Boycott Subway - Korporate Sponsor "America Supports You Freedom Walk"

[paineinthearse]

According to the official website - http://www.asyfreedomwalk.com/sponsors.html

We are proud to have the following supporters for the inaugural
America Supports You Freedom Walk:

Stars and Stripes
Pentagon Federal Credit Union
Lockheed Martin
Subway
ABC WJLA-TV Channel 7and News Channel 8
WTOP Radio Network
Washington Convention & Tourism Corporation

Again, we thank all our supporters for helping make the Freedom Walk a success.

http://www.stripes.com/


https://www.penfed.org/index.asp


http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fnec&ti=100


http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Applications/CustServ/frmCustomerService.aspx


http://www.wjla.com/


http://www.wtop.com/


http://www.washington.org/index.cfm?blnNavView=True&idContentType=441

One sponsor, the Washington Post, has already withdrawn its support, stating "As it appears that this event could become politicized, The Post has decided to honor the Washington area victims of 9/11 by making a contribution directly to the Pentagon Memorial Fund," said Eric Grant, a Post spokesman. "It is The Post's practice to avoid activities that might lead readers to question the objectivity of The Post's news coverage." (see DU http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1704267 - Post Drops Plan to Promote Pentagon Event). Its name has has been expeditiously removed from the official website.

I haven't purchased a jet fighter lately, so my withdrawal of support from Lockheed Martin would be ineffective, but I do occasionally buy a sandwich from Subway. How about an DU action to BOYCOTT SUBWAY? Couple it with a letter-writing campaign, expressing why we are are taking our business elsewhere and asking they follow the Post and withdraw their sponsorship.

TELL FRANCHISE OWNERS & PATRONS IN PERSON WHY YOU ARE BOYCOTTING SUBWAY:
US LOCATIONS
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS

OR CONTACT HEADQUARTERS DIRECTLY:
CONTACT SUBWAY
Subway Headquarters
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06460 USA
Tel.[phone]

Curiously, Subway's website does not list it, as it does for other organizations and causes, as a sponsor, and there are no press releases to the fact. If they respond to my two questions in these areas I will post farther along.
1. Why is Subway sponsoring the Pentagon's "freedom walk" - see sponsors page - http://www.asyfreedomwalk.com/sponsors.html
2. Why does Subway's home page NOT have a link to the Freedom Walk website?

p.s. To our Connecticut friends visiting Subway's headquarters, there is a very nice Quiznos just down the street.

[meegbear]

1. It's the Washington POST not TIMES

[paineinthearse]

2. Thank you, I'll edit. nt

[Ian David]

3. Damn. Subway used to be politically neutral according to BuyBlue.org n/t

[Ian David]

4. WWJD- What Would Jared Do?

[paineinthearse]

5. Remember, you MUST register

or you can't walk DC's public streets and sidewalks.

[Ian David]

7. It doesn't look like they confirm your email address when you register

That's a shame.

It looks like anyone could just go ahead and register.

[paineinthearse]

16. Not to worry, I am sure they capture your IP address

Have you read their privacy policy?

[Ian David]

6. I called and asked to speak to Public and Media Relations

Much better than customer service.

[paineinthearse]

8. what did he/she say? nt

[Ian David]

9. I got interrupted before I could get his side of the story

In any case, there really isn't a right answer anyway, is there?

[paineinthearse]

11. Yes, there is a right answer, ask them to do as the Post did

Withdraw and make a donation to the Pentagon Memorial Fund, or to any 9/11 victims fund.

Can anyone provide links to worthy 9/11 foundations?

[liveoaktx]

12. I also called customer service and told the person

answering the phone that there were plenty of other ways to honor the victims of 911 without promoting an event that fosters false information.

[liveoaktx]

18. Adding that the customer service person was snippy

and kept trying to talk over me, which just made me more insistent and firm to get my points out.

