Lowe's Pulls Ads From American Muslim Time Slot

[mysteriew]

Yes they do have the right to advertise with anyone they want. But they began it, the should have at least had to finish out the contract. I do see it as rascist. If the show is not making jokes about 911, terrorism or the war then what is the argument? I always try to look at it like, if they were any other race other than my race or Muslim, would I still feel it was an issue? In this case I think I would say yes.

So if the KKK got together and began petitioning Lowes about their laundry list, then Lowe's could find themselves with no one to advertise with since most TV shows have at least one person on the KKK's list.

 

[Fairy1]

Anita Bryant is a hardcore opponent of gay rights. She would not be protesting Rush.

So true. And while Anita Bryant is sooooooo decades ago, there would, sadly, be plenty to take up her "cause" even today.

That's what people used to say about private restaurants who chose not to serve black people at their lunch counters.

Of course here, Lowes is not refusing service, but they did pull ads based purely on the race and/or religion of the people featured on the reality show.

True again. The irony is, they won't have to refuse service to consumers who will, as a direct result of this small-minded decision, refuse to patronize their stores.

This is a two-way street.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Yes they do have the right to advertise with anyone they want. But they began it, the should have at least had to finish out the contract. I do see it as rascist. If the show is not making jokes about 911, terrorism or the war then what is the argument? I always try to look at it like, if they were any other race other than my race or Muslim, would I still feel it was an issue? In this case I think I would say yes.

So if the KKK got together and began petitioning Lowes about their laundry list, then Lowe's could find themselves with no one to advertise with since most TV shows have at least one person on the KKK's list.

Is Muslim a race?
I think it is a religion.

There are Muslims of every race.

Not sure this has anything to do with racism.

JMO

 

[Kimberlyd125]

www.dictionary.com

Muslim

1. follower of Islam (noun)
2. of or pertaining to Islam (adjective)



*Muslim is not a race.

 

[Snarky247]

Being a proud & unapologetic liberal, I support Lowe's in their decision to be jerks. It IS their money after all.

What I do not support is the fact that they signed a contract for ad space on a show called All-American Muslim & are now pulling out of their agreement. Which aspect of the show were they unclear on - the fact that it is about Muslims or the fact that it is about Americans who exercise their right to choose their own religion or the fact that it is about "normal" people who contribute to society?

Again, Lowe's has a right to listen to their customers. But along with every right comes the responsibility to accept the consequences of that right. In my case, the consequences are my choice to boycott their business & to encourage the 2000+ people who follow me on Twitter & my huuuuuuuuge family & all of my employees and co-workers to do the same. (Emphasis on encourage)

 

[ziggy]

Anita Bryant is a hardcore opponent of gay rights. She would not be protesting Rush.



That's what people used to say about private restaurants who chose not to serve black people at their lunch counters.

Of course here, Lowes is not refusing service, but they did pull ads based purely on the race and/or religion of the people featured on the reality show.

But again, what rights are the people on the show being denied? There is no state action, there is private action with regards to a decision when and where to advertise. There are a lot of companies who choose NOT to advertise during the 700 Club - does this apply to the as well? When the atheist groups get all peeved about an advertiser buying spots when Tim Tebow prays and the advertiser pulls out, is that the same?

We're just going too far. Too far with private companies. Why should government compel them to act? Let's see: is it an Equal Protection right of theirs being violated? No. And Congress could only pass the laws restricting discrimination when it had a substantial impact on interstate commerce...don't see that issue here.

Consumers can be mad and not shop at Lowes. Other than that, they have every right and the government should not infringe upon it. If enough people want to support them or are too lazy to go to Home Depot or don't really even watch the news and have no idea then oh well. We can't legislate this kind of thing...no matter how wrong you think it is. This is easily distinguishable from refusing to serve someone!

 

[TrackerSam]

Muslims are a very fast growing part of the American population. If Lowes thinks they can afford to blow them off then I guess it's their loss.

It is amusing how so many businesses and even political parties don't understand that when they do stuff like this they are shooting themselves in the foot.

