Could someone elaborate please!??


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## Sustainer

http://www.globalexchange.org/campai...rtrade/coffee/

Not something I have to worry about because I don't drink coffee.


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## magnoliablue

Devrock, thank you for posting that link, been meaning to get back here with one or at least an explanation...also, It tastes better, it really does


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## peace_lily_mama

this is a really good thread. i didn't know what was up with nestle, snapple and a lot more.

i boycot a lot of things said, including Nike, Taco Bell, Citibank (EVIL!), and KFC.

and another reason, as if there aren't enough, to boycott wal-mart is that they recently took away chiropractic benefits for their workers. (my FIL's a chiro.)

but i really appreciate this thread, especially the walmart/spychip info.

once again you ladies are inspiring me to be the person i want to be!~

oh, i also boycott gold and diamonds.


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## Lucysmama

Wal-Mart
Citibank
Clear Channel
All fast food chains
Nestle
Nike
Disney
Unfairly traded coffee
World Market and Pier 1
GM

Hmmm...I know there is more...


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## peace_lily_mama

oh hell yeah, we boycott disney, too! and we *try* to boycott places that drug test (blockbuster, k-mart and again, wal-mart)


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## Ms.Doula

Quote:

Millstone will eventually begin retailing Fair Trade coffee in supermarkets nationwide. P&G has committed to a major marketing effort to increase the volume of Millstone's Fair Trade sales to at least two to three million pounds within two years.

Unfortunately, P&G's Folgers brand will not be offering Fair Trade coffee. This is a disappointment for Global Exchange and our allies, since we had hoped to bring Fair Trade to the millions of coffee drinkers who don't consume specialty coffees.

Soooooooo, what? There are NO "fair trade" coffee s sold on the market as of now???








I HAVE to have my coffee!!?


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## Sustainer

You can buy it online.

http://www.midwestcoffeeshop.com/prod.asp?cat_code=ORG

http://www.highergroundroasters.com/...adecoffee.html

http://www.cafecanopy.com/

http://www.sacred-grounds.com/

http://www.fairtradefederation.com/memcof.html


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## ZachZ

Quote:

_Originally posted by peace_lily_mama_
*oh hell yeah, we boycott disney, too! and we *try* to boycott places that drug test (blockbuster, k-mart and again, wal-mart)*
Sprint and Cox Media (Communications, News, Radio, Telephone) also drug test.

I assume you are meaning drug testing employees, right?

I also have been considering Spangles (fast food) due to a food policy of theirs I have heard. I am still doing research to find out if it is true of all Spangles. Friend used to work there and said it is policy to burn to charcoal any unsellable meat (ie fell on floor). This way the homeless can't dig through garbage to eat it. Manager said it was policy of all Spangles, but have yet to confirm.

Sad and disturbing policy. Has anyone else heard of this?


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## magnoliablue

Ms. Doula you can also buy it at most healthfood stores, Cafe Alturra is good, and I have a few other kinds I buy...Starbucks does make some Fair Trade, and every once in a while my mainstream market has some, but it is usually cheap and sells out fast.


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## Mona

equal exchange was one of the first fair trade coffees that i am aware of.
we have been serving this in our soon to be closed bistro for about 5 years.
sometimes you can find it in main stream grocers, but we get ours either directly (do a google search) or at the co-op.


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## dado

i try to avoid all products that are made in such a way as to (metaphorically) dump battery acid into the drinking supply. that means virtually anything from china, indonesia, malaysia. it used to mean anything from eastern europe as well, but since the fall of the wall things have generally been on an improving trend. no small thanks to the carrot of EU membership.

if i were to be totally honest i would admit it is all but impossible to live the way i want to. for instance, these very posts we're making on MDC travel across an internet powered by electronics manufactured in malaysia and china.

in the land of the free it is becoming *extremely* difficult to live as an ethical consumer. very few people seem to see the irony in that, and even fewer seem to care.









MDC mommas are a lonely beacon right now...


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## merpk

Interesting, hadn't thought about it, but I remember that when my cats moved in here (his cats had just died, one after the other







) he made me stop using the clumping cat litter. I just figured he didn't like changing his routine (since he deals with the litter box), but he said it's because clumping litter goes out into the water and messes up all sorts of things in the ecosystem.










He had explained it to me better long ago, will dig around if I've got time later for links about it (if they exist) ...


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## blessed2bamommie

World Market?







: I've never shopped there. ARe they not fair trade, like 10K Villages? Is that nationwide, or a store local to me?

I thought about China, .but yeah doggone near impossible. I considered burma rubies and tanzanite, b/c of child labor and horrible conditions, and there was something about diamonds, I can't remember....







I think it might be hard to find though about *which diamonds are shady. I'm *still going to wear them! Although, I'm considering Mossanite and cheaper too!









Oh,and can I ask about Tommy Hilfiger? I heard he was a racist and I haven't bought dh any of his clothes and we've been boycotting him b/c of it. Other black folks







him though!









Oh! I boycott Exxon b/c of the spill too! I've been shopping at the local natural foods and using natural products, which reduces my shopping at Wal-Mart. I am avoiding it now and shopping K when I need something, b/c of the flumist that I read about at MDC!









I keep *thinking of things! i *try to be sure companies don't support porn and and boycott those that aren't supportive of traditional family
values.

Can I ask another one, I heard Snapple was racist too....I've been kinda boycotting them; but, they aren't worth it anyway, isn't it just high fructose syrup?







:

I'm *really not the woman who cried racism! Those were just some instances that I've heard about, and I *hate it obviously, since I'm black! I'm not really all sensitive about the race thing though. Very good thread, btw!


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## doulamomvicki

Do you mean Cost Plus World Market? I have always read that they support fair trade and local craftsmen. I could be wrong, please clarify. Anyone. I really like that store


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## TiredX2

Quote:

i *try to be sure companies don't support porn and and boycott those that aren't supportive of traditional family
Huh?







: What type of stores/policies do you boycott?


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## blessed2bamommie

Vicki....I don't know....as far as *I know the store is called World Market, and someone mentioned it earlier in the thread!

Well, Kay, right now I guess the only one I'm boycotting; but, *I don't think their clothes on last glance were dh's style anyway, is Abercrombie. I don't know that they are in the bed with porn companies; but, from what I hear of their catalog, they are on a slippery slope! I stopped considering a telephone company, an smaller one, who's name escapes me, and I was watching Yahoo, b/c I was alerted to them; but, last info they are cleaning up their act. The porn thing. I *think I heard Marriot, Hilton, one of them linked with porn? I am not sure, its been some time since I heard the report....I guess I should check before I book my hotel for the bay area!


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## kindmomma

Nestle
Victoria Secrets - the commercials on Prime time and my 5 year old "Mommy why is she outside in her panties"
McDonalds- UG! GROSS


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## TiredX2

Quote:

the commercials on Prime time and my 5 year old "Mommy why is she outside in her panties"
:LOL :LOL :LOL


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## Periwinkle

We boycott:

*Commercial / Disney toys
*PVC toys
*TV/videos for children

I know these aren't like most others listed (i.e., corporations), but I also feel that not spending money on these "junk" things helps to send a message, and that after all is what a boycott is all about.









Others:

*WalMart
*Blockbuster video
*Exxon (whenever possible)


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## magnoliablue

ooohhh I forgot that one, shows you how often I go out...Clear Channel and [email protected]#$%%.....rhymes with master, kinda







....for numerous violations including selling tickets to scalpers, thus encouraging the practice.


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## Greaseball

Quote:

I also have been considering Spangles (fast food) due to a food policy of theirs I have heard. I am still doing research to find out if it is true of all Spangles. Friend used to work there and said it is policy to burn to charcoal any unsellable meat (ie fell on floor). This way the homeless can't dig through garbage to eat it. Manager said it was policy of all Spangles, but have yet to confirm.
The Safeway in my hometown used to pour bleach in their dumpsters, so any homeless people going through them would become very ill.







Don't they know that the homeless person's emergency room bill will come out of TAX DOLLARS? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to let them have the garbage?


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## beatgirl

Companies i love to hate....so many and for so many reasons...

My 10 year old ds always asks me when we are shopping..

"Wait mom, can we buy this or are we boycotting them too.."

WALMART!!!!!!!!!UUUUUGGGGHHHHH
Blockbuster
Gerber
Nestle
KFC
US Bank
Savation Army (dont give to the bell ringers!! Who cares if they hold the door for you...they support gay discrimination!!!)
Liz Claiborne (Racist)
Any company that tries to secretly cram their religion and right wing views down my throat....

Many more now that I have read this thread!!!! Thanks for the info...i am going to do some more research today!


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## blessed2bamommie

Liz?







(haven't bought any in quite a while...I'm staying home now....)


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## applejuice

Someone asked about Proctor and Gamble's.

The reason people boycott P&G is because supposedly they have been accused of devil worshipping...their original logo was of the moon and four stars which was a popular picture at the time of the founding of the company but some people later thought it was a symbol of some cult that P&G supported.


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## BeeandOwlsMum

applejuice - you are kidding!? Please tell me you are kidding....


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## applejuice

I believe that Abercrombie&Fitch have been accused of not hiring minorities on their sales floors; minorities are often delegated to the back rooms, to sort and clean.

The sales people are expected to dress in the company clothing and "look the part".


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## applejuice

Adina L:

No, I am not kidding.

That rumor had been around for years, and around 1987, P&G after vehemently denying the claim, dropped the logo entirely.

Supposedly many Christian groups claimed to have heard a representative pf P&G say on the old Phil Donohue show that the logo was representative of devil worshipping or (some such nonsense) and that was the reason it was on their products.

My understanding is that P&G simply used the old smiling crescent moon with 3 or 4 stars because it was popular at the time of the founding of the P&G conglomerate. Just as a happy face is now.


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## BeeandOwlsMum

The P&G thing is truly bizarre. It would never occur ot me to think that a company logo like that looked satanic or cultish or anything else.....weird!


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## UrbanPlanter

Quote:

_Originally posted by kindmomma_
*the commercials on Prime time and my 5 year old "Mommy why is she outside in her panties"*
We try to avoid as much commercial tv as possible, but when visiting relatives over the holidays who always have their tv on, my ds saw for the first time in his life a commercial of bikini clad women. I'm sorry but I couldn't help but laugh :LOL when he ran up to the tv with a huge smile as he pointed to the boobs (my hosts were shocked).









