Time to boycott all things from Utah!

[Le Jacquelope]

Since the Mormon Church has found it fit to fund California's Proposition 8, I feel it's time to retaliate by making use of our legal right not to purchase stuff from that neck of the woods.

People can debate the morality of it all day long, but the truth of the matter is, boycotts are legal. And they often work.

This is one 100% heterosexual guy in favor of economically punishing the entire state of Utah for what they did to California.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_re_us/mormon_backlash_boycott

 

[Lee Chambers]

Not impressed. Maybe that's because I live in Texas and therefore nothing from Utah ever comes here except Mormons and I already boycott them on general principle.

"The main focus is going to be going after the Utah brand," he said. "At this point, honestly, we're going to destroy the Utah brand. It is a hate state."

This part made me go "Huh?" Exactly what is Utah's brand that he's trying to destroy? Again, most people here know Utah as the state that produces the Mormons. My grandfather was named Utah. That pretty much covers the extent of my connection to that state.

This guy needs to come up with a better strategy.

 

[slyc_willie]

Not impressed. Maybe that's because I live in Texas and therefore nothing from Utah ever comes here except Mormons and I already boycott them on general principle.



This part made me go "Huh?" Exactly what is Utah's brand that he's trying to destroy? Again, most people here know Utah as the state that produces the Mormons. My grandfather was named Utah. That pretty much covers the extent of my connection to that state.

This guy needs to come up with a better strategy.

Someone looking for a soundbite and fifteen minutes.

Opportunists made this country and could damn well destroy it.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Not impressed. Maybe that's because I live in Texas and therefore nothing from Utah ever comes here except Mormons and I already boycott them on general principle.



This part made me go "Huh?" Exactly what is Utah's brand that he's trying to destroy? Again, most people here know Utah as the state that produces the Mormons. My grandfather was named Utah. That pretty much covers the extent of my connection to that state.

This guy needs to come up with a better strategy.

I'm not sure if the Sundance Festival counts as a brand, but...

Yeah. Not much comes out of Utah in general.

Perhaps avoiding Utah Jazz games would send a message?

Er, nah. It's true, Utah doesn't have much of a brand. Or exports, for that matter... but there is skiing and tourism. Just not a brand.

 

[Lee Chambers]

I'm not sure if the Sundance Festival counts as a brand, but...

Yeah. Not much comes out of Utah in general.

Perhaps avoiding Utah Jazz games would send a message?

Er, nah. It's true, Utah doesn't have much of a brand. Or exports, for that matter... but there is skiing and tourism. Just not a brand.

Revenge, as the great David Xanatos once said, is a suckers game. This is a call for revenge.

Reading through the threads since prop 8 passed, I know there are a lot of hurt feelings about this issue and a lot of people who are angry. They should be angry. I, personally, think it's bullshit.

That doesn't change the fact that trying to punish the Mormons or trying to punish the state of Utah isn't going to do shit to overturn prop 8.

People need to understand that this is a battle. If you waste your energy trying to find someway to fuck up the economy of Utah or fuck up the Mormon church then you're not going to have the energy to focus on the fight.

To my understanding, the matter is currently in the hands of the lawyers of the ACLU and a few other groups that are bringing this matter to the state supreme court (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). In this case, there is not much anyone can do except wait to see what happens.

However, if my understanding IS correct and if the court decides that this was a massive change to the state's constitution and not a simple amendment then that means it will have to go through the legislature.

If this happens, that is the moment to strike hard and fast. Contacting those representatives and making your voices heard. Hold the protests and the marches by the thousands outside their office doors. Bug the shit out of them every day with phone calls, letters and emails.

As my mother always told me, you have to pick your battles. Keep your focus where it needs to be. Don't start fucking around trying to get some kind of revenge on the Mormons so that you might feel better. Unless your actions are benefiting the cause, you're wasting your energy.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Revenge, as the great David Xanatos once said, is a suckers game. This is a call for revenge.

Reading through the threads since prop 8 passed, I know there are a lot of hurt feelings about this issue and a lot of people who are angry. They should be angry. I, personally, think it's bullshit.

That doesn't change the fact that trying to punish the Mormons or trying to punish the state of Utah isn't going to do shit to overturn prop 8.

People need to understand that this is a battle. If you waste your energy trying to find someway to fuck up the economy of Utah or fuck up the Mormon church then you're not going to have the energy to focus on the fight.