How is Lowes 'blowing them off' by not advertising on this show. The show has very poor ratings and Lowes has said the show does not meet it's standards, which to me means they don't want to waste money on a show too few watch. And Lowes was not the only one to pull ads from this show, presumably for the same reason - although they don't need a reason or have to explain themselves to anyone - it's their money. If the show truly sucks and can't find advertisers then, like any show that isn't viable, like Air America say, they'll be gone. Lowes is in no way responsible for whatever happens to this show. Only time will tell if Lowes has shot themselves in the foot - I doubt it. It hasn't worked against Rush Limbaugh. He has the largest radio audience with the most affiliates in the country.

 

[raeann]

I guess I don't understand what the problem is....I watched the show and kind of enjoyed it. The stories were interesting, and I found nothing objectionable, but then my kids have friends who are Muslim so the fact that they are "real" normal people wasn't new to me.

As far as Lowe's, they have every right to sponsor or not sponsor any show they choose. If the show is getting minimal audience numbers, then they SHOULD find a better way to use their advertising budget. My personal opinion is that the ratings may be low because MANY people do know Muslim families as friends and neighbors already. This means that the families on the show do NOT create enough of a controversy as do the Sister Wives families, or the Duggars, or even Little People for that matter.

So Lowe's doesn't want to sponsor them....no big deal.....many THOUSANDS of other companies have chosen not to sponsor the show either.

 

[mysteriew]

Is Muslim a race?
I think it is a religion.

There are Muslims of every race.

Not sure this has anything to do with racism.

JMO

:whiteflag: You are right. I :bowdown: to you.

And you have caught me with my :footinmouth:. With out even thinking about it I realize I was caught in a bit of discrimination myself. Inadvertently I showed that when I think of Muslim anymore, I think of Middle Eastern heritage. I am aware that Muslim's come in all shapes, sizes and heritage's. But the way that I see it used anymore predominantly is used with a Middle Eastern connection. So when I hear Muslim, that is where my thoughts go.

And I fear the same might be true with Lowe's. But when I do the association with Middle Eastern, I hopefully allow for the fact that not only does Muslim cover more than Middle Eastern connections, not all Muslim's want to do harm to us. However I am not so sure that Lowe's administration is ready to make that concession.

 

[gitana1]

www.dictionary.com

Muslim

1. follower of Islam (noun)
2. of or pertaining to Islam (adjective)



*Muslim is not a race.

You are certainly right. But most Muslims are either Arabic, African or southeast Asian. When people say negative things about Muslims, sometimes they refer to their overwhelmingly "darker" ethnicity. Sand n!$$%& is one I have heard.

And it doesn't help that Muslims tend to be from middle eastern or other dark-skinned ethnic backgrounds, when it comes to how they are perceived by bigots.

All the people featured on the show are Middle Eastern. I think this is really a case of religious discrimination, with a little "racial" discrimination added to the mix.

But again, what rights are the people on the show being denied? There is no state action, there is private action with regards to a decision when and where to advertise. There are a lot of companies who choose NOT to advertise during the 700 Club - does this apply to the as well? When the atheist groups get all peeved about an advertiser buying spots when Tim Tebow prays and the advertiser pulls out, is that the same?

We're just going too far. Too far with private companies. Why should government compel them to act? Let's see: is it an Equal Protection right of theirs being violated? No. And Congress could only pass the laws restricting discrimination when it had a substantial impact on interstate commerce...don't see that issue here.

Consumers can be mad and not shop at Lowes. Other than that, they have every right and the government should not infringe upon it. If enough people want to support them or are too lazy to go to Home Depot or don't really even watch the news and have no idea then oh well. We can't legislate this kind of thing...no matter how wrong you think it is. This is easily distinguishable from refusing to serve someone!

Well, you are right. No one from the particular show is being denied service from Lowes. And that is why it is likely not an actionable act. It would be hard to sue them for discrimination and make it past an invariable motion to quash.

But, the show and the people on it are paid by ad dollars. Lack of ad dollars means their monies dry up. So there is a real effect to pulling advertising based solely on criticism of their religion and/or racial background.

Nevertheless, I don't know that this is something the government should get involved in. I think it is more something the public should get involved in - calling out Lowes for pandering to small-minded, alarmist bigots.

