A tip of the news hat to our colleague Laurie Lee Dovey for pointing out another good idea gone bad. This time, Amazon.com's the culprit. Founder and Chairman Jeff Bezos imay soon be feeling the heat from firearms enthusiasts for Amazon.com's decision to allow five percent of any purchase from Amazon.com to be contributed to support the Million Mom March.
On the surface, the MMM isn't exactly a group that seems to be dedicated to anything beyond making it safer for our children.' They're more than that. They are an extremely militant anti-firearms organization, proudly, as they proclaim "united with The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence." Clicking on their website's "Facts & Information" are takes you directly to the Brady Center site.
On their website, for example, they have a feature called the "Time Out Chair" This seat of dis-honor is reserved, according to their website for "people, organizations and corporations who put sensible gun practices on the back burner in favor of the out of touch gun lobby."
Currently, John Ashcroft sits in time-out. He's been joined there by Lowe's Hardware, Michigan Governor John Engler, John Lott, LEAA, Senator Zell Miller and Representative Bob Barr, both of Georgia, and of course, Wayne LaPierre.
Contrast this with the "Apple Pie Awards" - bestowed on "those who recognize the problem of gun violence in America and do something about it. These outstanding individuals are champions for bringing common sense arguments to counter the out of step gun lobby." Well, how about that?
Recipients of the pie include Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) for his opposition to the "gun industry immunity bill" (their description, not mine). 140 Members of the House of Representatives also got their share of the pies for voting against H.R. 1036.
Other recipients of the "Apple Pie" included some regulars on the anti-circuit such as Michael Moore, ("Bowling For Columbine") and Senator Barbara Boxer of California. Other winners include Yoko Ono, Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, and a couple of corporate names: H&R Block for "reversing a bad decision" and ceasing their support for the NRA. (They're cited for basically knuckling under to "widespread protests spearheaded by the Alliance for Justice's Gun Industry Watch, and supported by the Million Mom March united with the Brady Campaign and the Mid-Atlantic Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence," realizing their mistake and no longer "supporting an extremist organization like the leadership of the NRA." An interesting juxtaposition of the phrases "widespread protests" and "extremist organizations" to say the least.
Zany-Brainy received a "steaming hot apple pie award" for their "not stocking violent toys of any kind." Further, the MMM "love the idea of high-quality, gender-neutral, safe and nonviolent toys." Apparently, not every mother shared the "Million Mom" position. FAO Schwartz, the owner of Zany-Brainy closed their 55 locations in 2003 due to stagnant sales and staggering debt.
Today, there is a grass-roots movement afoot to send Mr. Bezos an ultimatum from the "pro-firearms" shoppers at Amazon.com:
Allow shoppers the option of donating five percent of their purchase price to the National Rifle Association.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to add Amazon to my boycott list. I'm sure it will bring them as much financial suffering and hardship as my boycott of Walmart. Oh well, its the principle behind the whole thing anyway.
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You may beat the rap, but you won't beat the ride!
Million Mom Mania at Amazon.com