Anyway - we stay away from fast food, commercial toys, gm food, and will consider a bunch of new ones now that I've read this thread.


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## Sustainer

Um... the devil worshiping accusation couldn't have been the reason I had it in my head that P&G was bad. There must be something else.


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## plum

what i heard about proctor and gamble wasn't satanic, but rather about animal testing.

about abercrombie and fitch- i HATE that place. i do own some of their clothes, however, from high school. they really are big on the whole 'all american' look. have you ever looked at their catalog? lots of tiny, blonde white girls half naked surrounded by big, jocky white guys. there was one ad i saw of the girls running topless down the road, another one of a girl in just underwear on a table in front of a bunch of guys.

but what really galls me is this: we used to live in mpls and frequently hung out at the megamall. a few times we were there until closing. everyone who works at the store is young and white, but around closing, the other workers show up. mostly latino or asian, folding clothes and cleaning. it just made me angry.


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## Ilaria

I boycott P&G because of this http://www.pginfo.net/

and because they make soooo many stupid disposable items.

But why Citibank?


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## Sustainer

Yeah, that sounds more like it:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/star...fair_trade.htm

http://perc.ca/PEN/1993-11/boycott.html

http://www.wesleyan.edu/argus/mar3001/w2.html


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## blessed2bamommie

no way abouf A&F are you kidding!







:LOL ( It doesnt make me mad. And I am a "minority". I can't get so stressed out about such things imo I'd be a wreck!







)

Well, personally before all the attention about the disgusting catalog came up in the Christian community, I didn't think that my dh would look so hot in them anyway. I'm *really not racist; but, I don't see dh wearin even some of the pieces in Structure, needless he does wear hip hop either! I just find that some pieces speak to one race or another, IME. I walked in Abercombie and walked out, and the one time I walked in....arent they $$$! I just stick to the discount stores, and if I don't say so myself, he looks good.


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## Sustainer

Oh, when you just said the word catalog it made me remember J. C. Penny. Their print and online catalogs have a picture of a product -- a nursing top -- you know, with slits for breast access -- and the model is holding a baby and *bottle-feeding* it! Several of us wrote to J.C. Penny about this and they basically blew us all off.

Oh, and any airline that doesn't have a policy protecting breastfeeding mothers from being asked to move or cover up (probably all of them







: )


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## Periwinkle

I'm also curious... what's wrong with Citibank??


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## applejuice

RE: P&G

I have saved wrappers from before 1987 which had the moon logo on it.

I know that is true.

They have refused to do anything about animal experiments however since it is so profitable.

The book Sacrifice of the Innocent, by Hans Reusch is excellent about animal experimentation.

It has a forward by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn.


----------



## dado

Quote:

_Originally posted by TwinMommy_
*I'm also curious... what's wrong with Citibank??*
probably the biggest holder of thirld world debt on the planet.


----------



## Mona

and what about blockbuster?


----------



## Paxetbonum

Wal mart!!! for exploiting workers, women, ruining local culture, etc..
McDonalds. (well, let's just say I read "Fast food Nation")
Planned Parenthood- for exploiting women, and killing children.
Most chains and made in China stuff whenever possible.
any movie with Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Ben Affleck-- for anti-Catholicism and religious intolerance.


----------



## Wildcrafter

Fast food for sure. I also boycott Walmart because of the way they destroy the property they move into and then vacate it shortly after to build a Super Walmart; also because most of what they sell is fake crap made by children in poor countries. And I hate their underselling and the effect it has on local retailers and downtowns.


----------



## Anguschick1

I'm new to boycotting, but I currently boycott;

Mary Kay
Helene Curtis
Estee Lauder

They all use a product called "TestSkin" which is produced from the foreskins of circumsized boys.

Also Best Buy for big box tactics and crappy customer service.


----------



## Gemini

Quote:

_Originally posted by Anguschick1_
*They all use a product called "TestSkin" which is produced from the foreskins of circumsized boys.*
I may be sorry I asked this, but WHY???? I've learned from being here that foreskins are being used for things, but what on earth is "TestSkin"???


----------



## PurplePixiePooh

If my understanding is correct, they use these forskins to test the reaction to their products. It is an unacceptable alternative to animal testing.


----------



## UrbanPlanter

I forgot to say this one:
we don't buy any product that contains high fructose corn syrup


----------



## calgal007

I won't give money to zoos, or to Marine World. I shop local, organic produce, not Green Giant or Birdseye. No Frito-Lay or non-organic dairy supplies. Fair trade coffee as much as possible.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Johnson Wax, which as near as I can tell, manufactures products that are single-use application, exclusively. Some might say they are "the great Satan" of environmentally-conscious household cleaning supplies, I think.


----------



## kerikadi

A few already listed including Nestle of course but also Susan G Komen and other organizations that donate $$$ to Planned Parenthhood as well as several magazines that carry ads for RU486, the morning after pill and Plan Buke

Keri


----------



## JessicaS

Why do people boycott snapple?

Not arguing or anything I am wondering.


----------



## Sustainer

You know that the morning after pill and Plan B are just contraception, right? And that they therefore prevent abortions?


----------



## Peppermint

Devrock-
Many if not most pro-lifers believe life begins at conception, not implantation, therefore any method of "birth control" (notice not conception control) which can act to make the uterus hostile to implantation would be objectionable, including all hormonal methods, only barrier methods would actually prevent conception every time. Granted the pill and other hormonal methods can act to prevent ovulation, therefore- no problem-, but they can always act to destroy a fertilized egg as well, so one can never know for sure why they aren't pregnant. That's why we have a problem with the morning after pill. Interestingly, many Catholic hospitals will give the morning after pill if they can tell that the woman has yet to ovulate (done with a blood test I presume, but I am not exactly sure).

Just wanted to clear that up


----------



## Sustainer

So the objection would not only be to Emergency Contraception but also to the Pill and the IUD?


----------



## blessed2bamommie

Correct me if I'm wrong, Patty. it sounds like you may be Catholic and I'm an evangelical; but, I think the Catholic Church disapproves of all bc with the exception of NFP. Protestants are all across the board. Some feel it is wrong, some don't . Some feel *some methods are permitted and some aren't. I used bcps and did not *realize until I heard a Christian program that it was an abortaficient. I was *angry! I had had a m/c. Also, when I learn more about the IUD, I have a problem with it preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg, whom just became a person. (not debating that point) As well as the RU486, and I get fuzzy about morning after. I thought they were the same thing.









HTH!


----------



## Peppermint

Well Devrock, it gets kind of shady









Yes, wannabmommie- Catholics are against ALL forms of birth control, the only thing allowed by the church is NFP to be used with serious reasons.

I was trying to answer from the general pro-life population, in which there is no concensus on barrier methods, but there is consensus that anything that prevents a fertilized egg from making his/her way to birth, would be wrong, life beginning at conception. Of course, there are all varying views within the pro-life movement, and there are some people who feel artifical birth control is ok, but draw the line somewhere after implantation.

As far as Catholic hospitals go, the cases I was referring to were rape cases, in which case some Catholic Hospitals will give emergency contraception, so long as it will be "contraception" and not birth control.

It's a whole can of worms









Most pro-life bocotters get lists from sites that monitor donations to planned parenthood, and the like.


----------



## Sustainer

Quote:

_Originally posted by wannabmommie_
*As well as the RU486, and I get fuzzy about morning after. I thought they were the same thing.







*
Big difference between the morning after pill and RU-486.

The morning after pill does not and can not perform an abortion. All it does, and all it can do, is prevent a pregnancy from occurring.

RU-486 aborts a pregnancy that has already occurred.


----------



## Peppermint

Again, the morning after pill *can* prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, which to pro-lifers is the earliest form of abortion. Yes, though, RU-486 is used at a much later time, after the fertilized egg has already implanted.

But, we are going way OT!







So, I'll stop now


----------



## spero

About the P & G logo...

http://www.snopes.com/business/alliance/procter.asp

Quote:

The slander predates the supposed 1994 Donahue air date by 14 years. P&G's president has never been on Donahue (the show confirms this), nor did he say such a thing in any other forum.

P&G's "man in the moon" trademark was adopted in 1851, at a time when goods were more commonly marked with visual trademarks than with companies' names. (The ability to read was not as widespread then as it is now, so companies offering an array of consumer goods rather than just one product had strong reason to devise memorable pictoral logos for their wares.) The thirteen stars were an homage to the original thirteen colonies of the United States of America, and the man in the moon was simply a popular decorative device of the times.
And in regard to Liz Claiborne's supposed racism:

http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/claiborne.asp

Quote:

Origins: In an October 1992 Esquire interview, film director Spike Lee encouraged blacks to boycott the Liz Claiborne company:

_(quotation marks added)_
"Last week, Oprah Winfrey had Liz Claiborne on the show. Claiborne got on and said she didn't make clothes for Black people to wear."
Inflammatory words, those. Had what Lee described been the case, you'd have been hard pressed to find any woman possessed of a social conscience who wouldn't have wanted to participate in the boycott he was advocating. Trouble was, there wasn't anything to what he was saying.

Claiborne had never been on The Oprah Winfrey Show, a fact Winfrey's publicity people immediately and vehemently confirm any time these rumors arise.

By the time these rumors came into being, she [Claiborne] was no longer associated with the company...
As for Abercrombie & Fitch, I have never seen their catalog; but the gigantic and sexually suggestive photographs for their store that are plastered all over the mall make me want to uke and hide my kids' eyes.







I certainly wouldn't shop there.

I would actively boycott anything associated with Planned Parenthood, an organization that most certainly is, in my opinion, pro-abortion.

Edited to say that I just took a look (at snopes.com) at what the first 121 pages of A & F's "The Christmas Field Guide" contain; and even viewed one of the (basically, soft-core porn) pics.

Nope, won't be shopping there.


----------



## Mona

Quote:

_Originally posted by abimommy_
*Why do people boycott snapple?

Not arguing or anything I am wondering.*
I boycott snapple as well.
From what I remember, they are part of the anti choice faction.

Now, what about blockbuster? Why do people boycott them?


----------



## BeeandOwlsMum

Please don't boycott the Susan G. Komen foundation.

