Posted on 03/13/2003 3:16:30 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat
Lipton Tea recently announced its sponsorship of the Dixie Chicks world tour. I think every American should write and demand that Lipton withdraw its support of anti-American rhetoric by Americans. Essentially, Lipton is helping provide the platform for Americans to go to other countries to attack their fellow countrymen back home:
Here's how to write them:
letters.liptontusa@unilever.com
Lipton tea is owned by Unilever: Unilever US
Lever House
390 Park Avenue
New York
N.Y. 10022-4698
Tel :- +1 212 888 1260
Fax :- +1 212 906 4666
Email :- paul.wood@unilever.com
Email :- nancy.goldfarb@unilever.com
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------
Here's a relevant thread, and here's a response I posted
I'm writing to you as the sponsors, through Lipton companies, of the Dixie Chicks' World Tour.
Tonight I read of their comments- made not in this country, but rather, overseas- which I interpeted as anti-American in nature, and which I believe give aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States.
I take offense that these performers see fit to spout their anti-American feelings under the Lipton umbrella, and I hope you share my disgust. I have been a customer of Lipton my entire life, and have several Lipton and Unilever products on my shelf as I write this.
I went so far as to go to Dixie Chicks' website thinking that the news accounts I read were mistaken and instead found the quotes below:
From the Dixie Chicks
"We've been overseas for several weeks and have been reading and following the news accounts of our governments' position. The anti-American sentiment that has unfolded here is astounding. While we support our troops, there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost."
Maines further stated, "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world. My comments were made in frustration and one of the privileges of being an American is you are free to voice your own point of view."
Perhaps Ms Maines is unaware that Iraq was defeated by the US in 1991, and has violated the terms of its surrender- and 17 subsequent UN resolutions defining the terms of compliance. I don't expect someone of her obvious intellectual dearth to understand the compexities of current events.
Surely the employees of Unilever and its subsidiaries understand the complexities of current events. And that Ms Maines holds a minority view. She's on your dime, folks.
I'll be the first to stand up to defend anyone's right to free speech, but I don't see this as a free-speech issue. Ms Maines' political sentiments are hers; using her position as a celebrity to further those aims is a questionable pursuit when such statements put soldiers who protect her rights in harm's way. Like my sister, my brother-in-law, and several close friends.
What the Dixie Chicks have done is nothing short of treasonous
Unless Unilever and Lipton clearly, meaningfully and immediately repudiate the sentiments expressed by the Dixie Chicks - and stop funding this treason and I do mean immediately- I will clear my shelves of your products and join or start a grassroots movement to mount a groundswell against this outrage. Your products will join the Dixie Chicks' CDs in the garbage under my kitchen sink
I've blind-copied this letter to my entire address book, and I look forward to your comments.
< name >
I heard your discussion about the Dixie Chicks comments in London while driving home from work today. I'd like to add my 2 cents. I think what they did was despicable. Would they make those comments on stage to a crowd in Texas? I don't think so. They were simply pandering to the anti-US sentiment in Great Britain. It was an easy thing to do there. Moreover, their comments were not so much a voicing of disagreement over U.S. policy towards Iraq as it was a gratuitous personal attack on the president. Do they have an opinion about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction? I guess George W. Bush being president is worse than Saddam having biological and chemical weapons. Certainly everyone is entitled to voice their opinion on the subject of Iraq. But people should weigh carefully the effects of their words. The Chiracs and Schroeders of this world are giving Saddam Hussein the message that he really doesn't have to disarm. And so are the Dixie Chicks. Their celebrity affords them a wider hearing for their words and their comments, along with the others espousing that view, merely serves to support Saddam Hussein. Imagine what might have happened if the entire world presented a united voice to Saddam Hussein: 'You must disarm immediately.' Of course that hasn't happened. And we'll never know if such a united front would have caused him to disarm, or caused his general to carry out a coup. So the words of the Dixie Chicks and their ilk merely increase the likelihood that military force will be necessary to disarm Saddam Hussein. And that means more Americans will die in the process. I hear that Saddam is still taking on human shields, and I think the Dixie Chicks should demonstrate their convictions, go to Iraq and provide those services. Well, I guess that was more than 2 cents worth, but I close by making this simple request. Please do not play the music of the Dixie Chicks. We should not be enriching those Americans whose conduct abroad undermines our security.
Here's your burkha.
Hit Men : Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business, p. 149
You know an artist is getting old when he starts singing about his urinary tract problems.
Thank you.
Please, send them an email. Copy mine if you like...
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