• Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    In other news, threats of violence continue to be used because they’re effective, film at 11.

    Remember, guys. When you’re criticizing companies like Target for this, remember that it’s not the CEOs that have to deal with the fallout on a day-to-day basis. They’re safe in their offices. It’s the teenage cashiers and stock boys that have to bear the brunt of the threats. It’s the rank-and-file employees, who have no say in the matter one way or the other and have no authority to do anything about it. They’re the ones who have to deal with the crazy bastards who come in and start physically tearing things down. The ones who come in screaming and causing a scene. The employees who can’t even do anything about the asshole, especially if he’s uncooperative and refuses to leave. Sure, they could call the cops, who might show up 20 minutes later.

    Yes, these companies should be supporting the LGBT community. But if doing so is literally going to put their rank-and-file employees at risk from violent bigots, I can at least understand why they’re gun-shy. There’s no possible way to stop a bigot from walking into any store and creating havoc to get their point across, and there are far more bigots out there who have already said they’re willing to resort to violence than most people thought.

    Look at it this way: You have a choice to make. You’ve got social media on one side telling you to take choice A because it’s the right choice to make, and some nutjob(s) in your face, physically threatening you with violence until you take choice B. Which one are you going to choose?

    “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” And everybody has an answer until they’re the ones being threatened.

    • greenskye@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      Honestly all this tells me is that peaceful movements and protests are seemingly far less effective than violence. So if the LGBT crowd wants to see change, then their going to have to get violent too.

      I don’t morally agree with it, but it feels hard to deny the realities about it.

      • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Oh most definitely! Freedom is bought with blood.

        Source: The whole of human history.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        You may not morally agree but I morally encourage it, make those sonsovbitches bleed. Especially if theyre Seventh Day Adventist affiliates or outright part of.

      • 0xD@infosec.pub
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        7 months ago

        In general, peaceful protests have been historically way more effective. But if you let the violent bigots get too far, especially into governments, you will have no other choice than to remove them with violence. I don’t think the world is there yet, but if they are enabled further it “soon” will be.

      • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        f you capitulate to the unreasonable demands of a violent minority, then you are encouraging more of that behavior. throwing a certain class of people under the bus in the name of money/fear is wrong on pretty much every level and i think your justification for it is cowardly.

        Any time you want, you can be a Target cashier. Fight the unreasonable demands of the violent minority over culture war issues that don’t even affect you, all for minimum wage! The list of benefits includes:

        • Having absolutely no say in what your company sells or displays.
        • Having absolutely no say in company policy
        • Having to answer for the above to every MAGA redneck who shows up, because you’re the first guy in a red shirt that the asshole happened to spot.
        • In rare cases, being threatened or physically assaulted by said MAGA redneck when your answers aren’t to their liking
        • Having to clean up the messes they create when they “take matters into their own hands” and start destroying displays.
        • And as an extra added bonus, you too can be fired for standing up to the customer, defending yourself, or just in case the company needs a low-end fall guy to take the blame if things go south!

        Sign up today! I’m sure there are plenty of culture war issues that you can defend while making about as much money as a Walmart greeter!

        just to reiterate: you are a coward, and you should feel bad about it. i have no respect for people with so little principles. you disgust me on a level that is beyond words. i do not care to have any more of a conversation, i just want you to know that you’re a baby bitch.

        Easy to say when you’re not the one who has to actually deal with the consequences of someone else’s decisions.

      • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Put your loved ones in danger supporting a topic they care little about. Your mentality is the same used to support wars.

        “My morality dictates this is worth putting other people in the line of fire for my ideals!”

        • AbsentBird@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          By allowing the terrorism to succeed they’re encouraging further harassment against a vulnerable minority.

          Many of my loved ones were already in danger from those hateful bigots, who are now emboldened and looking for new targets thanks to spineless corporate appeasement.

          • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Many of my loved ones were already in danger from those hateful bigots, who are now emboldened and looking for new targets thanks to spineless corporate appeasement.

            So your solution is to put someone else’s loved ones in danger from those hateful bigots?

            • AbsentBird@lemm.ee
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              7 months ago

              No, my solution is to protect the workers and continue to stand for queer acceptance. When people shoplift these corporations have no qualms with spending millions on security, but when it comes to standing up for the LGBTQ+ community they won’t put their money where their mouth is, they would rather shift the conflict onto people who don’t have ample resources to defend themselves.

              • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                they would rather shift the conflict onto people who don’t have ample resources to defend themselves.

                This is exactly what you’re advocating, though: Shifting the conflict onto a bunch of rank-and-file employees who (a) mostly have no skin in the game, (b) are typically teenagers making minimum wage, © likely have no interest in getting in the middle of a culture war, (d) can’t do anything to defend themselves without risking their job (or risking further violence from the bigot), and (e) are bound by company policy.

                If you think rank and file department store employees should be the ones to “protect the workers and continue to stand for queer acceptance”, feel free to fill out an application at your local Target.

                Your local Target cashier didn’t start this culture war against the LGBT community. And it’s unfair for people like you to demand that they stand in the front lines and fight a culture war that they didn’t start and want nothing to do with.

                • AbsentBird@lemm.ee
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                  7 months ago

                  I’ve worked retail for stores like that. It doesn’t need to be the way you’re describing it. If they put a fraction of the effort they put towards loss prevention into protecting their workers everyone could be safe.

                  Costco required masks for years during the pandemic, some people hated it and blamed the workers, but instead of giving up and backing down Costco invested in keeping their staff safe and de-escalating conflicts.

      • StereoTrespasser@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        The ironic thing here is that you’re getting just as worked up as the other side is. Maybe if both extreme fringes calm down, the rest of us in the middle can just have a beer while wearing a North Face jacket.

        • AVincentInSpace@pawb.social
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          7 months ago

          Whether or not gay people should be allowed to exist at all is not an issue upon which it is possible to compromise!

        • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Yup. Nothing is worth deciding someone else should get bullied for your decisions. People don’t work retail because they want to deal with culture war problems.

          This isnt life or death. It’s selling rainbow themed products.