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April 8, 2009

Stop Selling Ideology ... Start Selling Products

By Gregg Cudworth

Recently I went to my local mega-market electronics store to make a purchase. When I pulled into the parking lot, up front and center were four reserved parking place signs.  The reserved spots were not for the handicapped, nor were they for the employees of the month; the spots were reserved for “fuel efficient cars only.” I drive a Tahoe that runs on E-85 ethanol and on only four cylinders when conditions are right; but I don’t believe they would look at my Tahoe as being a fuel-efficient mode of transportation.

Personally I am as concerned about being a good steward of our planet as the next guy; but this “in your face” environmentalism from corporate America is more than I can take and needs to be stopped.  The invasion of environmental ideology did not end at the front door; there were “go green” stickers and signs everywhere.

By the time I left the store everything that I looked at had green spots on it.  By the time I was ready to exit I couldn’t take the environmental pounding any longer and I went to the store manager and filed a formal complaint.

That may sound a little extreme to some but there is a point in space and time when we have to say, “Enough is enough and I am not going to take this silent indoctrination and invasion on my sensibilities any longer.” It is important that we all voice our feelings on issues like this for the following reasons:

1. We the people are stockholders and deserve the maximum return on our investment as long as the company does not breech the law or common decency.  A corporation’s duty is to the stockholder and is not chartered to spend millions of dollars on programs that appeal to some fringe group of activists.
 
2. We are the customers and we frequent a store to shop and buy goods, not to be indoctrinated by ideological beliefs. There are plenty of private organizations to join if you want to participate and express your concerns about the condition of the planet.
 
3. The obvious principle behind the signage is that the world is undergoing climate change as a result of mankind’s insensitivity and abuse of energy and other natural resources.  First, this is not proven science and is rapidly being reviled as a hoax perpetrated by greedy power grabbing politicians who are more concerned about lining their own pockets then they are about the people they represent.  Corporate America should be wise in sound environmental principles because it not only saves resources but saves money as well. But being wise and prudent in our use of energy is not the same as customer indoctrination.

4. The vast majority of America does not believe in global warming (especially in light of the recent cold weather and the recorded cooling of the earth over the last 10 years) and understands it as a political issue and a tax-grab designed to redistribute wealth.  Companies that are involved with this movement are insulting us by giving preferential treatment to those who follow their ideology and groups they want to placate because of fear.  This is hypocrisy at its worst and we should not be feeding that “shark.” We are in the majority and it is time that we demanded preferential treatment as we spend our hard earned dollars.
 
5. Lastly, if you are concerned about your job and the job of your friend next door then you need to understand that “green jobs” are temporary and costly, “that the U.S. should expect a loss of at least 2.2 jobs on average, or about 9 jobs lost for every 4 created, to which we have to add those jobs that non-subsidized investments with the same resources would have created." Quoted from and cited by President Obama, “Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources.”

What should we do as concerned stockholders and citizens who believe that business should be in the business of doing business and not placating various fringe elements of our society?  First of all you should complain to your local store manager.  Secondly, if that doesn’t work then you should do your shopping elsewhere.

This type of doctrinal hypocrisy is telling you as a customer that if you don’t agree with the company's values you should have to walk a little farther than the “greenies” to do your shopping. I am sorry but mega-market has seen the last of me until they change their ways.  
 
I have sent a copy my complaint to the mega-market Corporate office. I have asked all of my email acquaintances  to forward the complaint to everyone on their address lists -- and to send it to the company as well.  I have personally, as of now, sent my complaint to 186 email addresses.  With a little effort this could reach millions by the weekend.

I invite other American Thinker readers to join me in protesting the greening of America's major corporations.

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