To my understanding, the matter is currently in the hands of the lawyers of the ACLU and a few other groups that are bringing this matter to the state supreme court (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). In this case, there is not much anyone can do except wait to see what happens.

However, if my understanding IS correct and if the court decides that this was a massive change to the state's constitution and not a simple amendment then that means it will have to go through the legislature.

If this happens, that is the moment to strike hard and fast. Contacting those representatives and making your voices heard. Hold the protests and the marches by the thousands outside their office doors. Bug the shit out of them every day with phone calls, letters and emails.

As my mother always told me, you have to pick your battles. Keep your focus where it needs to be. Don't start fucking around trying to get some kind of revenge on the Mormons so that you might feel better. Unless your actions are benefiting the cause, you're wasting your energy.

It doesn't take much energy to choose not to ski in Utah. Especially when skiing in Utah makes you sick to your stomach for giving money to bigots. Organizing a huge boycott takes a lot more effort, granted, unless it just involves "psst, don't go skiing there. pass it on." Then it becomes fire-and-forget. It becomes a minimal usage of energy, and if there is a noticeable effect, in theory, it pays back in increased morale. Increased morale is itself a producer of energy.

The goal of boycotting Mormons is to deprive them of the money to wage war against civil rights - in theory a very useful survival tactic. The other point of boycotting them is a moral point - making sure that you yourself are not funding the enemy.

Granted, this is a call for revenge, but also, it's a lot more than that. In theory.

 

[Lee Chambers]

It doesn't take much energy to choose not to ski in Utah. Especially when skiing in Utah makes you sick to your stomach for giving money to bigots. Organizing a huge boycott takes a lot more effort, granted, unless it just involves "psst, don't go skiing there. pass it on." Then it becomes fire-and-forget. It becomes a minimal usage of energy, and if there is a noticeable effect, in theory, it pays back in increased morale. Increased morale is itself a producer of energy.

The goal of boycotting Mormons is to deprive them of the money to wage war against civil rights - in theory a very useful survival tactic. The other point of boycotting them is a moral point - making sure that you yourself are not funding the enemy.

Granted, this is a call for revenge, but also, it's a lot more than that. In theory.

Do you ski in Utah? Because I don't. I also don't know anyone planning to ski in Utah. If you do and you want to urge them to ski somewhere else, then feel free.

You're not going to deny the Mormons anything by trying to cut into the Utah tourism trade, though. Much of the money that that funded their efforts were from donations made by the members of the church. There were also scores of volunteers who donated time as well. So your only chance of cutting off their funding is to make all the Mormons lose their jobs. And I don't think that they're all employed in some part of the tourism industry.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Do you ski in Utah? Because I don't. I also don't know anyone planning to ski in Utah. If you do and you want to urge them to ski somewhere else, then feel free.

You're not going to deny the Mormons anything by trying to cut into the Utah tourism trade, though. Much of the money that that funded their efforts were from donations made by the members of the church. There were also scores of volunteers who donated time as well. So your only chance of cutting off their funding is to make all the Mormons lose their jobs. And I don't think that they're all employed in some part of the tourism industry.

They'd lose tax dollars if their tourism industry dried up (fat chance of it ever drying up completely though). Yeah, it would be tough to bleed them dry.

It sucks that they can have an effect on California politics, but not vice-versa. It appears they have all the ability to project power beyond their state and they're too insulated for anyone to affect them.

That's a power to be seriously envied.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

As a straight man, also, I can feel the pain of those who are gay and lesbian. I support their struggle to have equal rights.

On the other hand, there is good news.

"Yeah, there is."

I have it from good sources that Sarah Palin, bless her little ignorant heart, is going back to her congregation to pray the gay and lesbian out of people.

Rest assured, those who are gay and lesbian now, won't be for long. Soon, we'll all be heterosexual and will all be fighting over the same men and women. Soon the same gay man will be married to a woman who doesn't want to give him sex any more and the same lesbian woman will be to a straight man who wants her to give him sex.

"Not tonight. I have a headache."

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JACQUELOPE knows all about boycotts, peeps have ignored him forever.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

As a straight man, also, I can feel the pain of those who are gay and lesbian. I support their struggle to have equal rights.

On the other hand, there is good news.

"Yeah, there is."

