For the past week or so, John Aravosis over at AMERICAblog has been having a great deal of something resembling fun at Ford Motor Company’s expense. For those of you who may have been marooned on a deserted island, Ford has caved in to pressure from the American Family Association, the Rev. Donald Wildmon’s collection of Evangelical nutjobs. Ford has been advertising in the gay media, and AFA threated a boycott of Ford unless the company pulled their advertising and stopped sponsoring events in the gay community. To some of you, this might not seem a big deal…until you consider that what AFA is demanding is that one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world adhere to their far-right, hate-based agenda. In other words, to the trolls who make up the AFA membership, hatred really IS a Christian value.
As you might imagine, Aravosis has been all over this issue like white on rice. Beginning with documenting Ford’s lies to the New York Times to how Ford executives worked out a secret deal with AFA to meet their demands and avoid a boycott, it seems clear that Ford’s interest was in doing whatever it took to make the AFA happy and avoid the unpleasantness and bad publicity a boycott would entail. After all, what does caving in to hate matter when the bottom line and Ford’s stock price is at stake?
Given that one of the Ford executives who negotiated the secret deal with AFA is also working behind the scenes for Our Glorious Leader’s Supreme Court nominees, no one should be surprised that Ford would cave to AFA demands so easily. After all, when you think along the same lines as AFA’s Evangelical nutjobs, coming to an agreement with them can’t be too terribly difficult.
Ford’s propaganda efforts are now in full flower. Ford employees have even stooped to leaving anonymous comments on AMERICAblog…as if no one would be able to figure out who was behind it. Hello? Ever heard of WHOIS?? Apparently not….
Given Ford’s apparent record of “supporting the homosexual agenda”, AFA felt justified in targeting Ford. That Ford has displayed so little backbone by failing to resist AFA’s demands only heaps more shame on the company.
If you want to do something to register your dismay and disgust, contact your local Ford dealer, because, on top of everything else, Ford has agreed to no longer sponsor gay events. With any luck, Ford may just get the very boycott they wanted to avoid, just from another direction.
Thankfully, not everyone who works for Ford is willing to parrot the company line. There are those who are honest enough to admit that the company caved when it came to AFA’s demands. Perhaps they’re uncomfortable with the trolls they see their employer hopping into bed with (figuratively speaking, of course).
Of course, if you’re still not convinced that this is a big deal, check out what Dan Savage has to say. Let’s face it, if good and decent people allow this sort of bigotry to stand, then who will be next? How long will it be before AFA decides that it’s time to take on another multinational corporation and bend it to it’s will?
At some point, it’s going to be time to WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CAT LITTER, y’all. Decent people are going to have to draw a line in the sand and stand up to bullies like AFA. If we don’t, then who knows where this road will lead us? If you get a chance, check out what Aravosis has to say about l’affaire Ford. If it doesn’t leave you feeling mad as hell, you’re simply not paying attention.
Ed. note: It appears that AFA has beaten me to the punch. They’re promoting a boycott of Target Stores for refusing to include the word “Christmas” in their in-store displays this holiday season.
Merry %&^#(_@ Christmas, @$$wipes….
