I thought I should weigh in on The Body Shop post by Doc earlier ... I work for Anita and I am hugely disappointed in the Body Shop's asinine statement supporting Bush and the war and totally misrepresenting Anita's position. Obviously some scared little boys in suits got some angry mail from some right-wing thugs and panicked. I expected more of them.
BUT. Boycotting isn't the answer.
The New York Post called for a boycott of The Body Shop last week because of Anita's comments criticizing Bush. Of course a right-wing boycott is silly, and could not begin to touch Anita (conservatives never shopped there in the first place, at least not knowingly). But a left-wing boycott of The Body Shop is just as wrong-headed. A boycott will not affect anyone in the executive suite. It will only hurt people way down the line -- young men and women working in stores, trying to finance their dreams; and thousands of people in the Third World who benefit from The Body Shop's unique programs to source ingredients at fair and sustainable prices. These people are not the enemy, they are innocent bystanders.
Don't boycott the Body Shop. Instead, send them an email saying you will withhold your business until they come to their senses, retract the statement, and apologize for abandoning their most loyal customers -- the ones who shop not because it's cheap (it ain't) but because they vote with their wallets. Then, if/when they see the light, let them know that you will resume shopping with them. We need to learn to use stick AND carrot with equal enthusiasm.
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