Would this be a fair product to offer businesses being threatened by AFA?

I'm kinda reposting this from another blog where I left it. . .:-)

I think we should get a company and start putting together signs to offer FREE to all the companies, stores, broadcasters and businesses which have been subjected to intimidating boycott threats by the American Family Association.

Why not offer these companies signs that say "Since the AFA demands control over our product sales to other customers, we will honor their threatened boycott and refuse to serve any member of the American Family Association."

I'm not sure how good for business displaying such signs would be. What's the potential benefit to the business owner?

that has become a professional boycott industry, and it would likely increase business by letting the public know that they have stood up to the lunatics.

When you're in business to make money and money comes from sales and sales require customers... Doesn't this amount to essentially boycotting your own business by deciding not to sell your products to a particular group of people?

Sorry, but I don't get it.. :-/

When you have a small group of customers that have determined your marketing/product line has to please them only, or that they must pre-screen and dictate what you are allowed to sell to others or face repeated boycott threats, informing the public with a sign is likely to increase sales traffic. You only boycott your own business when you let some fringe religious professional boycotting group dictate your policies.

The message is this - if the AFA calls you 100 times and demands you remove an item from your shelves, and 500 people find out they are blackmailing you and you agree to their demands, you are more likely to lose 500 people who no longer respect your business autonomy or your dedication to providing products for all your customers.

On the other hand, if the AFA calls you 100 times and threatens to boycott and you post a display honoring their intent by refusing to serve them (since that WAS their leverage) you aren't alienating ANY customers - they already alienated themselves by leveling their threat. You just backed it up by letting them know you'll enforce it FOR them and that your aren't in the business of catering to only one narrow religious belief that demands to dictate to others.

Thanks for the explanation and it does sort of make some sense... but I've been a business owner before and honestly, I don't think you'll get more than 1 business in 1000 that would even consider posting such a sign in their business. Most of them can't afford the controversy and would rather just ignore the whole affair, i.e. ignore the AFAs threats AND ignore the other extreme that would enjoy seeing them stand up to the AFA.

Facts are, most successful businesses service the large swath of people in between these extremes and that large group of customers cares about neither the AFAs threatened boycotts nor the idea that the business stood up to them. I think apathy rules here, the sign would be largely meaningless to most of the customers that might see it.

But hey, it's an idea... try it. Get some signs printed up and start contacting the business you think most likely to embrace the idea.

is that there is another extreme. The AFA is the extreme. Their constant boycotts of companies are not being met generally with counter-boycotts, but with a growing number of people disgusted when companies cave into their demands.