Teacup tempests and spilled beer

I do not understand the infatuation with cancel culture. It is an absurdity that screams hypocrisy. Boycott a beer brand for a single six-pack, boycott a sandwich shop because they didn’t want the spectacle of a political campaign (really, who would?).

Maybe stop a second and think about what your protest is doing. Do you really believe the CEO is getting hit in their wallet? No, Siree, they just cut their workforce to keep profits up. You know who that affects? You guessed it, your friends, neighbors and the people just trying to keep their families fed by working a 9-5 job.

The other thing I don’t grasp is destroying goods from a company that you have already paid for. May as well go to the bank, get a stack of bills and light them on fire. It is the same thing. Then, in say six months, there you are back in a work-wear store rebuying the same product because it keeps you warm working outdoors. I watched in awe while enraged people made videos burning coats, hats, gloves all because a company mandated a COVID vaccine.

Sometimes, it seems we forget that businesses cater to all different types of people. Why should it bother anyone when they target a group with an ad campaign? Last I checked we are all human. I guess some people just can’t see past sexual orientation, gender or skin color.

The sad thing is it isn’t just limited to one political ideology. For instance, the boycotting of a farm supply store due to stopping their DEI programs, was a no-win situation for them. Darned if you do, darned if you don’t because the anti-DEI crowd would have boycotted if they had chosen differently. The same with not doing business with companies that support Israel, or not shopping at places that are for a free Palestinian state. It is all so confusing to follow what places, things and goods are acceptable, so I don’t even try anymore.

Working in corporate America I see a lot of behind-the-scenes things. I see the causes my company quietly donates to, and it does not bother me one bit. Most are causes I believe in, some are not, and that is OK too. It is not like it affects me in any way because it doesn’t come out of my paycheck.

It is 2024, so how is it people still cling to antiquated beliefs of what is right or wrong? How did the beer company giving a transgender person a special six-pack affect you? A single six-pack, not even a national release. How did the farm store dropping DEI policies affect your daily life? How did a vaccine mandate for employee safety hurt you as a consumer? The answer is none of them affected you in the slightest. It is time for people to start keeping an open mind — time to start accepting that not everything in life is cut and dried, black and white.

The point of this word salad is this, cancel culture and boycotting benefit no one. At a time when our country is more divided than at any time other than the 1860s, we should be working together to mend divides – not making them bigger and wider than the Grand Canyon. Ask yourself if your actions could possibly hurt a friend or family member. Think about how many people are already struggling to stay afloat. Then imagine how much worse it will be for them if they lose their jobs.

Do you really want that on your conscience? I don’t. That is why I choose not to participate.

I am not telling anyone to change their beliefs. That is not my business. What I am saying is stop and really think about why you are so upset. Is it something that deep down causes you any harm? Or is it just performative and a storm in a teacup?

At the end of the day, it is always your personal choice, but always remember that choice can lead to the law of unintended consequences, biting someone who was not the intended target of your boycott. Ask yourself if getting into a fit of self-righteous dudgeon is worth causing some poor worker to be cast out. I don’t think it is, and maybe once you reflect a bit, you won’t either.

It is time to bring some common sense and sanity back into the world, not make it worse than it already is.

Dustin would like to hear what you’re thinking about these days. You can drop him a line at dustinb@midco.net to let him know what you thought about his column, or just to say “Hi!”