I have it from good sources that Sarah Palin, bless her little ignorant heart, is going back to her congregation to pray the gay and lesbian out of people.

Rest assured, those who are gay and lesbian now, won't be for long. Soon, we'll all be heterosexual and will all be fighting over the same men and women. Soon the same gay man will be married to a woman who doesn't want to give him sex any more and the same lesbian woman will be to a straight man who wants her to give him sex.

"Not tonight. I have a headache."

LOL! Isn't it kind of scary that many of the people supporting gay rights are straight and many of the people opposing gay rights are gay?

 

[Safe_Bet]

LOL! Isn't it kind of scary that many of the people supporting gay rights are straight and many of the people opposing gay rights are gay?

 

[epiphany65]

What I find wrong with this proposal is that it's collective punishment. Mormons make up about 60% of the state's population. Is it fair to make the other 40% suffer? What about Californians? That's where Prop 8 passed, so maybe a boycott of all things Californian is in order too. No one who's in favour of this seems to be wanting to do the same with Cali. because it would inconvenience them too much. A lot less movies, music, food, wine, porn, etc. Should Obama boycott red states too, or the percentage of the population who didn't vote for him? I'll boycott The Church of LDS and leave it at that.

 

[shereads]

What I find wrong with this proposal is that it's collective punishment. Mormons make up about 60% of the state's population. Is it fair to make the other 40% suffer? What about Californians? That's where Prop 8 passed, so maybe a boycott of all things Californian is in order too.

Well said.

Poorly targeted revenge is nonsensical.

 

[cloudy]

What I find wrong with this proposal is that it's collective punishment. Mormons make up about 60% of the state's population. Is it fair to make the other 40% suffer? What about Californians? That's where Prop 8 passed, so maybe a boycott of all things Californian is in order too. No one who's in favour of this seems to be wanting to do the same with Cali. because it would inconvenience them too much. A lot less movies, music, food, wine, porn, etc. Should Obama boycott red states too, or the percentage of the population who didn't vote for him? I'll boycott The Church of LDS and leave it at that.

Thank you.

As I said in another thread: not all Mormons are bigots, and all bigots aren't Mormon.

 

[DeeZire]

Pollsters say that the new Hispanic and black voters that came out for Obama are conservative on social issues, so perhaps an education campaign would help? Of course, the older generation is also conservative, so it's just a waiting game with that bunch.

I like the idea of boycotting the LDS folks, just to raise awareness that hate is not a Godly value.

 

[Boota]

Eventually someone high up is going to figure out that banning gay marriage is, and always has been, un-Constitutional. It's coming. That's not to say quit fighting for it and hope for the best, I just see it as inevitable that eventually the flawed logic that leads to gay marriage bans will be exposed for the ignorance that it is and the law will change to accept all Americans as equal. It would be better sooner than later, but I still think it will take a natural course in getting there. Minds have to change and that takes time.

 

[ottohauser1977]

Thank you.

As I said in another thread: not all Mormons are bigots, and all bigots aren't Mormon.

Elaborate, if you will. Do some Mormons reject their Church's official condemnation of homosexuality, just as many Catholics ignore their Church's doctrines there?

That would make some sense, but the monolithic image is hard to overlook.

Be that as it may, we are in a recession. Hurting the economy of any state hurts the economy of all states, most of whose residents are neither Mormons nor bigots. This is an ill-advised, though well-meaning proposal.

Though an atheist, I feel free to note the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

 

[cloudy]

Elaborate, if you will. Do some Mormons reject their Church's official condemnation of homosexuality, just as many Catholics ignore their Church's doctrines there?

Yes, some do...one branch of my rather large extended family in particular.

I'm racially mixed, and we were not raised to be bigots. The branch that belongs to the LDS, while believing in the basics of the Mormon faith, aren't anywhere close to sheep that believe whatever they are told. They are bright, articulate, educated people, thank goodness.

 

[Guest]

Eventually someone high up is going to figure out that banning gay marriage is, and always has been, un-Constitutional. It's coming. That's not to say quit fighting for it and hope for the best, I just see it as inevitable that eventually the flawed logic that leads to gay marriage bans will be exposed for the ignorance that it is and the law will change to accept all Americans as equal. It would be better sooner than later, but I still think it will take a natural course in getting there. Minds have to change and that takes time.

Yes.

The bigots will not go quietly, but they'll be forced to accept that sort of decision.