What they contribute to Planned Parenthood is money to assist low income women in getting breast exams from the doctors there. I know because I qualified for the money. Planned Parenthood was the only cost effective option for my gyn exams when I didn't have insurance, which is a good thing. And having the Komen fund there to assist further, made a huge difference. So while I understand feeling the need to boycott PP, the Komen foundation has done nothing but good for the fight against breast cancer.

Just my $.02 cents.

Now, back on topic about what people do boycott....


----------



## dado

Quote:

_Originally posted by jess7396
*Interestingly, many Catholic hospitals will give the morning after pill if they can tell that the woman has yet to ovulate...*_
_
_
_
are you sure about that? the morning after pill is just...The Pill. exact same stuff the Vatican has said No to for regular use for several decades already. i would be extremely surprised to learn that was happening in a catholic hospital - but stranger things have certainly happened!

re: snapple - for years they used rush limbaugh as a spokesman, which is were the "owned by KKK" rumors - which have become "owned by Saudi terrorist" rumors - began.

(though there is at least a germ of truth to the Osama link as it is Osama's family who distributed Snapple in saudi. since they also funded osama, who can say which dollar of profit went exactly where? and it is all completely ironic given the company was founded by gentleman name Leonard Marsh, Hyman Golden, and Arnold Greenberg(!))_


----------



## guestmama9924

Oh, so many so many...
-everyone on the PETA sh*t list
-March of Dimes ( for animal testing and cruelty)
-ALL fast foods
-Nestle of course
-anything tested on animals
-*STONEYFIELD FARMS ORGANIC PRODUCTS* for having ties with Enfamil Lipil formula and sleezy Dr Greene
-JADE and Pearl Sea Sponge Menstrual products and everyone that promotes those things and destroys the reef I live on including MOTHERING and I hope they quit taking those ads ( get that dead animal out of your yoni!! and put it back on the dying choking reef!!)
-Any publications that advertises or affiliates with FORMULA ( which my newest publication to make the list is WORKING MOTHER magazine who swore they would NOT take those ads and now it is the first ad you see)

-BROOKE SHIELDS

-Anything tied to right-wing conservatives, Abbott labs, pharmasuticals, tobacco and
yes all of this is downright exhausting but after a while you just stick to your own little world of services and products and its all good


----------



## Mona

Quote:

_Originally posted by KeysMama_
*
yes all of this is downright exhausting but after a while you just stick to your own little world of services and products and its all good







*
:LOL


----------



## JessicaS

oh, people boycott them because of the pro-life thing? I didn't know.

Ya, the KKK rumors (weird)...that is on snopes.com the people who founded that company are Jewish. The K on the label stands for Kosher.

Thanks for clearing up the boycott question for me.


----------



## kerikadi

Adina,
It saddens me greatly that SGK donates to PP resulting in my boycott. I had run in the anual Race For The Cure for 3 years, I lost a friend (mom of 3) to breast cancer and my best friend was diagnosed the week she turned 31.
I know the thought behind them donating is to educate women but by PP's own admission the don't relegate donations to only be spent on specific things. All money goes into one pot and spent from there. PP can't even prove that the money SGK donated went directly to breast cancer education. They are the number one abortion supplier in the US and that is how they pay their bills, I can't give money to a company that pays for PP's practices.

I also agree that RU486 and Plan B are not the same thing but I don't agree with either of them. I am one of those 'Life begins at insemination, not implantation' people









Keri

NAK so pleaee don't mind typos









Thanks for posting Jess


----------



## Paxetbonum

How funny that PP are all such wonderful activist for Breast Cancer awarness. One would think they would stop being so gung ho about the pill then. . . . (tee-hee)


----------



## BeeandOwlsMum

kerikadi - while that might be true of most of the $$ the PP gets from donations, they actually call it the SGK scholarship - or something like that. So I am pretty sure that the SGK Foundation has specified what it is for. I could be wrong, I will try and find the info. Since I didn't get a break on anything else, just on the price of my breast exam, I am guessing that it is endowment specifically for the purpose. Endowments can ONLY be used for the purpose specified. But I will see what I can find. From what I found, it sounds like it was a grant. And they are specific grants for the encouragment of breast health. I have an email out to both PP and SGK...I will let you know what I hear. Anyway...back on topic y'all!


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## Megs Mom

Whether it's PP or anyone else (I boycott PP and people who give them money), something to consider is this. If money is donated for a specific purpose, like SGK, it frees up other money to go towards the use that you want to avoid. i.e., the more money SGK gives to PP for breast health, the less money PP has to spend of its own on breast health, which can then be used for, say, buying more free condoms to give away in high schools. Or whatever. It's never simple to spend according to our morals, is it?


----------



## plum

so who does give money to planned parenthood? i might have to frequent them more.


----------



## BeeandOwlsMum

Okay, let's get off this one before it gets ugly. I am sorry for having opened a can of worms.

Onward!


----------



## Megs Mom

good call, adina


----------



## Ms.Doula

And I stilll do want to know where else I can buy fairtrade coffee Only online??? Ill have to check out the links... when im not n2ak!


----------



## MelMel

i am glad for planned parenthood. being low-income non-insured and newly pregnant (and VERY pleased about it, as we were trying for over a year) they have the only 'official' test i can afford, and the awesome ladies helped me get insured/medicaid so i could afford to have my beautiful dd








they help people like me...when docs and other 'clinics' turn us away or make it SO difficult to get help....i've left a supposed 'free clinic' in tears from being condescended and treated so poorly.

you wouldnt think so, but poverty level/low income married people who own a home and are self employed, yet do not receive any government assistance must be some odd group, because I had to fight to get insurance for dd...when we actually qualify for ALL the stuff they got, WIC, food stamps, family insurance....but we didnt want that, just birth coverage....anyway, back on topic:::

also BP, which is another one I have been boycotting so long, I dont even know if it is valid anymore (largest supplier of oil to south africa back in the day) but its a habit

majors.

major labels, major resturaunt chains, major bad guys...etc.

and most of the above already mentioned.

Richard E Jacobs Group here in cleveland. evil.


----------



## Periwinkle

Back OT...

Re: Blockbuster. My reasons are fairly simple, as I don't know much about their corporate policies, etc., though I've heard that they're like the WalMart of the video industry.

First, I think they help push sleazy movies and videogames. If it's not (or was not) a "blockbuster" movie, they pretty much don't rent it. Second, the environmental impact of cranking out all those videotapes to be New Releases ("guaranteed it's in or your money back" - you know, with like 30 copies of one movie on the shelves) just to throw them away a few weeks later when that movie is no longer the hot, in-demand tape. Third, their service SUCKS and they drive away small local video stores -- staffed by people who know and love movies, and have diverse and artistic selections.

I'll try to find the corporate/management stuff, because I've heard various accounts that it's a nightmare. But I don't have any more than that.

** Edited to add: I just did a quick Google search and there's some good stuff out there. Apparently Blockbuster video is owned by Viacom (and is now merging with CBS). For those of us PO'd at the media-monolopies, that's a good reason to boycott. Probably more. Anyone?


----------



## maria423

KeysMama: can you elaborate on the ties between Stonyfield and Enfamil? I've never heard that and buy Stonyfield yogurt all the time.


----------



## calgal007

Blockbuster is the video-rental equivalent of a Walmart, or Costco. The small-time video store owner has a tough time competing with the heavy hammer of corporate dollars.


----------



## guestmama9924

Quote:

_Originally posted by maria423_
*KeysMama: can you elaborate on the ties between Stonyfield and Enfamil? I've never heard that and buy Stonyfield yogurt all the time.*
Stoneyfield features Dr Greene as their Pediatric consultant
Dr Greene for Stoneyfield and Dr Greene is also a paid spokesman for Enfamil Lipil

Quote:

Dr. Greene has been writing on this issue since 1996 when he became a national spokesperson for Enfamil LIPIL, the first formula with DHA and ARA to be introduced in the US - in February 2002.
Exciting developments in infant formula
Stoneyfield has been more than informed of their indirect partnership with Enfamil- one of the largest corporations of bioengineered cow milk and proponent of factory farming. Doesn't really mesh with the Stoneyfield image does it? or DOES it?









So I guess I ALSO boycott anyone affiliated with the creepy Dr Greene!


----------



## dado

i had no idea about Stonyfield and Dr. Greene. i've done a little checking - what you say seems to be accurate - if a little more checking continues to confirm the situation i will let Stonyfield know my feelings and i will also inform the markets i shop at.

i'm quite sure they'll be as surprised as i am.


----------



## guestmama9924

Quote:

_Originally posted by dado_
*i had no idea about Stonyfield and Dr. Greene*
previous thread on Stoneyfield check here to see the canned reply from Stoneyfield about their less than wholesome pediatric consultant Dr Greene...


----------



## CityGirl

Woody Allen movies.


----------



## Greaseball

I've heard others boycott Woody Allen - why is that?


----------



## Ms.Doula

OH!! OH!! I know this one!!









RE: Woody Allen
The slimeball only MARRIED his own (adopted)DAUGHTER!!!!


----------



## calgal007

I just had a conversation with a friend today about Woody Allen. I can't imagine what either he, or his now-wife, then-daughter, had in their heads. She was quite young, so all I can think is she had a lot of anger toward her mother, Mia Farrow.

It's put a whole different spin on some of his movie plots, like "Hannah and Her Sisters" for example. . .


----------



## Sustainer

If a woman has reached the age of consent and is not his biological daughter, I figure it's none of my business.


----------



## EFmom

As a parent by adoption, I can tell you that normal adoptive parents feel "parental" about their children, not romantic. That is just creepy. uke

I used to love early comedies, like Bananas, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, etc. But I think his later films are awful anyway, so "boycotting" is no great loss. Hannah and Her Sisters is the first movie I ever got up and walked out of, due to the quality of the movie, not anything about WA. DH gets visibly upset when Woody Allen's name is mentioned. He thinks Mr. Allen should be in prison.


----------



## Greaseball

Wow, that is creepy. How old was the daughter when she was adopted? I can't imagine ever having a sexual feeling toward a legal guardian.

In counseling ethics, our instructor told us that although it was "legal" for a counselor to have a sexual relationship with someone who was a client over two years ago, no decent counselor ever would. I agree. It's creepy enough when high school teachers go out with 18-year-old students, but a parent and child is so much worse!


