The hammer (at $4.98 it was a decent deal) came from a hardware store called Lowe's. Lowe's a big chain, a genuine retail “giant”, that does business across all of America with customers, no doubt, with backgrounds reflecting the diversity of this big country.
Late last week Lowe's corporate management made a decision it does not appear to regret in any way despite the strong reaction it prompted. It pulled advertising from a cable TV program called All-American Muslim that airs on the mainstream TLC network. TLC, it should be noted, is an acronym for The Learning Channel. When it's not broadcasting All-American Muslim TLC's airtime is filled with shows called Extreme Couponing, Cake Boss, and Say Yes To The Dress. It's probable that you have seen some of these programs.
All-American Muslim is a reality-style TV show that follows five families from Dearborn, Michigan, an outer-suburb of Detroit which is home to the largest Muslim population in the US. Having watched a few episodes, I can announce it is either fascinating or boring, depending on whether you find watching someone choose what colour headscarf to buy makes for interesting TV or not (I'm being only a little facetious). Alternatively, imagine Keeping Up With The Kardashians but without the tits and arse, obscene consumerism, and vacuuousness,
It seems Lowe's withdrew its ads from the show after an organisation that calls itself the Florida Family Association complained to the retailer claiming the program is “propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.”
Lowe's agreed. While it took a hit for its decision – with one state senator from California calling it “un-American” and “naked religious bigotry” – it stood firm. On its Facebook page, the retailer issued a statement that said, in part:
“It appears that we managed to step into a hotly contested debate with strong views from virtually every angle and perspective – social, political and otherwise – and we've managed to make some people very unhappy. We are sincerely sorry.
We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, across our workforce and our customers, and we're proud of that longstanding commitment… We believe it is best to respectfully defer to communities, individuals and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance.”
The comments in response to the Facebook statement sway from “… How you could bow to a small minority of bigots in Florida over hundreds of thousands is beyond me and I'm disappointed…” to “…Once AMERICANS have destroyed this Islamic curse it is time to go after the left-wing scum that invited them here to destroy our house…” to “…when I need good quality timber for the next time I burn a cross in someone's lawn, you'll be my first stop.”
Some of the comments are perhaps more insightful and alarming than Lowe's original decision. And this all on the same weekend that Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich claimed Palestinians were an “invented” people.
Kind of like, by the same logic, those people in Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, and seeing we're on a roll here, Israel, the United States, and Australia.
Now, about that hammer…
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