What a week of achievement, and it's still only Hump Day!
This week the Swiss hosted the Durban 2 Jew Bashing Festival, Hitler and Lenin celebrated their birthdays, and fat people were told they were destroying the planet. And today we saw the usual gang of humourless limousine liberals beating their sculpted chests over Earth Day (Happy B-Day Vladimir!) and reminding their anxiety-laden schoolchildren to save the planet now or they'll all die.
To add to this week of noble pursuits and causes, it would seem that Mountain Equipment Co-op could be changing its business model. The purveyor of outdoorsy gear and garb is about to vote on taking a principled stand outside its purview of selling overpriced crap to unsuspecting snobs.
"How Happy? How? What principled stand might this be?", one might ask.
Well, one might answer that MEC, in all its wisdom, will "weigh in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A motion is expected to be presented next week at the retailer's annual general meeting in Vancouver, calling for a boycott of all products produced in Israel."
"We just don't think (Mountain Equipment Co-op) should be doing business with Israel until it changes its behaviour," said a well-educated BC teacher - ahem.
Now perhaps this vote may not go through, maybe it's all a tempest in a teapot and might be killed by common sense, but we can't sit by and let this happen. We must inform MEC that this is a disgusting and yes - un Canadian - stunt, especially from a business that claims to take the ethical high road in retail (if that means anything).
So please - help stop MEC now! Threaten to expose their loathsome behaviour and if you're a member, cancel your membership and spread the word to decent Canadians.
Start with the Ottawa branch!
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I phoned them to complain about it today. Apparently they have 3 million members but these things are decided at the AGM by the 100-150 members attending the meeting.
ReplyDeleteI was assured by the representative that the board does not have to act on the vote. But who elects the board? The same 100-150 members.
I'll wait to see if this thing gets through before I tear up my membership card, but I suspect it is not going to end well.
Actually, every member has the right to elect the board.
ReplyDeleteFor MEC, a boycott would be mainly symbolic. The only thing I could see MEC doing is removing the Lonely Planet Israel travel book.
Thanks for clarifying that Skinny. I've never paid much attention to their emails, or voted. But I am motivated to vote now.
ReplyDeleteIt should be pointed out that this is not a MEC initiative, but a subgroup of the BCTF (BC teachers union) trying to hijack the MEC AGM to make a political statement.
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