I was completely wrong about something. Although I support the Black Friday boycott in protest with Ferguson, I really thought is was like pissing into the ocean. Being that we only make up 16% of the population and only a tiny fraction of us are actually doing it; I thought it would just be a valiant yet completely unnoticed gesture. But after having a conversation with one of my really intelligent, liberal friends, I realize exactly how potent symbolize can be. He posted a status shunning the protest, explaining how it meant nothing and would only bring repercussions from white America and the business elite. I could write a whole article on why black friday is probably the worst time to boycott, why its generally doomed to fail, and why its only going to fuel racial animosity from wealthy old white people, which in turn is going to make the republicans (and some democrats) even less on the peoples side next cycle.... , he penned. As I read this, the argument reminds me of something I could imagine coming from a white person in 1955 warning about the futility of the Montgomery bus boycotts. Evidently just the suggestion of people telling America that for 3 days out of the year, we are going to withhold our money from petty consumerism, really comes as an affront. Mind you, we see boycotts all the time pushed against BP, purchasing gas, the Koch Brothers, Monsanto, Walmart and others; but I have never seen this reaction reaction before. So all I can say at this point is, carry on with your Black Friday Boycott. And if you discounted it earlier, maybe you would reconsider it now.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 03:34:26 +0000