Posted on 12/16/2004 7:15:00 AM PST by ZGuy
Pro-family groups based in Washington, DC, and in Illinois say homosexuals are behind a new policy at Target stores that has resulted in banning Salvation Army kettle drive activities on the retail chain's premises nationwide.
The familiar Salvation Army bell ringers and their red kettles have been barred from Target stores this Christmas season, and the official reason given by the retailer has to do with its policy prohibiting all nonprofit soliciting at Target locations. However, Bob Knight of the Culture and Family Institute is suspicious of the company's explanation.
While it is true that Target has maintained a long-standing policy against soliciting in front of its stores, the company has, until this year, consistently made an exception for The Salvation Army. Knight questions the sudden policy change and says although Target officials claim they just want to make their "no solicitation" policy uniform, his sources indicate there may be more to the story.
"We happen to know," the CFI spokesman explains, "that the Target Corporation has been under enormous pressure from homosexual activists to dump The Salvation Army because [it] won't give domestic-partner benefits [to its employees]."
In fact, Knight says homosexual activists have been after The Salvation Army for a long time, and some groups have reportedly stooped to some fairly lowdown tactics in their effort to harm the charitable organization. "One homosexual activist group in Michigan, for example, has been distributing counterfeit one dollar bills and five dollar bills to be placed in Salvation Army kettles, accusing them of bigotry and prejudice," he says.
Also, Rick Garcia, director of the homosexual lobby group Equality Illinois, even admitted recently on WYLL's The Walsh Forum radio program that homosexual activists have pressured Target to stop supporting The Salvation Army. And Garcia also admitted in a letter he wrote opposing the Illinois Family Institute's call to boycott Target that he has long protested and even demonstrated against The Salvation Army.
Pete LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) says homosexual activists like Garcia "talk a good game" about showing tolerance toward religious groups and other opponents of homosexuality. Ultimately, however, he asserts that such "homosexual humbugs" purposely demonize people of faith and pro-family organizations as bigots, haters, homophobes, and hypocrites -- or, as in Garcia's letter criticizing IFI, "charlatans."
According to LaBarbera, it is this kind of activist zealotry against pro-family and religious people and against groups like the Boy Scouts of America and The Salvation Army -- groups that merely seek to live out their moral beliefs -- that prompts the IFI to strongly oppose misguided legislation that would codify special rights for homosexuals or criminalize expressed biblical views on homosexual behavior as hate speech.
The IFI spokesman refers, for example, to SB 3186, a bill would put "sexual orientation" directly into Illinois' human rights code. He notes that this bill could come up for a vote January 10 or 11, and therefore urges pro-family Illinois residents to call their state senator and representative to express their opposition.
LaBarbera feels it is inevitable, not only that homosexual activists will try to use "sexual orientation" laws as a basis to demand same-sex marriage rights, but that they will also seek to "criminalize Christianity -- at least as it applies to homosexual behavior." In fact, he notes that something similar is already happening in Philadelphia, where 11 Christians were recently arrested during their outreach efforts at a homosexual pride festival.
The last paragraph is truly chilling - it's already happening in Canada and other places with "hate speech" laws.
I have made sure to contribute much more to the Salvation Army this year, and to avoid Target at all costs.
I cannot understand why 1% or so of the population is allowed to dictate terms for the rest of us?
something I have suspected since this story first broke..
who woulda thunk it?
some info on the Target/Salvation Army bruhaha you may find interesting...( vanity)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1285061/posts
Salvation Army says no benefits for partners National panel overturns regional OK
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/11/14/MN143620.DTL
Reagan's Daughter Sues Salvation Army
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15258
Lawsuit Reveals Salvation Army's Neutral Position on Stem Cell Research
The ministry issued a statement to announce its political neutrality on stem cell research in response to allegations it rejected a speaker based on her stem cell research position http://www.christianpost.com/dbase/society/1098/section/1.htm
Bush Plan Would Allow Gay Bias
http://speakout.com/activism/apstories/9932-1.html
Bush Seeks to Undermine Gay Anti-Bias Laws
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is reportedly in league with the Salvation Army, the nation's largest charitable organization, to make it easier for publicly-funded charities to ignore state and local laws that prohibit discrimination against gay men and lesbians. http://archive.datalounge.com/datalounge/news/record.html?record=15751
as you can see, the libs have been out to get Salvation Army for a while since they have connections to the evil minds of Bush and Rove.
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. --Salvation Army mission statement
Target doesn't get another penny from me until the SA
is again ringing their bells out front.
In past years Target has gotten around 50% of the total of my families CHRISTmas shopping. This year they got zip.
Criminalizing Christianty is getting closer and closer. In third world countries evil uses brute force because the only thing many Christians have left over there are literally their bodies. Here, in America, we have belongings which help make our lives easier to live. Take away those nicities and non-believers believe many Christians will go quietly into the night... It will be interesting to see what Christians in America are willing to give up for Christ and His Kingdom.
Target's color is 'red'. It's time to put them there.
Thanks for these informative links. Most of us had a real suspicion that Target's move was directly related to the Salvation Army's decision on so-called domestic partners and it is now all the more apparent. I truly hope that my Target(ed) boycott along with thousands of others has the intended effect on their "holiday" profits. We need to pressure companies like this into submission.
I went to Target quite a bit last year- its the closet major store to me.
I have found that cutting them out of my "loop" really hasn't taken that much effort. They are off my shopping list. Permanently.
Your Post #8 is an unfortunate reality of our post modern society.
What good Christians you guys are.
More than willing to put people out of work, at Christmas no less, for the sake of idealism based on twisted facts.
Maybe you guys will get your way and Target will lay off a few hundred people. I love a the "good will toward men" on this thread. Classic.
You don't get it, do you?
