See Newscoma here and Sarcastro here and read the comments yourself if you are feeling particularly self-destructive. Folks in the comments are calling for a boycott of Tyson.
This is an interesting strategy and I wonder if it could work. Can you boycott a business in order to force them to do the wrong, more evil thing?
Previously, Tyson accomodated Christians’ most holy day (though I think it’s a misunderstanding of one’s own religion to think that Christmas is more important than Easter, but let’s acknowledge that it’s treated as such by society as a whole) and arranged the work schedule to accomodate Christians’ worshipping needs and that was okey-dokey.
Now that they’ve got a substantial number of Muslim employees, they are working to also incorporate their most holy day and arranging the work schedule to accomodate their worshipping needs.
This seems fair and right.
And yet, I’ve got to tell you, I’m sure most people in our State are against it. I don’t think the comments at the end of that newspaper article are some fluke (though they are a testament to how shitty our schooling is down here and a good argument as to why we probably shouldn’t be homeschooling our kids–though our public schools aren’t much better [you can see our conundrum]).
And it’s an interesting problem, when you think about it, just when you step back a little. We need to attract business to the state in order to have a working economy and jobs for everybody. And yet, businesses are not going to want to come to a state where the people in the state think they can dictate to the businesses when and how they must further the citizenry’s hate. And yet, we don’t seem at all willing to give up the goal of being able to not only personally act on our prejudices, but also have the institutions in our state also codify and further those bigotries.
Even though it surely means continued financial trouble, if not ruin, for us.
I don’t know what to make of that.
(Though, if you want funny, just think on the outrage of these fine Conservative Americans pissing and moaning because Tyson won’t be celebrating Labor Day–which was a commie holiday to begin with.)
Tiny Cat Pants 
Ah, well, come on over to my place then. One of their trolls has been stinking up the place talking about how she’d “piss on a Coran [sic]” if given the chance. As I titled my post, some of my fellow Tennesseans embarrass me …
There are plenty of reasons not to buy Tyson but this isn’t one of them.
Mainly environmental issues and low wages that are embarrassing. I’d also suggest Christy Fink’s personal blog.
It’s even gotten nastier.
You’re right, newscoma. My brother in law is a farmer, he told me about how abusive Tyson’s practices are. They get farmers into their program by promising huge profits, but they make them invest tons of their own money in improvements and then the farmer is carrying a huge debt with no chance of paying it off unless they stay in the Tyson program. Sort of a new style of the “company town” model.
Aunt B,
I’ve argued a bit witht he troll on Beale’s blog about this. Funny thing is Labor Day was a leftist holiday in the 19th century. Many of the activists that pushed for it were immigrant anarchists and socialists. Not really a holiday worthy of conservatives taking a stand.
And what do we do on Labor Day anyway: get pissed drunk and roast hot dogs.
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Echoing SB’s and Newscoma’s comments…there are a thousand reasons to boycott Tyson, but a bitch ain’t one. Oops, I mean, an additional paid holiday ain’t one.
You know, if our country didn’t wholeheartedly support factory farming, the immigration issues (legal and otherwise) would likely decrease dramatically. If there’s no work here (that current citizens don’t want to do), why come?
And yet, we don’t seem at all willing to give up the goal of being able to not only personally act on our prejudices, but also have the institutions in our state also codify and further those bigotries.
Oh dear God. I just read this after writing my thing about the HOA here trying to force black and brown people out by codifying bigotry. I guess it is a system-wide virus. What the hell is WRONG with people?!?!
What the hell is WRONG with people?!?!
Fear. Fear of Hard Times, fear of The Other, fear of change.
Oh, and this: Can you boycott a business in order to force them to do the wrong, more evil thing?
If your question is, “can you try to have such an effect,” the answer is “of course.” Homophobes try it all the time against Disney, McDonald’s, and other corporations who are accommodating to OMG Teh Gayz! If your question is, “can such a boycott be successful,” the answer is “only in some situations.” They seem not to have much effect on national corporations that have a broad customer base.
That is the frustrating thing about this. Tyson, as a company, has so many, many issues and I’d love to see them get their act together on all kinds of fronts.
Just not this one. On this, I’m actually like Bully for you for making accommodations for your workforce. Now, what about those safety accommodations? What about humane treatment for your chickens? Etc.