Conversation included this: I asked her if it was true that Subway was sponsoring the America Supports You March and she said yes. I then said I wanted to make a comment concerning it, said that march was promoting false information tying 911 to Iraq. She said, no it's a memorial, and I said, No, The Pentagon announced the march in an Iraq briefing. I also said that the Washington Post had withdrawn, and that one main reason is that they knew, because they had published the information, that the so-called information was baloney. I also told her that surely if it was a matter of supporting 9/11 causes, there were others out there that weren't promoting false information. Finally, I said I would like it passed on that I won't eat at Subway since they support such a thing and I would be very vocally recommending to my friends that they also not frequent Subway.

[paineinthearse]

14. Ask Subway to withdraw sponsorship, instead donate to these foundations

http://fdncenter.org/pnd/911

thank you

[paineinthearse]

10. I called PR & media

Asked for the admin assistant to VP of PR & media.

Was connected a "Linda", who said she was the wrong person. She took my information and placed me on hold.

Two minutes I was in the customer service queue. Left a message based on "As it appears that this event could become politicized, The Post has decided to honor the Washington area victims of 9/11 by making a contribution directly to the Pentagon Memorial Fund,...".

more after they return my call......

[paineinthearse]

17. more after they return my call......

...still waiting for their return call.

Did anyone get through? Anyone else like me waiting for a call back?

[unhappycamper]

13. My letter to Subway via their web site:

I can no longer buy your products because of Subway's corporate support for the "America Supports You Freedom Walk." This sleazy scheme by the Pentagon and the Bush Administration to link 9/11 and Iraq is nothing more than propaganda, and tries to perpetrate the lies of the Iraq invasion and occupation.

I will also make it a point to tell everyone I know to boycott Subway, and my reasons for the request.




Wonder what I'll get back?

[paineinthearse]

15. Some discount coupons, perhaps? nt

[unhappycamper]

27. And the response from Subway just came this morning:

From: Heather Mills <[e-mail]>
To: xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Freedom Walk Response
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 15:22:21 +0000

Dear Subway Customer,

This is just one of the many activities and charitable events that local Subway markets support across the country.

The event you are referring to, the America Supports You Freedom Walk on Sept. 11, 2005, is one that is a local promotion supported by the franchisees in the DC area.

As part of this event, the local franchisees will provide bottled water to the walkers. They chose to be part of this event because it will raise money to build a 9/11 memorial in the Pentagon.

The local Subway market supported the rescue workers during 9/11 and even operate a Subway restaurant in the Pentagon.

Subway restaurants are individually owned and operated by franchisees who are proud to be part of the communities they serve.

Sincerely,
Heather Mills


And my return email this morning:

Dear Heather,

Thank you for your explanation that the walk is being supported by the local franchises. Unfortunately, it does not explain why Subway is listed as a sponsor of the walk.

According to the Washington Post ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081101980.html ): "Non-media co-sponsors include Lockheed Martin, Subway and the Washington Convention and Tourism Corp., according to the Defense Department's Web site for the walk."

Does Subway allow franchises to use the Subway corporate name whenever they choose? Or does the corporate office of Subway endorse and condone the use of the Subway name in this walk?

Sincerely,

xxxxxxx

[Carla in Ca]

19. I was hoping this 'walk'

would be our next issue. This is a real slap in the face, to say the least, to all the people we lost that day. They just don't understand that some tragedies are NEVER remembered in this manner. I'm embarrassed by how much we have changed since Pearl Harbor.

Anyway, I'm glad to see that the Post has pulled their support. They have correctly admitted that this latest attempt to link 9/11 to our invasion of Iraq is bull, as many of the very articles written by their staff have proved. Here is a snip of their announcement:

The Guild supports the Post's stated intention of honoring the nation's veterans, including those who have served in Iraq," the resolution said. "But the Post undermines this goal by lending its support to a political event that links the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to the war in Iraq -- a link that the Post, in its reporting, has shown to be false."


BINGO.


I guess I will send my email to Subway and hope some others do it as well. I wish more could be done. These idiots will not pass any and all opportunities to link 9/11 and Iraq! I'm sick of that! Isn't there anything else we can do? Does Skinner read these threads? Not that we can get them to feel any shame, but embarrassed would be good.