----------



## Sustainer

One of L.M. Montgomery's most beautiful stories is about a man who falls in love with, and marries, his adopted daughter.


----------



## EFmom

People write all sorts of stories. Some find them beautiful, others find them repulsive. Me, I think it's incest, plain and simple, biology not withstanding.


----------



## pilesoflaundry

Citibank pi$$ed me off too! I have a credit card with them which I'm closing as soon as I pay it off. I would close it now but then my low interest offer becomes null and void and they can charge what they want.

I have it close to maxed but I pay it every single month on time, more than the minimum. I do this with all my cards. They ran a credit check up on me and decided to lower my credit line 2 months in a row right after a payment. They claimed I owed too much to other companies and I was a credit risk WTF I pay them all so who cares! Then when I contacted customer service I was told my credit score went down, well u m when you lower my limit by $500 you up my debt to available credit ratio which loweres my score dumba$$es caused it! I filed a complaint with the comptroller of the currency and they haven't done it again.

Household bank I boycott because they have the most horrendous customer service and policys.

abercrombie

anything tested on animals

as much as I can that contains proplylene glycol


----------



## Ms.Doula

Quote:

_Originally posted by EFmom_
*Me, I think it's incest, plain and simple, biology not withstanding.*








DITTO!! I Totally Agree!!









And back to the topic at hand........ IF you think something is repulsive (be it animal testing, child labor, or incestual relationships) you certainly have the right to choose to boycott, or support.

I never did care for woody allen to begin with -but I certainly would NOT watch anything including him, now!


----------



## Sustainer

To me, the word "incest" has a biological definition. Everyone's individual situation, family dynamics, and interpersonal relationships are different, and each case would have to be evaluated on an individual basis.

There are also stories of adoptive "siblings" falling in love with each other (The Diary of Anne Frank, and I think the movie is called Sin of Innocence with Megan Follows) and it never bothers me and I always find myself sympathizing with the lovers rather than with the bystanders criticizing them.

Sometimes the relationship that develops between two people isn't the kind of relationship that is "supposed" to develop, and you can't blame them -- their feelings are natural, and, in my opinion, healthy, if there is no biological connection.


----------



## Ms.Doula

I for one would not consider Anne Frank & Peter van Pels to be adoptive "siblings" in any way shape or form. They simply lived together for 25 mos. and an innocent infatuation evolved (mostly on Anne's part)

.

Quote:

Mr. Frank also makes arrangements for his business partner, Hermann van Pels, along with his wife, Auguste van Pels, and their son, Peter, to share the Prinsengracht hideaway.


----------



## spero

Quote:

_Originally posted by Ms.Doula_
*I for one would not consider Anne Frank & Peter van Pels to be adoptive "siblings" in any way shape or form.*
I have to agree.

Does anyone know why the van Pels name was changed to van Daan in the book?


----------



## Sustainer

I believe the families expected Anne and Peter to live together as brother and sister.


----------



## Greaseball

Quote:

There are also stories of adoptive "siblings" falling in love with each other
Siblings do not usually have the power imbalance between them that parents and children do. Of course, there are special circumstances for everything. Sometimes such relationships work, but still, I'd think if you were a big movie star you could find someone other than your own daughter!

I know this is a fictional story, but remember Flowers in the Attic? I could understand how a biological brother and sister could fall in love like that, with no hope of ever being with someone else.








T
All the V.C. Andrews series I've read have had brother/sister incest! Hmmm...

What is propelyne glycol? I try to boycott hydrogenated fats but they are just everywhere, even in whole wheat "natural" foods!


----------



## pilesoflaundry

propylene glycol is a preservative in vaccines, soaps some commercial baby wipes (huggies natural care is the only one I found without it), shampoos etc to help keep them from freezing in during shipment.

It is used in airline antifreeze, etlyene glycol is more common in car antifreeze and is more toxic

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts96.html

this site talks about ethelye and propylene glycol, claims proplyene is safer ...

http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/ifs/...ene_glycol.asp

this site says it's safe, the link I found before that said it was toxic and made me stop using it no longer works hmm now I'm lost again :LOL


----------



## dado

Quote:

_Originally posted by Ms.Doula_
*Woody Allen
The slimeball only MARRIED his own (adopted)DAUGHTER!!!!







*
he did no such thing.


----------



## Gemini

Uh, yes he did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Allen

Quote:

In 1992, his personal life became very public, when he left his long-term partner Mia Farrow after she discovered his secret affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Farrow accused him of being a pedophile (she is 35 years his junior)...

Quote:

Woody and Soon Yi married in 1997, and later adopted two daughters, naming both (Bechet Allen and Manzie Tio Allen) after jazz musicians (Sidney Bechet and Manzie Johnson).


----------



## GruppieGirl

Restaurants that serve turtle soup!

Turtles cannot reproduce until they are 15 years old (similar to humans). Asian nations are eating them faster than they can multiply and the US is doing its share too. Soon, many more turtles will become endangered.

You should see the disturbing videos of turtles sitting in big barrells, slowly dying, on their way to our plates.

Ugh!


----------



## pilesoflaundry

averysmom- that is so sad!! I have a soft spot for turtles I just find them fascinating. It's horrible to think of them dying like that


----------



## Ms.Doula

Not *MY* plate!!!!


----------



## sweetpeasmom

This has been a great thread! I had no idea about Nestle.

I boycott

Christmas
Fast Food joints
places that do animal testing


----------



## B52Bombshell

I boycott :

the **evil** empire of WalMart
Disney (as much as possible)
fast food joints (hard to do driving on I95 on the East Coast)
Starbucks (caused my favorite coffee shop to close) & their bathrooms (in NYC) are nasty

I also *try* to not shop at most of the national chain stores since they're all pretty much working on squeezing out independent retailers. It's hard, though when we go into a Borders or B&N, or Virgin store. DH & I are such book & music addicts. So many titles in one place....

Luckily, we're in an area where we have choices as to where we can shop. I really feel for those who are stuck out in Generica & have no choice but to frequent the big chains.


----------



## MelMel

Quote:

_Originally posted by Gemini_
*Uh, yes he did.

"In 1992, his personal life became very public, when he left his long-term partner Mia Farrow after she discovered his secret affair with HER adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn"[/url]*
but from your post it says she wasnt woodys adoptive daughter. I didnt know that, either.

people in 'hollywood' are always doing stupid things, imo,....in fact most people I KNOW (except me







) do silly things I cant explain:LOL

I also boycott all US presidents that were slave owners...so i only use penny's and five dollar bill's as currency.

washington participated in deforestation (chopped down cherry tree) so he's out.:LOL :LOL

:LOL :LOL :LOL :LOL :LOL

this is a great thread...I am learning alot and enjoying reading it!


----------



## Annoia

My mom's been boycotting nestle since I can remember - so I guess I've been boycotting nestle since I was a baby! Man, I wish some other company would buy Butterfingers and BabyRuths. Everytime we go shopping together, my mom always freaks about how much Nestle owns - do they rule the world or what?!?

I also boycott Nike. (that's me spitting on the ground as I type the name) Too many little kids hand sewing soccer balls for bupkiss a day while fatcat execs grow even fatter...

My little special boycott is Abercrombie and Fitch. Not that I would be caught dead in their over-priced, shockingly ugly clothes even if they weren't racists yuppie spawn.

And I always make a point to boycott ANYTHING that would turn me into a walking advertisement.

cheers


----------



## Gemini

Quote:

_Originally posted by MelMel_
*but from your post it says she wasnt woodys adoptive daughter. I didnt know that, either.

people in 'hollywood' are always doing stupid things, imo,....in fact most people I KNOW (except me







) do silly things I cant explain:LOL*
That is true. The gal is Mia's adopted daughter from a previous marriage, so Woody would be a *step dad* of sorts. Not legally since they weren't married I guess. Still is weird to marry your partners daughter though. Ew.


----------



## Greaseball

That kind of thing seems to be condoned more often when it's a man going after his ex-girlfriend's daughter than when it's the other way around.

For example, if my stepmom married my dad's son, - who would be 30 years her junior - people would say that was gross. But when a man does such a thing, people slap him on the back and say "Yeah, buddy! Dump the old one and get the young one!"


----------



## Arduinna

My number one, Sandals and Beaches (owned by Sandals) resort company for their discrimination against same sex couples.


----------



## Sustainer

Quote:

_Originally posted by pilesoflaundry_
*propylene glycol is a preservative in vaccines, soaps some commercial baby wipes (huggies natural care is the only one I found without it)*
Tushies and Seventh Generation don't have it.


----------



## peace_lily_mama

Quote:

I also boycott all US presidents that were slave owners...so i only use penny's and five dollar bill's as currency.
you are so cool.... you don't really do that,do you???


----------



## peace_lily_mama

Quote:

I also boycott Nike. (that's me spitting on the ground as I type the name) Too many little kids hand sewing soccer balls for bupkiss a day while fatcat execs grow even fatter...
okay, first, what's bupsis?
second, i see your point! It's really discusting. and the worst part about it is, people who you tell dno't even care!!


----------



## TingTing

Nike (sweat shops)
Disney (sweat shops and generally poor labor practices)
The Gap (and its subsidiaries, Old Navy and Banana Republic, for same reasons as above)
Nestle
Wal Mart
Dominos Pizza (anti-choice)
Fast food (I don't like the stuff anyway)

I buy organic food as much as my income allows, and I don't drive, so I guess I'm effectively boycotting all gas companies most of the time, lol.

And for the person who said they boycott Sandals and Beaches Resorts due to their discrimination against gays, here's another reason: Sandals is based in Jamaica and their practices go something like this - Pick one of the most beautiful beaches/areas on the island, buy it up, cut down as many trees necessary to put some concrete tourist monstrosity, surround the whole thing with 10 foot security fences and guards with machine guns to prohibit local people from setting foot in an area they've been fishing and swimming and picnicking with their families in for generations&#8230;Unless of course they're there to make beds and sweep floors for substandard wages. The owner of Sandals is aware of the damage his projects do to the local environment as he once admitted that he had refrained from building one on Jamaica's east coast because that was HIS personal favorite area of the island. I have family in the Caribbean and because of the detrimental affects of rampant tourist development I've witnessed down there, I could never stay at a true "resort" and aside from the odd big city trip, avoid staying in larger hotels altogether. Anytime I'm traveling to an ecologically and/or economically sensitive area, I'm very careful about making sure that any accommodations or other services I pay for are environmentally and socially responsible. There are places I simply will not go because the government has allowed so much damage in the name of tourism.


