Target Faces More Heat Over Political Donation

[Joanne98]

Reitan, of Eden Prairie, has become the public face in a growing controversy over a $150,000 Target political contribution. When she heard Target's money helped Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who has an anti-gay-rights record, 'I was just shocked,' she said. 'The Target I knew was the Target that embraced its gay employees.'

She began telephoning Target executives, only to be told to stop calling. So she made a protest video of her cutting up her Target credit card and vowing, "I'm going to boycott Target until they make this right." Posted on YouTube, the video has been viewed about 255,000 times.

On Friday, Reitan was outside Target headquarters in downtown Minneapolis, along with her husband, Philip, their gay son, Jacob, and a 3-foot-high stack of boxes.

"I am boycotting Target, and I have with me signatures of over 240,000 people gathered by MoveOn.org who are joining me in that boycott," Reitan told the assembled TV cameras and a small crowd.

Once inside, the protest turned more presentation than confrontation. Reitan was met in the lobby by two Target officials - but not by the man they hoped to see, Gregg Steinhafel, Target's chief executive.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/08/08-4

[GTurck]

1. Power...

There is tremendous power in the money we choose to spend and retailers know that and hope they can play the corporate game quietly. We must not let any retailer or corporation get away with donating money for campaigns. Until the Constitution is amended to make corporations artificial persons only and secure the rights of real human beings we must use our purchasing power selectively and transparently. Do not buy from stores, go to restaurants, purchase automobiles from places that advocate for candidates and/or issues that are not progressive. Actually do not do those things even if they do. Make the same argument as against Rand Paul's screed on Civil Rights and private property. There is a commons that must serve all without prejudice or bias. Corporations who only have an ideological base for support will not survive long.:kick:

[Scuba]

5. +1

[66 dmhlt]

2. The YouTube of Reitan cutting up her Target card ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SipXbgyi68

(Is it correct that you can only embed YouTube videos in the Political forum? I tried embedding it here, but it's just displays as HTML code.)

[qb]

3. You can keep your damn toys, Target!

My ten-year-old son said he wants to join the boycott.

[savalez]

4. Thanks to DU I know about this.

I wanted to buy some Cactus and Succulents this past weekend and I saw Target, as soon as I saw the building I remembered this issue and kept driving to another place down the road.

[Sherman A1]

6. Target sure stepped on their

*/%& this time.

I find it odd that a company that will not allow groups to solicit donations outside their front doors (Salvation Army, etc) for fear of offending some customers (or the trendy term "guests") will turn around and donate big money to a candidate or cause that in the end does the very same thing?

One has to wonder... What were they thinking???? Not only did this offend many customers, but it is just a bad business decision.

[Skittles]

7. make it right, Target

and you know what I mean by "right" :mad: