The fine work done by organizations such as U.S.-based Life Decisions International is well-known. LDI has as its primary mission the challenging of the agenda of the radically pro-abortion Planned Parenthood organization worldwide. Among LDI's tactics in this regard is the production of a boycott list that so far has resulted in a remarkable 84 corporations ceasing their funding of Planned Parenthood.
Work remains to be done, however, as culprits known to still fund Planned Parenthood include Dairy Queen, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Walt Disney, Microsoft and Prudential. Pro-life, pro-family advocates may wish to avoid doing business with these companies.
LDI is currently researching corporate supporters of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League with a view to integrating them into boycott lists published in 2003.
The efficacy of boycotts was demonstrated when Sony Music Inc. in 1997 attempted to re-release the "Christmas" CD O Come All Ye Faithful, the proceeds of which were destined for the pro-abortion Rock for Choice group.
Following a backlash from Christians, and particularly the U.S. Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Sony issued an apology and regretted "any upset resulting from this inadvertent error." The squeaky wheel, in this case, did get the grease.
It is clear that boycotts can and do work, including when they concern life and family issues. A corporation, organization or institution may be quick to jump on an anti-life, anti-family bandwagon if it can get away with it, but when its pocketbook is threatened, in many cases, you can watch it run.
On the other hand, there are situations where no amount of reason, prodding, cajoling or boycotting will alter a corporation's course.
Take, for example, U.S.-based Apple equipment specialist Small Dog Electronics. When Life Decisions International president Doug Scott wrote to encourage the company to cease its funding of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, he was answered by Small Dog CEO Don Mayer.
Mayer said that, "Our contributions to the dedicated work of Planned Parenthood have increased substantially this year ... We will continue to support women's reproductive rights and oppose those, like your organization, that would impose their limited and backwards view upon others."
Oh well, you can't win 'em all. But as Scott noted later, many corporations that eventually ceased funding Planned Parenthood began by vowing that they would increase support to the abortion-promoting organization despite boycotts.
