>THEY WON'T?? HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? HAVE THEY INDICATED SUCH??
>AND IF SO, WOULDN'T THEY BE BETTER SERVED IF WE DONATED MONEY
>TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BUY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THEIR LOVED
>ONES RATHER THAN STAND WITH THEM IN SOLIDARITY OF MISERY? IF
>ANYONE DESERVES JOY DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON, IT'S THESE
>FAMILIES.

The families would have to be contacted and brought into the movement beforehand so that the answer to the first question is yes.

>GIVEN THE LACK OF RESPONSE TO THE ECONOMY IN OUR COMMUNITIES
>THAT HAVE PLAGUED US FOR GENERATIONS WITH LITTLE RESPONSE FROM
>OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, I QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF THIS
>ASSERTION. NONETHELESS, WOULD NOT THERE NEED TO BE SIGNIFICANT
>PROFIT LOSS BY RETAILERS IN ORDER TO COMPEL THEM TO ALERT
>THEIR LOCAL POLITICIANS? AND WHAT LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT
>EVEN WITH SIGNIFICANT PROFIT LOSS THEIR COURSE OF ACTION WOULD
>BE TO CONTACT THEIR POLITICIANS ABOUT POLICE BRUTALITY. YOU
>HAVE NOT INDICATED A LINK BETWEEN CAUSE AND DESIRED EFFECT.
>YOU HAVE IMPLIED THAT YOU ARE HOPEFUL THAT THIS MOVEMENT WOULD
>PROPEL THEM TO SUPPORT ENDING POLICE BRUTALITY, BUT YOU HAVE
>NOT IDENTIFIED A LINK THAT SUGGESTS THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THIS
>COURSE OF ACTION INSTEAD OF A MYRIAD OF OTHER POTENTIAL
>RESPONSES

First it's not the singular issue of police brutality but ensuring the safe environment for ourselves and our children without the fear of violence, including those sworn to serve and protect.

I actually don't think it's so much about getting the retailers to speak to the politicians. With any luck some politicians (congressional black caucus) will already be on board. The numbers will speak for themselves and it will be the messaging during the time which we will keep strong for the duration which will force the hand. The numbers are just an indication of our resolve. So with local leaders and politicians supporting the cause the legislation can be introduced and with the strength of our voices the politicians would be compelled to address.

And again with it being an election year, by starting early we can put this messaging on the platforms of those local officials that are running for office. It should be a part of every local debate for an office that contributes to the underlying policies that create these adverse circumstances for our youth.

>BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE WHOLE OF THEIR COMMUNITY WILL
>CANCEL CHRISTMAS. RESEARCH FROM BUYCOTT INC. INDICATES THAT
>ONLY 7% OF CONSUMERS PARTICIPATE IN SUCH CAMPAIGNS. AS SUCH,
>IT'S MORE LIKELY THAT MY CHILDREN WILL BE AMONG ONLY A FEW
>CHILDREN WHO DO NOT RECEIVE GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS. BUT EVEN IF
>I DID BELIEVE "THE WHOE OF MY COMMUNITY" WOULD PARTICIPATE, IF
>ONLY 60 DAYS LATER I AM TO PURCHASE WHAT I WOULD HAVE
>PURCHASED FOR CHRISTMAS WITH THESE SAME RETAILERS, DO I REALLY
>HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR BOTTOMLINE?

Ultimately we are not trying to punish retailers (folk in here may not agree with me on this but I think its an important point). We are trying to provide a quantifiable statistic about how this affects not just our community but our whole nation. In fact I would love to start early enough that the retailers themselves can join the movement, because it affects their employees and as such should affect them. This isn't just our issue it is an issue for this whole country and so we should all be standing in solidarity to impact the change needed, so that thigns can return to business as usual but with the knowledge that we have protected our youth.

>I UNDERSTAND THAT THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A SIGNIFICANT
>INDICATOR FOR THE ECONOMY. RETAIL SALES ACCOUNT FOR 19% OF
>ANNUAL SALES FOR RETAILERS. BUT YOU HAVE STILL NOT IDENTIFIED
>A LINK BETWEEN RETAIL SALES AND POLICE BRUTALITY. HOW DOES NOT
>PATRONIZING THEM KEEP MY CHILD ALIVE ON THIS DAY OR ANY OTHER
>DAY?

Your child's life will be more secure if we can get our policy makers to enact the legislation we are pushing for which ensures they have the opportunities to escape the cycle of violence which is ravishing our community. It's not just the action, but the message behind the action.

> ALSO, EVEN IF I AM TO BELIEVE THAT HITTING RETAILERS IN
>THE POCKET MIGHT INFLUENCE THEIR SUPPORT AGAINST POLICE
>BRUTALITY, DOES IT ALSO NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECT MY PERSONAL
>ECONOMY AS WELL AS THAT OF MY LOCAL COMMUNITY?
>
>A CONSISTENT THEME IN MY COMMUNITY IS UNEMPLOYMENT AND IT
>AFFECTS THE ABILITY OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FOR
>THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN THE U.S., 720,000 SEASONAL
>EMPLOYEES ARE HIRED SPECIFICALLY TO TEND TO THE HOLIDAY RUSH.
>THESE HIREES ARE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, LOW WAGE WORKERS FROM
>MINORITY COMMUNITIES. IF I SUPPORT BOYCOTTING THE BUYING
>SEASON, DOES THIS EFFORT NOT TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM MY COMMUNITY
>AND MONEY OUT OF MY AND/OR MY NEIGHBORS' HOMES?

This is a very real concern which I've been thinking about and needs to be discussed further, but I think we can work through the answers to address those concerns. HOpefully we could get some retailers on board. Its also reasonable to assume they wouldn't and as such would still need to hire and pay those people, it's just they wouldn't see the returns they hoped for. But with their cooperation they could see the ROI come black history month.

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Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."