There are plenty of Muslims who are just like everyone else. Their religion is not inherently more violent than Judaism or Christianity. It's how it is interpreted. And if you have a country that is 2000 years behind, allowing the text to be interpreted in an extremist, fundamentalist manner, you have problems.

But these people are Americans. Not here to create sleeper cells or anything else. Just to work and live the American dream, it appears. If they liked extremism, they would either be living in a place like Saudi Arabia or they would be adhering strictly to a fundamentalist form of the religion, which means they would not be getting tattoos, opening up nightclubs, talking about pregnancy on national t.v. or being on such a show to begin with.

This show bothers people who need to cast all Muslims as the enemy because it becomes harder to dehumanize people when they seem so much like us. Lowes pandered to that attitude with its decision to pull their ads and I find that incredibly sad in a nation such as ours.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

My point is, it's not racism.

I've heard the term sand n***^^ too but it is used to describe middle eastern folks, not necessarily Muslims.

You can not assume a middle eastern person is Muslim. There are many religions in the middle east.

 

[gitana1]

I'd like to mention something I haven't on this thread thus far. This is not the first time Lowe's has been accused of discrimination. They apparently have a long history of that, (as well as some hardcore issues with environmental violations/pollution):

Claims of racial discrimination and disability discrimination:

Plaintiffs claimed they were denied the same
bathroom breaks and non-emergency phone calls that white employees got. They were
called "[expletive] Mexicans" and blacks were called "monkey faces." One employee
whose wife was distraught over the terror attacks on New York was told "you're not
American, so why do you care." Managers allegedly caused a diabetic employee to pass
out by refusing to let him take his insulin, then fired him after he was released from the
hospital. One woman claimed that she was target of sexually explicit comments from her
supervisor. ("Lowe's minority workers in New Jersey sue, alleging bias, abuse,
harassment," P. Sampson, The Record, Bergen, NJ, Feb. 10, 2002)

Claim of racial discrimination:

Kentucky complaints again
Robert Parker Wilson, an employee of Lowe's for seven years, claimed that he endured
racial intimidation. He said this abuse began in November 1991 when he was hired and
went on nearly daily. He claims he complained to the managers, some of whom joined
the abuse, while others ignored his complaints. He filed a formal complaint first with the
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights in March 1999, then filed suit against Lowe's in
December 2001. ("Civil Rights suit back," Kentucky Post, Covington, KY, Dec 29,
2001)

http://www.hadleyneighbors.org/downloads/lowes01.pdf

Claims of religious discrimination:

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. —Lowe’s Home Centers committed religious discrimination by requiring an employee to work on his Sabbath, and by harassing and retaliating against the employee, causing him to lose hours, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed yesterday. The EEOC also pointed out that while Lowe’s has an asserted policy for requesting religious accommodations, its workplace policy and practice was to refuse to accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs of its employees, in violation of federal law.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit (Civil Action No. 2:10-cv-00063), filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northeastern Division, Lowe’s Home Center refused to accommodate a current employee of its Morristown, Tenn., store after he advised Lowe’s of his sincere religious belief as a Baptist against working on the Sabbath, Sunday. The employee submitted two written requests for a religious accommodation not to be scheduled for work on Sunday.
Lowe’s ignored the request for two months, the EEOC said, and then denied the request because Lowe’s said that it might create a hardship on other employees who might like to have Sundays off. After this employee and others were reduced from full-time to part-time status, Lowe’s refused to allow the employee to apply for open full-time positions because of his sincerely held religious belief against working on the Sabbath.

http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-30-10.cfm

Claim of disability discrimination:

Hanning claims he was discharged from his employment because of his disability and because of a workers' compensation claim he had filed.

http://www.wvrecord.com/news/239715-man-accuses-lowes-of-discrimination-wrongful-termination

Claim of racial discrimination of a customer:
http://www.boycottowl.com/Lowe%27s/97

Claim of gender discrimination of a manager (upon being transferred she was the only female manager. She was excluded from management meetings and not allowed to perform her managerial duties): http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/settlements/11950/lowes-gender-discrimination.html

Lowe's pays out 1.7 million in a suit filed by a woman and two men who claim they were harassed and discriminated against: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009708604_weblowes21m.html

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

Just for the record, I left Lowe's about 5 years ago, and at that time I worked side by side with a Muslim from the middle east, who is here legally btw. He has since been promoted twice that I know of in that time. But I would venture to say it would not surprise me if Lowe's pulled their ads due to backlash from the vocal majority, but I won't say that IS the reason.

 

[TrackerSam]

But, the show and the people on it are paid by ad dollars. Lack of ad dollars means their monies dry up. So there is a real effect to pulling advertising based solely on criticism of their religion and/or racial background.

They pulled their ads based on low viewership or do you have a video taped confession of religious discrimination? Most shows don't make it past the first 13 weeks causing many actors "monies to dry up" - happens every year. How is Lowes responsible for the income of the cast? They're not. Most people in reality shows have jobs and the TV revenue is a boon. And again - Lowes was not the only company advertising on the show nor the only company to pull ads from this show. I suspect the ad contract they had with this show specified a certain level of viewership and an escape clause if an adequate level isn't realized. Even if Lowes was the only advertiser, the cast is employed by the producers of the show, not Lowes. If the producers can't find ad revenue it's Lowes fault?
Citing circumstances from other cases that Lowes was involved in proves nothing.

 

[Yoda]

:twocents: On the flip side, Lowes donates thousands of dollars every year, lowes volunteers thousands of service hours, Lowes is a hard working American born company that employees thousands of people across the USA and globe. I am not going to link to proof- google it, there are articles everywhere.
In those thousands of employees there are going to be bigots, racists, sexists, etc. -just like in any large, or even small company. Tell me what the percentage is of employee discrimination to number of employees ever hired, what is the percentage of customer maltreatment to number of customer interactions. When someone actually does real research and not this 'sensationalism' carp and gets those numbers and determines they are high then start questioning a company. Owning my own business, I easily get disgusted by know it alls who pull this carp 'the company is evil, racist'. I hire the best I can, I evaluate, I survey my customers on performance, but THIS IS The USA. I can not control my employees minds, actions, words. They are not terrified for their life if they do or say something that they know does not represent the company. When I hear, or eventually find out, do you think I'm happy? No, it's my and my company's reputation.
Now to the ad withdraw. If that is what the company decided and you don't like it, write them and don't shop there.

 

[Kimster]

I was kinda surprised to see that Lowe's pulled their advertising from this show. I'm not Muslim, but I do believe in freedom of religion and as long as the show isn't promoting crime or making light of terrorism or some such thing, who cares? :dunno:

To me, it was not a good message to be sending out there. But, it's the one Lowe's chose to send so now the rest of us get to choose if we want to patronize them or not.

I'd like to see more reality shows based on faith without mocking. That would be nice.

(This is MOO and not necessarily the opinion of Websleuths.com).

 

[Kimberlyd125]

So if the show fails and the network cancels it, will the network be boycotted too?
Will the network be considered a bunch of bigots?

 

[MissJames]

My point is, it's not racism.

I've heard the term sand n***^^ too but it is used to describe middle eastern folks, not necessarily Muslims.

You can not assume a middle eastern person is Muslim. There are many religions in the middle east.

But that's what racism is :waitasec: Not all African Americans share the same religion but the N word is a racial slur against African Americans. I see no difference .It's racism.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

But that's what racism is :waitasec: Not all African Americans share the same religion but the N word is a racial slur against African Americans. I see no difference .It's racism.

I think we are making the same point. Using that slur is racism.

My point is, discriminating against Muslims is not racism. It's religious intolerance.

Discriminating against those from the middle east is racism.


The show is about Muslims.

 

[HMSHood]

Is Muslim a race?
I think it is a religion.

There are Muslims of every race.

Not sure this has anything to do with racism.

JMO

Exactly. Muslims can be Black, White, Brown, and Yellow. Most Muslims are Caucasian regardless of skin color. Yes, there are blonde haired and blue eyed Muslims, who are usually Persian, Turkish, and even Arab.