----------



## Megs Mom

Quote:

_Originally posted by peace_lily_mama_
*okay, first, what's bupsis?
*
bupkiss (sp?) = nothing; so the comment means they are working for no money.


----------



## Greaseball

I boycott all Jamaican vacations - not so difficult when you never want to go anywhere and hate flying!

They have people stay in resorts which were former plantations, and tours of slave quarters are given for amusement.

I guess Hawaiian vacations too, since tourists have destroyed Hawaii and the natives now all have jobs cleaning up after white people.


----------



## Sustainer

Quote:

_Originally posted by Greaseball_
*tourists have destroyed Hawaii and the natives now all have jobs cleaning up after white people.*
Boy does that make me


----------



## TingTing

QUOTE]I boycott all Jamaican vacations - not so difficult when you never want to go anywhere and hate flying![/QUOTE]

LOL, yes, that's stretching the definition of boycott just a tad. I had a conversation with a co-worker who went on one of these All-Inclusive packages to Jamaica recently in which she complained about "sensing" resentment from Jamaicans towards tourists while she was there. We talked about it and ultimately I asked her how she would feel if, say, some foreign businessman bought up the vast majority our province's most beautiful wilderness/camping areas, put up a bunch of exclusive resorts and charged a thousand bucks a night for the priviledge. Wouldn't we be a little resentful? That's what's happened to the Jamaicans. Their land isn't for them anymore. And what do they have to show for it? Poverty is still the norm.

Shame about Hawaii too...It's a lot harder to imagine now, but in their natural state they truly were among the most beautiful, ecologically and geographically diverse islands on the planet, with a vibrant cultural history. Places like that leave me depressed when I go home, because their beauty, however faded, is still apparent and you wonder how anyone could have looked around and thought the view might be improved by a 20-story Hilton.


----------



## Sustainer

Quote:

_Originally posted by TingTing_
*Places like that leave me depressed when I go home, because their beauty, however faded, is still apparent and you wonder how anyone could have looked around and thought the view might be improved by a 20-story Hilton.







*
Reminds me of that line from Douglas Adams: "a sunset that no one of any sensibility would dream of building a city like Los Angeles in front of"


----------



## Mona

T

SBFmommy--- have you had your baby yet?


----------



## mavkevmom

Our family boycotts all Coca Cola products. This company's efforts to prevent the unionization employees it its plants and bottling facilities in Colombia have included intimidation and murder. Coke has collaborated with right-wing paramilitary death squads to accomplish this--in some cases actually allowing these death squads to enter the plants and assassinate Union leaders in front of their coworkers.
While Coca-Cola is the target of a boycott for these actions, it is not the only company guilty of working with the Colombian military and paramilitary forces to fight unionization. On average, three trade unionists are murdered in Colombia each week, and, unfortunately, U. S. tax dollars fund much of this violence.


----------



## ZachZ

Quote:

_Originally posted by Ms.Doula_
*








And I stilll do want to know where else I can buy fairtrade coffee Only online??? Ill have to check out the links... when im not n2ak!







*
Peet's Coffee. You can buy Fair Trade and Organic Coffee online there. (I see teas also).

Link: Peets Coffee Main Site

Info on who they are:
Who We Are - Community

I discovered this site via Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome.com. He recommends it. Though I have never tried it.

Peet's has stores in California mostly. I see that they also have stores in Illinois, Texas and Colorado.

Has anyone tried this coffee? I would like an opinion on taste before I jump to buy it. Looks a tad costly, but probably reflects what coffee prices would be for all, if everyone was involved in fair trade. Who knows.

Example:
Arabian Mocha-Java
Price: $12.95 per lb.


----------



## anothermama

Quote:

_Originally posted by Hilary Briss_
*As I have said before, I boycott religion, because religion tends to promote bigotry and intolerance.







*
er..........

Ok, sorry to be off topic, but I hate hate HATE this attitude.

No, religion does NOT promote that. Look at the fundemental doctrines of all the major religions of the world.....they promote peace, love, and compassion.

It's AMERICAN and western oriented BIGGOTS and INTOLERANT PEOPLE that promote biggotry and intolerance. Just because they claim to do it in the name of religion doesn't mean religion promotes those things. There are just as many intollerant UN-relgious people in the world. And it seems intollerant and kind of biggotted to me to blindly label huge, entire groups of people based on the actions of a few loud people.

Ok....off my soapbox now..........


----------



## Greaseball

Quote:

Look at the fundemental doctrines of all the major religions of the world.....they promote peace, love, and compassion.
Just as long as you're not gay...or an unmarried woman with multiple sex partners, or one who wants an abortion...or one who wears poly/cotton blends.


----------



## anothermama

Quote:

_Originally posted by Greaseball_
*Just as long as you're not gay...or an unmarried woman with multiple sex partners, or one who wants an abortion...or one who wears poly/cotton blends.
















*
Regardless, there are specific "rules" to live by in any religion...and there is ALSO messages of tolerance, forgiveness, and compassion that ENCOMPASS those rules. It's very intollerant to pick and chose what you want to believe about religions.


----------



## Greaseball

Quote:

It's very intollerant to pick and chose what you want to believe about religions.
Surely you aren't intolerant of my intolerance? Wouldn't that be, you know, intolerant?


----------



## honey

Peet's coffee is fantastic. I recommend it.









I'm staying out of the religion thing for now


----------



## pilesoflaundry

I guess you could say there are rules to a religion but if we are talking about the same one that doesn't want you to use birthcontrol but doesn't want you to have an abortion and also doesn't like you if your gay etc...... That religion claims we are to love thy neighbor, treat others as we want to be treated and to love all our "brothers and sisters". But remember not to love those brothers who love other brothers and not to love those sisters who love other sisters and look down on those who have abortions and tell them they will live in sin etc. Sorry but I'm noticing there is a bunch of hipocrites in that religion.


----------



## JessicaS

Can we not turn the boycotting thread into a religious debate?

I would hate for it to be moved since there is so much great info on here.


----------



## anothermama

Quote:

_Originally posted by pilesoflaundry_
*I guess you could say there are rules to a religion but if we are talking about the same one that doesn't want you to use birthcontrol but doesn't want you to have an abortion and also doesn't like you if your gay etc...... That religion claims we are to love thy neighbor, treat others as we want to be treated and to love all our "brothers and sisters". But remember not to love those brothers who love other brothers and not to love those sisters who love other sisters and look down on those who have abortions and tell them they will live in sin etc. Sorry but I'm noticing there is a bunch of hipocrites in that religion.*
Interesting, but flawed, point.

The Bible, for example, says it's a sin to be gay. Right? Right. But, as I said, there are philosophies that ENCOMPASS those rules. As a Christian, I am to love the sinner not the sin...I am not to judge...I am to love others as my brothers.....there is NOTHING in the Bible that says "Love people...UNLESS THEY ARE SINNERS" because we are ALL sinners.

It doesn't say love everyone unless they are gay. I don't know why people...on BOTH sides....insist on arguments like that that just lead down bad paths.


----------



## anothermama

Quote:

_Originally posted by Greaseball_
*Surely you aren't intolerant of my intolerance? Wouldn't that be, you know, intolerant?*








:

Awsome way to address the issue.


----------



## Megs Mom

Deleted to comply with mod request.


----------



## Greaseball

Most religious people I know are really gung-ho about tolerance, but then we realize they only want people to tolerate THEIR religion - they sure don't want to tolerate anyone who believes differently. And "do it our way or you go to Hell, but I still love you" is not my idea of tolerance.


----------



## BeeandOwlsMum

Seconding the request to please drop the religious debate. This is a wonderful thread with a lot of good info, but not the place to debate religious choices, rules or doctrine.


----------



## ZachZ

Quote:

_Originally posted by honey_
*Peet's coffee is fantastic. I recommend it.









*








Thanks, honey, for the







thumbs up. The local health store carries some free trade organic coffee, and the samples were awesome. (about the same price, too)

I have been consuming entirely too much bitter Maxwell House Columbian coffee, which I consider better than most namebrand. Now, I am concerned mostly about what other elements are in my coffee (ie twigs, rocks, etc). I recently heard that even the namebrand coffees use moldy and/or nasty beans. yech.

Thanks again. I think I'll order some when I have enough $.

Do you know if their teas are tasty, too?


----------



## Megs Mom

Quote:

_Originally posted by ZachZ_
*Do you know if their teas are tasty, too?*
I love them!


----------



## Sustainer

No, I haven't had my baby yet.

*resisting urge to join religious discussion* Can we start a separate thread?


----------



## anothermama

Quote:

_Originally posted by SBFmommy_
*No, I haven't had my baby yet.

*resisting urge to join religious discussion* Can we start a separate thread?*
DONE!
Check TAO....thread called "tolerance"


----------



## Leonor

I find it odd that Coca Cola would shoot their workers? Couldn't this just be rumours? Are there photographs on this? Also sweatshops. People write so many things about them, but where are the real reports, the photographs?

If a person is underskilled in a third world country
where people are still digging the earth with the help of cows, what kind of work can they get, how can they feed their families?

I'm wanting to understand because I buy at ASDA (UK company owned by Wal-Mart). I will find it hard to buy somewhere else. The workers there seem well treated. If they aren't I assume in the UK they are free to get a job somewhere else? I don't know about other countries, but is it true? Can we believe everything we read?


----------



## mavkevmom

Like other companies and land owners in Colombia, Coke contracts these paramilitary groups to help deal with its "labor problems," essentially exploiting an already volatile political situation. I first learned about this issue when I heard a speech by a leader of the union at a Colombian Coke plant who had to flee his country after one of these death squads tried to kill him.
You should investigate this issue for yourself. Organizations like the Colombia Action Network and Human Rights Watch might be a good place to start.

mavkevmom


----------



## TingTing

Quote:

Also sweatshops. People write so many things about them, but where are the real reports, the photographs?
A simple internet search and you'll be inundated with this stuff. But here's a good starter link:
Behindthelabel.org

Here's a link to a BBC report of a specific protest/press conference against the Gap that occured last winter in New York City, with workers from Gap sweatshops in Indonesia, Lesotho and El Salvador in attendance (there's a photo of them in the report as well):
BBC: Gap hit by sweatshop protests

I actually have a video called "Mickey Mouse Goes to Haiti" which was released in the 90s (by Crowing Rooster Productions, I think) and has footage of Disney sweatshops and interviews with Haitian workers about the conditions there. I'm sure there are other videos of this kind out there.


----------



## darkpear

about coffee - Newman's Own is organic and fairly traded. The one flavor I've tried so far, Café Almond Biscotti, is yummy


----------



## plum

check out the muskrat coffee company:
http://www.muskratcoffee.com/

it's roasted by native american roasters on the white earth reservation in minnesota, and it's organic and fair trade. my mom and dh also say it's very very tasty (i don't drink any coffee, i think it's too bitter).


----------



## Greaseball

Wow, is it really that hard to find coffee? I just go to the natural foods co-op in my town and they have several varieties of organic fair trade coffee.


----------



## Periwinkle

Giant Foods (a large supermarket chain in the Mid-Atlantic) sells Java-Na - organic, fair trade coffee. I couldn't believe it when I saw it there next to the Starbucks and Melita. Tastes great too!


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## MelMel

I also boycott, also almost without realizing it...the local gas stations in my neighborhood that price hiked the night of the 'attacks' (Sept.11th 2001) they all of a sudden changed their signs, adding 10-20 cents every so often, some were over $3 and up to and probably over $4, from what I saw....and the higher they made it, the longer the lines got...

I used to work for Speedway/SuperAmerica LLC....so I guess I pay a bit more attention to gas stations than I should lol

:LOL


----------



## Viola

I'm glad I'm not the only one who boycotts Blockbuster. I do it simply because I worked there for almost 3 years and it was the worst company I've ever worked for. Plus, the last time I rented from them, I had to get my video back by noon, so I put my daughter in the car, still in her pajamas (we were late risers) and ran up to the store to get the tapes in on time. The next time I went to rent, they said they hadn't been returned until 4 pm. Ummmm, no, I know that wasn't the case. When I worked at Blockbuster, I excused many late fees if the customer was insistent that s/he had returned the tape on time. So I just said forget it, I'm not giving BBV another dime.

My mom boycotts Giant Foods now, because my sister lost her job there. :LOL

Most of my boycotts are not very complete, but I try. I boycott Microsoft for the most part, just because I got tired of their practices. I still use the browser occasionally, but that's about it. Unfortunately trying to explain to people that you don't have Word or Works or any of those other things is kind of hard, so it's just easier to say that I boycott it.

I remember last time this thread came up, there were a lot of good links about boycotting Old Navy and Gap because of the rain forest deforestation, so I've pretty much avoided those stores as well.

I've been buying a lot of food from my local food co-op and from Wild Oats and Trader Joes. I just got some fair trade, organic dark chocolate on Monday.

I didn't know to boycott Citibank, and I'm pretty sure I patronize them in some way. I hate Capital One for some of their practices, so I've been trying to avoid that company.

I'll be sure to continue on my Jamaican resorts boycott. I've been doing that one 100%.







My half brother has a bed and breakfast on Maui. I've never been there, though.


----------



## Leonor

But my question remains... Why can't these people work somewhere else? Is it the fault of the companies or the governments in their countries? How would their lives be better off if no companies where in their countries? What would they be doing (farming all day in a land they don't own?). How will they feed their children? How would they evolve?

I came to England from Portugal and I was underskilled to get a proper job here. Burger King hired me straight away.

At Burger King my boss wanted to promote me after 2 months of work to manager (skipping 2 steps) and I was the one that delayed it. You see 16 year olds being managers and earning a salary of £13000! The company employs unskilled people and trains them. Of course a bad worker will be sacked! Teenagers that steal food and badmouth the company, are rude to costumers or managers and miss shifts will have problems! But nobody will sacks a person that calls in sick on time, follows the rules, works hard, etc. BK is very hard work, but the costumers demand it that way!

This is in the UK, with a democratic government that has minimal wage policies, people in general are kind and tolerant, etc, etc.
So I wonder, in the third world countries, are the big companies the big evil ones, or their governments, their culture?

Well, the companies certainly are taking advantage of it, they are opportunists I agree.

It's all very sad that all human evolution comes from cruelty.









And people are consumers, people don't give money for nothing. People are curious, they want to play, they want to try new things. If I want to make money, I have to sell people things! Look at my website, do you think anyone donates? No, but if I made prints of my art and marketed it... well people would probably buy it.

I am in a privileged sitution (being in England and not having to work!) but I'm poor and I think I can't afford to boycott everything, unless I could buy land, learn how to plant things, self-sustain myself... But even so I find it hard with a child (not to mention I could be acused of child abuse!) to keep him away from civilization. It's all so depressing.


----------



## Leonor

Well...

I'm looking at these kind of pictures http://www.behindthelabel.org/life.php?imagenum=14

"Children help their mother to finish her home work. Lower East Side tenements, New York City"

...and I wonder... What is so dreadful about it? I can understand how the factories are horrible, but home work? Why is so shocking children were helping their mother? Are they better off watching Disney videos instead or at school (note that it's rare the child that wants to be at school by their own free will). They are learning work skills, how to survive in an unfair world. Yes, it's unfair the rich are greedy, but are they going to stop existing?

Sigh, too much to think about...


----------



## cumulus

Speaking of coffee. Shade-grown coffee is "ECO-O.K" as described by the Rainforest Alliance. The coffee grows, as it traditionally has, in the shade as opposed to other newer coffees wherein the trees are cut down to allow more sunlight


----------



## Greaseball

I don't think having employees that are young, unskilled and poor is any excuse for abusing them. Working at Burger King is nothing like working at a sweatshop overseas. All employees deserve to be treated with respect and human compassion. Most low-wage workers are not, and it's not always their fault. Lots of hard-working minimum wage workers are fired as soon as they have been around long enough to get benefits, because it's a lot cheaper to hire new people than to retain the old ones.

As for children helping at home, I say great if they want to, but I don't expect mine to without being paid. Just clean up your own mess is all I ask. Yes, adults have to do housework without being paid, but that's just part of being an adult.


----------



## Sustainer

Quote:

_Originally posted by Leonor_
*What would they be doing (farming all day in a land they don't own?).*
The natives should own the land. White people basically went in there and stole all their land.

How do you think these people survived for millenia before we showed up? Trust me, they'd get along just fine again if all the white land-owners and business-owners left, and the country (and its resources) belonged to the natives again, the way it should.


----------



## TiredX2

Quote:

But my question remains... Why can't these people work somewhere else? Is it the fault of the companies or the governments in their countries? How would their lives be better off if no companies where in their countries? What would they be doing (farming all day in a land they don't own?). How will they feed their children? How would they evolve?
I highly recommend the book, "Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy" by Kevin Bales. Very eye opening to the realities of slave labor in our world. Burger King is *not* slave labor. Burger King is unskilled 1st world labor.


----------



## Greaseball

Quote:

But my question remains... Why can't these people work somewhere else?
I'm sure they are not saying to themselves "You know, my job sucks; I think I'll go apply for one of the many well-paying jobs with benefits available!"


----------



## vein

I must say it's nice to see that so many people boycott - even if we don't all agree on the boycotts or their reasons, it shows that unlike a lot of people, you guys care to think.









I'm working to actively boycott some of the companies on my list more than I have been, but when a 12 month old is sick at mommy reading the boxes on a whole isle of products, sometimes, I pick something up that I shouldn't have.

I actively boycott Petsmart, a local Speedway gas station, and Starbucks. I try to boycott Procter & Gamble (which I'm totally failing on in some respects, but I'm telling myself every little bit helps), Nestle, and Farmer Jack grocery stores.

And I know I'm forgetting several, but my brain hurts to think today.


----------



## Greaseball

Why Petsmart? I've been having problems with Petco lately; all the fish I get from them die quickly, and of course they say it's my fault and not theirs. I'm thinking maybe getting animals at a big chain with minimum wage employees is not the way to go, but I live in a small town.


----------



## Ms.Doula

OHHHHH!! DO TELL!!! Why Farmer Jack & Petsmart????







:


----------



## vein

Several reasons for Petsmart - personal ones and ones that others have issue with. Personally, they have inexperienced employees who know nothing about animals telling people what to buy, which in many cases are products that can kill or sicken the animal they are purchasing. A local one here started my boycott - two different instances of two VERY dead animals. That same one (although a year before) was where we broke down and took home two rats who were albinos so they were being sold at $1.99 to encourage snake owners to take them. Both died horrible deaths way too soon due to horrible breeding. Other Petsmart links about why they are just evil are here and here .

I knew I was forgetting some on that list - Petco, for the same product/ill trained employee reasons, although two of our boys right now are almost 3 (average life span is 2) and we only took them because the good employee at the one locally BEGGED us to take them so they'd get lots of love.

Farmer Jack is due to the higher prices at stores in economically disadvantaged areas (in which FJ is the only store within walking distance) because they know that people who can least afford it HAVE to pay that price and can't just go to another store for groceries.


----------



## SageRibbon

Quote:

_Originally posted by Hilary Briss_
*As I have said before, I boycott religion, because religion tends to promote bigotry and intolerance.







*
Which sort of means you're intolerant to religion. I'm teasing.
I think you are right though, "religion" is just fluff. You have to search to find the real God despite what people have made Him out to be.


----------



## Leonor

I was wondering about Plantoys. They're based in Tailand and want to be number 1 in wooden toy producing. I wonder how their workers are treated. Anyone knows?


----------



## dallaschildren

Quote:

_Originally posted by InfoisPower_
*Walmart for the use of Radio Frequency Identification chips they're allowing to be put on product.*
At present, they are only attached to the crate of goods, not on individual goods. I'm sure that's next though.

Disclaimer: All my boycotting comments are/were stated as my opinion and should not necessarily be construed as fact.


----------



## MaryNH

Quote:

_Originally posted by dallaschildren_
*
I boycott ANYTHING written by ALAN AND DENISE FIELDS. They make me sick. Please don't buy their books and if you do, read it and return it to them for a full refund per their own policy.
.*

Why do you boycott their book?