[paineinthearse]

20. I wish more could be done.

PM the link to this thread - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=21522&mesg_id=21522 - to your friends.

As many/most are consumed with Cindy, we need to keep other issues alive.

[Carla in Ca]

21. I'm doing what I can

I'm not going to let this go.

I posted this thread on this one as well
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2014399>

The info on this is really scattered, but I link your thread to any post on the subject. Thanks for all you do.:-)

EDIT: Please tell me how to get the activist avatar in my sig line.
Thanks!

[paineinthearse]

22. Thanks! I was not aware that Malloy had picked up on this, thought DU was

...the only one/group aware.

Good to have some allies.

[autorank]

23. Good to remember DC's victims--but not this way. Subway-WTF?

DC area residents went through a horrible period during 911. I remember being separated from my daughter at the time. She was attending classes in the vicinity of the Pentagon. Thank God for cell phones and back roads. I called her immediately and got her home in record time. The memories of that day return at odd times, when I talk with people affected, when I think how much I admire the calm people displayed, when I drive by the Pentagon or Capitol steps. That one really gets me, Congress was evacuated by helicopter--you would think that just one of them would have stood defiantly on the steps of congress and said, "Nope, not leaving, not for these bastards!" Of course, that was the position of 99.999% of DC metro residents, we stayed. People were so good to each other, I've never seen a period like that in this area.

Now this stupidity. You don't fool around with this type of traumatic memory, individual and collective. A 9/11 - Iraq War march is offensive. The Washington Post outed itself completely by it's now withdrawn sponsorship. Their printers union sent a public letter to the Post management quoting the policy of no overt public political activity by Post reporters and then quoted the punk Clink Black's song. That shamed the Post in to withdrawing.

I'll email Subway and also call Channel 7. What's their major malfunction.

Great post. Recommended

[paineinthearse]

24. Auto makes a very important point - for DC residents

The Post backed out when there was a perceived ethical conflict. Shouldn't the two other media also back out on similar grounds?

DC-area members, please contact Channel 7 and WTOP radio.

[spuddonna]

25. Hey I got a letter from Subway...

I wrote complaining that they should drop their sponsorship, and got this letter:
"Dear Subway Customer,

This is just one of the many activities and charitable events that local Subway markets support across the country.

The event you are referring to, the America Supports You Freedom Walk on Sept. 11, 2005, is one that is a local promotion supported by the franchisees in the DC area.

As part of this event, the local franchisees will provide bottled water to the walkers. They chose to be part of this event because it will raise money to build a 9/11 memorial in the Pentagon.

The local Subway market supported the rescue workers during 9/11 and even operate a Subway restaurant in the Pentagon.

Subway restaurants are individually owned and operated by franchisees who are proud to be part of the communities they serve.

Sincerely,
XXXX"

So, a few thoughts... I responded with another e-mail that had these questions included...

1) A 9-11 memorial... IN the Pentagon... Don't we, the people, own the Pentagon? If we want to build a memorial, shouldn't it be OUTSIDE the Pentagon where we can all go to see it? Or is this a memorial that Subway will own?

2) Subway is saying that it's the local franchisees who are doing this. So you're saying 'corp hq Subway' is not involved?

Did anyone know that there was a Subway in the Pentagon?! lol I'd love to know who owns THAT franchise... I'm betting it ain't Jared...

[katinmn]

26. Wrote Subway

I cannot understand why Subway would choose to be a corporate sponsor of the Pentagon's propaganda hoedown.

It is very unseemly the way the military branch is using the tragedy of 9/11 to manufacture patriotism. What's worse is the that taxpayers are footing the bill for this extravagnza.

I will miss my Subway sandwiches.

[CubsFan1982]

28. I love the Chicken Bacon Ranch.

Here, the local franchises support the local Peace and Justice Committee and other such organizations, so, I'm going to keep giving Subway my business.

[Initech]

29. Doesnt affect me, I dont eat at Subway anyways.