Ok This Is Truely Disturbing

[Guest Jean Davis]

K I think everyone has heard that Target did something stupid by giving donations to a Minnesota group that backed a gay-marriage opponent for governor. But now I see this video in this article http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100820/el_yblog_upshot/shareholders-weigh-in-on-target-and-best-buys-political-giving.

At first it looks like a legitimate protest video but being that I work at a Target I know Target wouldn't allow these people to make a 4.42 miniute video in their store without someone trying to stop it unless the corperation was involved in some way. Something that elaborate with the number of people and musical instruments would have been stopped well before they could have gotten started. Plus the one part with the elevated view at the 1.15 miniute mark had to be done from a lift of some sort, that store layout resembles the layout of the store that I work at and there is no second floor that is consumer accessable to a store that small.

Not sure just what Target's trying to pull here but I for one don't like that they're trying to capitalize on a mistake they made. I find this very offensive, I really wish the economy was better so I could get the hell out of there.

LUV

Jean

[Guest Mia J]

Hi Jean,

Good points. But what would be the advantage to Target to participate in a video that promoted boycotting Target? Unless, you take the any exposure is good exposure route. Maybe they are trying to reach the anti-gay fundies who will then make it a point to skip Wally World and go to Target.

Mia

[Guest Jean Davis]

Hi Jean,

Good points. But what would be the advantage to Target to participate in a video that promoted boycotting Target? Unless, you take the any exposure is good exposure route. Maybe they are trying to reach the anti-gay fundies who will then make it a point to skip Wally World and go to Target.

Mia

Hey Mia

You may be correct with your theory, I'm not sure myself. But I do know that a video like that wouldn't be possible without Target's help. Anyway you look at it I just don't like how that video was done.

LUV

Jean

[Guest ChloëC]

Jean,

I read somewhere that there's a lot more to the story than some of the sound bites that are being presented. I read some 'topic of the day' on Yahoo's news feed and searched for Target and protest and gay rights, etc. and had to go back to some time in early to mid July to find the initial story.

According to some sources I've read, Target has also contributed to a LGBT organization for somewhere near the same amount sometime earlier this year. It also turns out that the candidate is 'for' a whole series of tax relief measures that would help Target and other businesses. So, Target officials, without thinking it completely through, decided to donate to his campaign, probably thinking, ok, we gave here, and there, etc. so now we're giving over there.

It's obvious they didn't expect the response they got, but considering they donated to an LGBT organization and the opposing candidate so far is not for those tax breaks, exactly what is Target supposed to do? We can't be on the side of the angels on every issue, even though it would be nice.

To me, if Target takes back the donation to the candidate, they should also take back every donation to any organization including the LGBT one. Why should a pubic corp. have to pick and choose who to donate to as ordered by some group that technically doesn't care if Target stays in business or not. If these groups really want to make changes, I would think they could either get all their members and supporters to buy Target stock and take over the company, or start their own competing one. (I've wondered about that for a lot of years in a whole lot of different situations.) Unfortunately, complaining is a whole lot easier.

I disagree with the candidates views on gay marriage and a whole raft of other issues, all of which need to be discussed and aired out and considered. To focus on one, does a disservice to the whole raft of issues facing any particular state and this country. That's part of the reason why we're in this mess - because a lot of people don't want to think about all the issues facing us, they just want to get adamant about their favorite and forego the rest. That's why we have real estate debacles, investment companies ruling our country, and jobs moving overseas. Those are real issues that affect everyone.

(sorry for the diatribe)

I hope the opponent wins, but I still wonder why this is news, when so much else is at stake.

Hugs

Chloë

[Guest RachaelAnn]

I read the article, and watched the video. Not sure what to make of them, but then I read some of the replies to the whole thing. They made me sick.

Rachael

[Guest OneSmallStep]

I haven't really read alot about this, but I did happen to catch the video on FB the other day. The part you mention, the high up video shot did make me go "wait a second" when I watched it. But upon further thinking, IMO it could still be a very legit video. 1) At one point in the video early on someone mentions they called the police and pushes down the camera that is being used. Which leads me to believe that they used more than one camera setup, so 2) That shot could have been taken by a tall person holding the camera very high for that moment or possibly by a store employee who agrees with the reasoning for the protest...

just my .02

[Guest Distort]

I dunno. If that Target is anything like the ones 'round here, then the police wouldn't have arrived for a good 10 minutes, at least, and the staff would have been standing aside in befuddlement. Mind, I'm Australian, maybe you have more dedicated staff in the US

The high shot is a bit suss though. Only explanation I can think of that fits with the real-protest story is that in the commotion someone took the opportunity to sneak away and scale a shelving unit?

Thanks for mentioning this though - hadn't heard anything about it before, and it was made some interesting reading

[Guest chngnwnd]

I doubt Target as a corporation sancitoned the video in any way. However, I doubt very much that everyone working for Target agrees with what they did - including members of their management team....so...maybe someone made a career decision that day and had a way to divorce themself from the situation so that they did not suffer any repurcussions.

Bobbi

[Guest Jean Davis]

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Perhaps I just jumped to a conclusion to quickly before thinking about all the options.

There were some very good observations and explinations that I haven't thought about.

I'm probably just in the wrong frame of mind right now, gotta work on that.

LUV

Jean

[Guest i is Sam :-)]

surely it would only need the co-operation of the manager of a single store. and since target has many locations spread across regions with vastly differing political views it's not that hard to imagine that it could happen.