----------



## SageRibbon

Quote:

_Originally posted by dallaschildren_
*I boycott Jane Fonda and all of the crap she calls acting.

*

















BTW...
Who are Alan and Denise Fields? I feel like an ignoramous asking this if it should be obvious.


----------



## JessicaS

Hoping the third time's the charm....


----------



## xerxes

I boycott Kentucky Fried Chickenuke , At&t, anything that has to do with Merck Pharmaceuticals, aluminum foil, and anything that does not have a recycling code of 1, 2, 4 or 5.


----------



## xerxes

Oh yeah...how could I forget...all mainstream media!


----------



## Emmama

_Originally Twinmommy wrote:_
*TV/Videos for Children*
_______________

I feel like a big ignoramous for not knowing why







:

Wal-Mart
Nestle
Phillip-Morris
P&G
McD's
Coca-Cola
The Limited Co
Georgia Pacific-when possible
News Media
J&J

There is more but this is what I can think of.......I basically hate any company that gets so large that it is scary to find out how much they control. It is REALLY hard to boycott them when you have a husband that wants to argue your reasons and then shop/buy products anyway!!!!









Emily


----------



## plum

the fields write those baby bargains books, but i don't know what would be bad about them.


----------



## JessicaS

If you boycott KFC you also need to boycott Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, they are all owned by the same company.


----------



## xerxes

Thanks Abimommy...I did not know that they were owned by the same company. We do not eat at Taco Bell because of the genetically modified corn that they use in the taco shells, so I guess I boycott them already...we rarely eat at Pizza Hut...but they are out now too...Thanks!


----------



## BeeandOwlsMum

And aren't Taco Hell, Pizza Hut and KFC all owned by Pepsi?

I thought I heard that somewhere?


----------



## TiredX2

Yup, PepsiCo!


----------



## pilesoflaundry

> _Originally posted by dallaschildren_
> *
> I boycott ANYTHING written by ALAN AND DENISE FIELDS. They make me sick. Please don't buy their books and if you do, read it and return it to them for a full refund per their own policy.
> 
> Just curious why?
> 
> I boycott Pier One Imports for their continued law breaking and contribution to the identity theft problem that increases every day and puts our personal information at risk.
> 
> I don't shop there anyway, but how do they contribute to identity theft if you wouldn't mind cluing me in so I can avoid ever shopping there.
> 
> I boycott McDonald's for killing my grandmother with the s*&( they call food.
> Not touching that one
> 
> I boycott Hibernia Bank and all of it's subsidiaries.
> Curious on this one too, I'm not ripping apart your post, just trying to be more informed I still don't know why people hate pepsi either (yes I'm very very new to the boycott, activism arena!)
> 
> I boycott the Chrysler Corporation.
> wanna fill me in?
> 
> I boycott Barbra Streisand and the Dixie Chicks.
> YUP I do too
> I boycott Jane Fonda and all of the crap she calls acting.
> :LOL*


----------



## JessicaS

No, Pepsi does not own KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut

Pepsi sold them and Tricom (or something..err..doesn't remember name) owns them now.


----------



## BeeandOwlsMum

Ah ha - so they USED TO own them and now no longer do?

Pepsi owns everything...including our college campus! :LOL


----------



## pilesoflaundry

Pepsi does own a lot, so does Coke. For the longest time I didn't even realize Coke owned minite maid juice, on the flipside Pepsi owns tropicana.

It is getting harder to boycott a company completely because the bigger ones own so much. Kraft, Coke,Pepsi, all of those own alot of stuff. So unless you never buy prepacked stuff, only shop organic and whole foods markets it's hard to do it. I didn't realize alot of what pepsi owned until I checked out their site, I did know about lays and gatorade but not the rest!

Pepsi also owns all quaker oatmeal products, gatorade, fritolay,lipton tea, rice a roni, pasta roni,near east rices,dole juices is a license so I'm guessing someone else does the manufacturing???,and they have a partnership with starbucks to sell frappaccinos those ready to drink cold ones. there are some more smaller brands too.
http://www.pepsico.com/company/brands.shtml

I didn't hear they sold kfc etc but their website doesn't mention them as a brand anymore.

I still don't understand the boycott though, is it because they have gotten so big? Or are their some bad business practices I have no clue about yet?


----------



## dallaschildren

Edited


----------



## mimim

CBS if they don't run moveon's ad during the superbowl


----------



## xerxes

mimim, my dh and I looked at all the entries on moveon's website...I really do hope that they play it during the superbowl! There were some REALLY good entries...some gave me goosebumps! I think it is doubtful it will air, which is BULL #[email protected]% because they have the money to pay for the air time! Leave it to corporate america to be so fearful that we americans may actually see the truth on tv for a change and actually boycott what is going on in this country right now! I hope it airs and ignites a major grass roots campaign all across america!


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## pilesoflaundry

Quote:

_Originally posted by dallaschildren_
*Pilesoflaundry.......

In my opinion:

Alan and Denise Fields make money off of parents. In return they turn around, gather free information from them, type it up, put it in a book and sell it back to them.
They are notorious for putting small ma and pa businesses and MANY WAHM's out of business with their comments. It appears they have developed a "cult" like following of moms that believe evey lie they tell. These moms in turn make trouble for said businesses without researching themselves or even calling the "offending" WAHM business. When you screw with the livlihoods of people, it really burns my butt.
They have quite the reputation in the retail community. Their 'God" like mentality really annoys me. They claim to be crusaders for the consumer...HA...what a load of B^*^S&*&*.
*
Ya know your right about that, I thought of them as harmless but silly. But your totally right!

They have MB's also, I found them by accident about 5 yrs ago looking for car seat info. I found their car seat board where a tech posts and I had flipped through the book at the library after a friend recommended it to me. I thought to myself bargains my butt, they only tell you how to save money on $500 cribs and $300 strollers and designer clothes! And on the message boards they do ask for parent reviews which they then release in the next version of the book. hmmm

I do still post over there occasionally since I met some nice people and they have a cloth diaper forum and a sling forum. But I refuse to pay for their books!

Thank you for answering my question







.


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## polka123

Proctor & Gamble, Iams March of Dimes, etc.: they also do heinous animal testing / vivisection.
Anything with OJ Simpson
music/ acting folks that wear fur.
Circuses & most Zoos
Most fast food
No J-LO or Ben - yuck
just learned about the free-trade stuff so I will be trying to buy smart but I love pier1 -








No diamonds because of S. Africa & the DeBeers monopoly
(the fake ones are fine for me)
our one income does dictate that we buy from big discout places BUT if can buy from a local merchant, we do.

does anyone know about Gevalia coffee & Tommy Hilfiger?
I don't normally buy Tommy stuff anyway.


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## Sustainer

How about any newspaper that prints Annie's Mailbox?

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...threadid=92686


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## ~Jenna~

I boycott Tommy Hilfiger because his family buys that face cream made from foreskins.


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## jeyer

Quote:

_Originally posted by beatgirl_
*Liz Claiborne (Racist)
*
That Liz Claiborne thing is a false rumor. Here's a link to one site that debunks it: http://www.snopes2.com/racial/business/claiborne.asp

There was also another false rumor circulating a while ago about her being a devil-worshipper. Silly.


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## grnbn76

I boycott any radio station who banned the Dixie Chicks.
Whether or not anyone agrees with what they said, this IS America, and they DO have the right to say it.
And I just really think it's funny that the media is harping on them! The people who are constantly complaining about how our freedom of speech is getting trampled on go and ban someone for exercising their freedom of speech????!!!!


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## pilesoflaundry

Citibank
exxon/mobil
cosco baby stuff
aol
at&t
household bank credit cards, Monogram bank of georgia credit (both for horrible service I cut up my cards and mailed them back)
abercrombie
I try my best at walmart but I can't always avoid them or sam's.

Citibank has the worst business practices and not very helpful customer service. I have a credit card with them (can't wait until it's paid off) and I've never been late and always pay but they keep lowering my credit limit which lowers my credit score so they lower my credit limit again because they said my score is lower now. Vicious cycle







and when I call and tell them to quit it they are causing the problem I get "sorry I can't help you."







: so I reported them to the bbb and comptroller of the currency and am waiting to hear back on it.

(what happened to the other boycott thred from a few days ago btw?)


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## plum

why cosco baby stuff?


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## pilesoflaundry

plum to answer you...

.. because of numerous recalls on their part and they were fined a few years ago for refusing to report known recalled/dangerous stuff to the public until some kinda safety commity found out about it and forced them to do a recall. They aren't safe IMO. I do own a few things by them and their other company 'safety 1st' but I refuse to give them anymore of my money after finding that out about them. The only reason I didn't get rid of the few things I had was they weren't recalled and putting more stuff in the landfill is worse for me than getting rid of something from a company I don't care to support any longer. BTW they also make all eddie bauer baby stuff their parent company is 'dorel'.


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## plum

oh, good to know. i wonder if we have any of their stuff







.


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## pamamidwife

deleted


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## Gr8Dreamer

Along with the other companies listed above (totally agree with all of you there







), I boycott Breyer. They are the makers of the plastic horse models that I've collected my whole life. I thought it would be really cool to share them with my dd, so we bought the Cupid and Arrow set, the nursing mare and foal.

Well, my dd, being an EBF, immediately looked between the mare's back legs to check out her "noonies." There weren't any!







She was confused. Just to confirm my suspicions, I started looking between the legs of all the models. The male models had at least a token shape--even if they were geldings--but the mares were deplorably bare.







I was furious at the glaring double standard. I didn't realize it as a kid, but now that I'm a feminist and nursing mama, I'm completely offended!









I have written a letter to Breyer and have yet to hear back from them. I can send anyone a copy if you'd like. Just PM me. In the first draft of my letter, I was totally spewing venom. By the time I got to the last draft, the one I actually sent, my intention was to be professional yet hard-hitting enough to wake someone up. We'll see!


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## Sustainer

My mother LOVES those, and she buys them for everyone in the family (she's really buying them because SHE likes them, though). I have been opposed to them simply because they're plastic. Thanks for giving me another reason!