I shop where I want to shop. Welcome to the crowd of judgemental people; here, pull up a seat!
I get it greatly. I'm not prepared to put good people out of work over a no-solicitation policy.
Amazing how so much power has been yielded to less than 2% of the nation. When will people REALLY get enough?
MM
ping
I never shop at Target......I prefer Walmart.
Another non-Christian telling Christians how they should be living their religion. Quite rich, eh?
Just some thoughts.
1. Last nite on Hannity and Colmes, Alan presented the "what's coming up teasers", mentioning something like "is Walmart good or evil?" I didn't watch the show, but I've not seen anything like the attacks on Walmart, leveled at Target stores (except this seasonal Salvation Army issue).
2. My local Walmart has Salvation Army kettles in front of the store. We don't have a Target store nearby.
3. Walmart is charged with discriminating against women, and minorites among other charges, yet I've not heard similar charges leveled against Target stores.
4. Walmart is charged with importing and selling too many chinese goods. I don't know what target sells but if they aren't selling chinese goods, then maybe they have discovered cheaper American goods. If so, then they should slam dunk Walmart in customer support.
5. It almost seems like the left supports Target and the right supports Walmart. Am I too paranoid?
Target is a lot more decent and honorable than many corporations.
A lot of good people will lose jobs because of this boycott.
No worries--- when the Target workers are homeless the Salvation Army will help them.
Just as a lot less needy people will be helped by the Salvation army because of lack of donations.
So which should I shop, a homo friendly place or a Christian friendly place? I had no personal problems with queers, until they began forcing THEIR lifestyle on us, especially our kids. The Bible clearly states homosexuality is a sin, actually an abomination. I occasionally drink too much, which is also a sin. But I don't try to make it out like it's natural or OK.
I get it too, but YOU are VERY willing to hammer relentlessly folks (boy scouts, salvation army)who don't see eye to eye with your perverted ideology. And you are willing to use ANY hammer you have!
Its truly interesting the groups that you and your ilk prefer to hammer! Very telling.
The Workers Flag is That Shrouds the Dead
In All It's Folds Is Colored Red...
Two percent is backed up by the hard core communists, the soft-core socialists, and the sissy-girl liberals. They are for anything that undermines our morals and values. It is trite, but in this case true to say "a page right out of the Communist Manifesto." The hell with them. We see right through them, and we are going to kill them (politically).
Walmart is claiming that their sales are flat this year and I know Target isn't doing well. Yet other chains can't ring the cash registers fast enough. I wonder why? Could it be people are sick of buying the same old same old Chinese crap year after year? Or that they don't want to shop at a store that kicked out the Salvation Army?
To hell with them I say. To Hell they will go.
It's as funny as rats telling Republicans who they should appoint or elect.
We're on the same page here brother.
My family will never shop at a Target again, ever.
If they go out of business, they can not promote this kind of nonsense.
One homosexual activist group in Michigan, for example, has been distributing counterfeit one dollar bills and five dollar bills to be placed in Salvation Army kettles, accusing them of bigotry and prejudice,"
I can't help it, but shouldn't they be throwing in three dollar bills?
I don't shop Walmart much because all their stuff comes from China and I don't want it. It isn't really a boycott, because they have every right to sell chinese goods. But I don't go because I probably won't find what I want made elsewhere.
I don't know how good or decent Target is, they have lousy selection, they're overpriced, and believe me, they have plenty of Chinagoods too. The only diff is Walmart is so big that their trade with China amounts to something like 20% of our total trade deficit with China.
I think L98Fiero ought to get banned just on general principles.
Or do you want us to accept that they are.... simply because you said so? That'd be too idealistic for me.
If not mistaken it's already happening in Mass. and Vermont,and California,and Florida primarily in the deep blue locations here in the US of A now numbered among the
former Christian nations of the Western world.
I don't give a rat's A** what those folks do behind closed doors. But it seems like part of their perversion is that they NEED to be exhibitionists as well and they really do NEED to have the world "accept" them. So much so that they are "in yer face" every day.
And then they wonder why people hate them so much.
Hey L98Fiero, it ain't cause yer "queer", its cause yer "here" tryin to jam yer s**t on us!
No, it won't put people out of work-- whatever we don't spend at Target we'll spend elsewhere, and they'll need to staff up to cover the expanded business. Besides, it takes a while for hiring and firing decisions to happen anyway-- most of the effect will be next year.
Merry Christmas!
To what "perverted ideology" are you referring? To what "ilk" are you referring? "Hammers"? I really don't get your post.
WHY FUND OR SUPPORT IMMORALITY/ OR IF YOU FIND THAT TOO
STRONG "but we are sure th ejudgement of God is according
to truth against them which commit such things.(Romans1:18-
2:2) christians are NOT to be party to (take pleasure in)
those who do what is not natural.
What were they like to work for?
I had an interesting experience a couple years ago. The clerk was very sweet and seemed to have an outgoing personality. She told me, that management doesn't want the clerks to talk too much to the customers, even if the clerk is really friendly.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Now that's great marketing strategy, have your employees treat the customers like a bunch of numbers. Uh huh!
I know what you mean!
I don't have one near me, but I think they're building one.
I'm sorry, but if Salvation Army bells don't ring outside of Target, that does not mean they are taking Christ out of Christmas.
And I'm not "voting" for anything, I'm buying Christmas presents for my family and friends. There is no way I could feel good about purposely putting faultless employees out of work at Christmas, due to some silly boycott.
The homosexual angle presented in this article? Suspect, at best in my opinion.
"You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in. I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being"
My daughter is an asset protection manager at a target store and I will not shop there, even with a discount. I have written to the company and got no response. She says they are being ordered to not let the Army or anyone else in front of the store. If I had stock, I'd go to the stockholders meeting and ring a SA bell.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.