An Idea - or Not

Hecate suggests a different way to effectively protest (snippet):

....This year, I’m urging everyone I know to refuse to spend money for Xmas as a protest. Stay out of the stores. For Goddess sake, don’t run up credit card debt. Give your family and friends the gift of your time and attention rather than a new sweater that they won’t wear or some object to clutter-up an already over-cluttered life. But just not buying isn’t enough. You’ve got to contact the retailers and credit card companies and tell them: I’m not going to be buying Xmas stuff and I’m not going to be charging Xmas stuff until this country has a system in place that ensures fair and verifiable elections. Reader Kate has done the research and discovered that The National Retail Federation “is the world’s largest retail trade association . . . .” Write to Their Vice President for Legislative and Political Affairs, Katherine Lugar. Here’s her contact info: National Retail Federation 325 7th Street, N.W. Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20004 Phone: 1-800-NRF-HOW2 Fax (202) 727-2849 Write to your credit card companies and tell them the same thing. You can find the address on the back of your latest bill. And, heck if you’re really angry about this last election, write to the large department stores that you patronize, or at least cc them on your letter to the National Retail Federation. CC your Senators and Congressman or Congresswoman as well....

Steve Gilliard feels otherwise:

....Jesus, people have to think this through. I don't want retailers and credit card companies demanding election law reform. Because their lobbies do as much damage as possible NOW. Don't let your frustration be your guide, because it leads you down blind alleys. You want to make a statement, don't act like a spoiled child, do something positive. Don't shop at Wal-Mart. Just don't do it. Shop at Costco and Target, places which treat their workers a lot better than Wal-Mart does. That's an affirmative statement. You don't need to ask the irrelevant to do the impossible, do the relevant and right thing. If sending a message is your concern, make sure Wal-Mart has a shitty Christmas and Target, Costo and Toys 'R Us have good one. Make a positive market decision, not a negative one. I won't buy anything sounds great, but to a six year old, it's pretty mean. To your parents, it's mean. To people who care about you, it's mean. We can decry consumerism, and I have gotten and given homemade gifts. Jen made me two bottles of preserved lemons and I made her spice rub. Cute, right. I also bought her a gift. Food gifts are nice. But this? No. Let's not be negative for once. Let's not whine and go after the wrong people. Let's be positive and make an affirmative statement. And all you have to do is not shop at Wal-Mart and avoid their American job-killing low, low prices. You want election law reform, you target the legislators who run the committees in your state and the people who give them money. You get good candidates for Secretary of State. You propose new laws. You don't do this. Even if they could do something, would you want them to? I wouldn't.

Ooooh, my head hurts.