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## spyiispy

Karen......we buy Schleich animals because BOTH mama and daddy animals are both anatomically correct. My little 3 year old likes to make his baby calf drink "nummies" from the mama cow. (I know, I know....they're made in China...but they've always corresponded with me very respectfully and seemed to care about what I had to say). They have lots of horsies to choose from too. We love our "Irish cob" horse and the Shire horses.

Lisa


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## Gr8Dreamer

SBF, you are so right on about the plastic thing. My in-laws have such a hard time around dd's birthday and other holidays. They are plastic freaks! (I am so anti-plastic, and the Breyers were just that much easier to drop after that last huge infraction.) I've handed out Rosie Hippo catalogs to all concerned family members, and most of them have responded favorably (except lovely MIL







:, but that's another story).


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## Sustainer

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gr8Dreamer*
I've handed out Rosie Hippo catalogs to all concerned family members, and most of them have responded favorably (except lovely MIL







:, but that's another story).

Me too! Right down to the lovely MIL! :LOL


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## Gr8Dreamer

Hey Lisa, we do the Scleich thing, too. They are horrible because they're plastic (and I've put a moratorium on further purchases because they're plastic and MIC), but they're so good because they're shamelessly detailed. Penises, vulvas, teats, anuses. They're all there, and my little girl isn't grossed out by it. She has some cousins who, upon seeing them, squeal in mock disgust and horror. That's because they've been exposed only to the featureless Breyers or, worse Barbie!









SBL, how do you handle your MIL? Mothering mag had a good letter to write to family members about how gifts can better correspond to the family's values. Can I boycott my MIL? :LOL


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## Sustainer

Nothing I say/no information I give her has any effect on her. She thinks it's all hooey. It's a shame, because she's the only one in my family who can afford to buy things!


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## Gr8Dreamer

Last holiday season, dd got a sh**load of junk plastic Wal*Mart toys. You know what we did? I sincerely thanked the givers because they actually gave us exactly what we wanted. I piled up all the cheesy toys and took them back to Wally World. I got a refund and, with the money, had dd pick out some really cool things from the Rosie Hippo catalog.









Back to the original topic, I'm also trying to boycott anything that's USDA organic. Their standards are a slap in the face to the original intent and spirit of organic farming.









This link is a bit dated, but it shows how subversive the USDA is. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/orgvsorg.htm

More on the big, bad USDA:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Orga...rtdenounce.cfm

Report on the four USDA Organic Hearings (great grassroots stuff!):
http://www.sare.org/sanet-mg/archive...html/0083.html


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## guestmama9924

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife*
I also boycott Cascade HealthCare Products, where many midwives and their clients get their stuff.

ME TOO!!! but for other reasons as well, namely, they are a rude and corrupt little business that completely shafted me and my Midwives during our birthing center set up....


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## demetria

We boycott
Nestle'
Kraft
Rj Reynolds
WalMart
Right Start Company
Drug companies- Glaxo Welcome, etc..
Brown and Root/Haliburton Companies
and if I didn't live 40 minutes from EVERYWHERE I wouldn't buy gas.


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## Benjismom

I wasn't able to read all the responses, but I saw someone mentioned Costco and I wanted to put in a good word for them. They pay their workers much better than Wal-Mart and give them real medical benefits (unlike Wal-Mart; see WSJ article last year on the subject--argh). Wall Street analysts are now all about banging on them to get their costs in line with Wal-Mart's and the CEO said no. They are not union-friendly (though nowhere near as anti-union as Wal-Mart) but do have a unionized store I used to shop at in Maryland.

I boycott Wal-Mart, all fast food, products that use GMO ingredients and non-grass-fed beef. I am also very careful with coffee, chocolate and the like to buy fair trade products whenever possible. I boycott Exxon Mobil because they are climate change deniers. I grew up in a family that was always boycotting something--from JP Stevens textiles to grapes--so I guess it comes naturally to me.

Beth, Mom to DS (4) and DD (16 mos.)


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## Mommy2Brittani

Quote:


Originally Posted by *plum*
i've heard proctor and gamble is bad but why?

Their crappy as all get out advertising that their diapers are actually good for the environment is the first thing that comes to mind.


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## pilesoflaundry

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Benjismom*
I wasn't able to read all the responses, but I saw someone mentioned Costco and I wanted to put in a good word for them. They pay their workers much better than Wal-Mart and give them real medical benefits (unlike Wal-Mart; see WSJ article last year on the subject--argh). Wall Street analysts are now all about banging on them to get their costs in line with Wal-Mart's and the CEO said no. They are not union-friendly (though nowhere near as anti-union as Wal-Mart) but do have a unionized store I used to shop at in Maryland.

I boycott Wal-Mart, all fast food, products that use GMO ingredients and non-grass-fed beef. I am also very careful with coffee, chocolate and the like to buy fair trade products whenever possible. I boycott Exxon Mobil because they are climate change deniers. I grew up in a family that was always boycotting something--from JP Stevens textiles to grapes--so I guess it comes naturally to me.

Beth, Mom to DS (4) and DD (16 mos.)

If it was my post it wasn't Costco wholesale but Cosco/Safety1st car seats and baby gear







. I think it's cool Costco pays their employees well!


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## Mommy2Brittani

I boycott:

Nestle
McDonalds (and other fast food places...except subway)
Cosco/Safety 1st Baby Products
Procter and Gamble
Logging Company

And many others that I have read here. I don't really wear make-up anyway.


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## Eggie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mommy2Brittani*
Their crappy as all get out advertising that their diapers are actually good for the environment is the first thing that comes to mind.

Also I've heard that Procter & Gamble uses animals to test their products


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## Aura_Kitten

- wal*mart (all the reasons for hating wal*mart have already been stated)
- nike (huge corporation that relies on slave labor and ridiculously high prices)
- the gap (see "nike," above.)
- starbucks (global company that tries to stamp out smaller businesses, and uses slave labor + unfair trade practices to keep their company growing... basically, same reason as the first 3.)
- exxon (they suck)
- fast food in general (it's unhealthy, most of it tastes like the chemical-laden crap it is, it drains your wallet, so many fast food outlets cropping up everywhere are unsightly, it promotes a culture of waste..... should i go on?)
- mainstream cleaners and household products ~ that is, cleansers and detergents and soaps and bags (etc) that are produced without regard to the environment, that are made from new materials (not made from recycled products), that contribute to pollution and/or are not biodegradable. we only use products like Seventh Generation, Planet, and Ecover for washing dishes and clothes, the bags i buy for our kitchen now are made from 100% recycled plastic, and just about everything else is reusable (dishes, dish rags, hand towels, and feminine hygeine products. we'll be using cloth diapers on the new baby too).

there's a lot that i avoid buying also, but don't really "boycott" (as in, refuse to use any of it at all) ~ i try to buy organic and GM-free whenever possible, but can't always because of the price or a lack of availability. same for fairly traded products such as coffee and cocoa... i'd like to eat and use only dairy / beef products from grass-fed beef (it's much, much healthier) but the difference in price prevents it...


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## Mommy2Brittani

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eggie*
Also I've heard that Procter & Gamble uses animals to test their products









Back in the late 80's, P&G ran a magazine ad that showed a beautiful tree, and grass and such. The caption read "90 years ago this was a disposable diaper" The ad itself got pulled, but not until after many many people had read and believed it...Thus thinking disposables were biodegradeable...Which they are NOT.


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## Aura_Kitten

Cheryl, wasn't that mentioned in the issue of Mothering that ran the article, _Crazy For Cloth_? i seem to remember seeing that before.

P&G has done some awful stuff... and continues to lie about it.


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## Mommy2Brittani

i think that was where i read it...that would be one of many reasons I boycott them. Also, nowhere on their diaper packages do they mention that you are supposed to dump feces in the toilet. Huggies, and all the store brands state it, and it is Law (at least here in Cali) that human waste is not supposed to end up in landfills.


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## stafl

I refuse to do business with any company that I have personally experienced bad customer service. This includes most of the big department stores, but also includes some WAHMs as well. This also includes doctors and other professionals. I will not tolerate being treated poorly by anyone for any reason.

We also do not buy products that used to be made in US, but have moved their plants to countries with cheaper labor - Levis is the first that comes to mind, but my DH could tell you a huge list of other offenders (he's the card-carrying union member in the family).

I refuse to give DOW chemicals any of my money, I even try not to buy products that use their chemicals in the manufacturing process. Chlorine is probably the scariest chemical I can imagine, it combines with organic matter and creates dioxins, but this is totally covered up because of how much money they make from it. Our drinking water is tested for toxins, but dioxin isn't one of them... Anyway, this isn't just an offense against humanity, but the entire future of our world, all in the name of making buckets of money now. I totally don't understand it.


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## Aura_Kitten

Stacy, would you mind posting a list of those companies please?

i only know of a few for sure ~ Radio Flyer at the top of the list...


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## polka123

March of Dimes also does HEINOUS Animal testing in the name of science !!
I NEVER give to them.... they try to tug in your heartstrings when it comes to babies....
http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/GM02Win...2Winter04.html

Quote:

Novy inserts monitoring cables into the monkeys' uteruses and into their babies' bodies, tethering the animals in cages that are too small to meet animal care guidelines. He asked for an additional exemption from limits on the number of surgical procedures that could be performed on each animal. When the babies are born, Novy kills them for further study


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## sleeping queen

Anything produced by Michael Moore


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## Aura_Kitten

i try to always avoid companies and organizations that test on animals at all. PeTA has a list of everyone that tests on animals, if anyone's interested ~ it's on their website.


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## stafl

Quote:


Originally Posted by *klothos*
Stacy, would you mind posting a list of those companies please?

i only know of a few for sure ~ Radio Flyer at the top of the list...









try searching aflcio.org ...
I found this about sweatshops at thier website

This website has a huge list of products that are made in US, and why we should support those companies that make them.


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## sohj

I guess I boycott lots of stuff...considering I try to only purchase from small businesses and always try and buy local -- which means if I'm in the US, then made in the US, if in Spain, then made in Spain, etc. -- and buy organic or as low impact as possible.

Occasionally, I buy stuff from a larger company than a "mom-and-pop", but it is still small by the standards of the things listed here.

I've recently discovered that Poland Spring Water is owned by Nestle. I rarely get bottled water anyhow, but occasionally one has to.


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