Corporate Responsibility Against Trump and Public Backlash Against Uber

Trump has worked harder and faster than any past president in order to achieve an abysmal 50% disapproval rating in his very first week, a feat that took the previous guys 2-3 years to achieve. The public outcry and protests across the nation and around the globe have offered some affirmation that a resistance is being enacted to fight for what's right and prevent continued unethical and unlawful actions by this president.

We the people are the best chance of shattering his fragile ego since he's so concerned about his popularity; we are the voices of this great nation and need to ensure our government officials who represent us know what we actually want and need; and we are the checks and balances to hold our government accountable for their actions. Our petitions, rallies, phone calls, letters, and social media rants are not enough. We need to make a financial impact and get backing by corporations who have greater influence in the resistance than any individual. 

Our power is not only in our voices but also our dollars, and how we use our dollars to send a strong message in support of companies that align with our values or against companies that align themselves with the questionable values of our president and his administration. Money drives our economy, lobbies our government and funds our politicians, and plays into the greed of this particular president and his cronies.  

In response to the Muslim ban, several companies quickly issued public statements speaking out against Trump and reiterating their commitment to inclusion.

Some of the companies that excelled include: 

Some of the companies that had a decent response, but we should implore them to do more:

Some of the companies that really should have done better:

In case you're wondering who to boycott then, here's a very short excerpt from a much longer shit list of companies that fund and support Trump and so far are not holding him accountable for his actions:

  • Home Depot
  • Yeungling
  • New Balance
  • NASCAR
  • Hobby Lobby
  • Jenny Craig
  • Forbes

** Uber has received massive backlash from the public and helped to escalate Lyft to the top 10 list of Apple's app store thanks entirely to how they handled (or mishandled) messaging during protests and strikes after Trump's executive order was made public. 

Years ago, feeling appalled by their slow and insufficient response to rapes committed by their unvetted drivers, I boycotted Uber until they updated their background checks and took responsibility for ensuring safety of their customers. This past weekend, dozens of my friends deleted the Uber app for a variety of reasons of which the tip of the iceberg for them was their fumbled response to Trump's policy.

I put out a call to friends to help me understand why exactly I should boycott Uber, and I wasn't given any reason that convinced me. That is not to say I think Uber could not have done better, and I will monitor them closely to ensure they as a company align with my values if I continue to remain loyal to them. In our great capitalist nation, I have choices and I will always choose to support companies that earn my trust and respect. I will be loyal to those brands who support and promote human rights and civil liberties. Uber has lost many users this week, it's up to them to hear the message loud and clear and shift their business ethics and messaging in a more positive direction.

I 100% agree Lyft is amazing for pledging $1,000,000 to the ACLU over the next 4 years but does that in itself make Uber bad? They didn't go on strike, but seeing as how the drivers are non-unionized independent contractors, should they have? They did send out messaging that they cut their prices instead of instating surge prices -- this was not well-received. Did Lyft go on strike? No. Lyft had drivers at the airports, but the backlash against Uber for doing the same is due in part to Lyft's timely public pledge in support of civil liberties. 

The most questionable issue for me is that CEO Travis Kalanick is part of Trump's advisory team (along with Elon Musk). However, he has been critical of Trump in the past and hopefully will use his position to be a voice of reason and hold him accountable. I can understand that he has to work with this administration if he wants to influence public policy around riders, drivers, and cities, I just hope he takes a moral higher ground to do so. 

Uber was slow to issue a public statement and their messaging didn't take as strong a stance on the issue, and quite frankly may have been a mitigating reaction to the #deleteuber trend. However, I don't see any evidence that they support Trump or agree with anything the imbecile is doing to our country, so therefore I won't be deleting my app at this time. Hopefully I won't regret my naiveté in giving them a pass on this one.

The folks at Lyft would be stupid not to take advantage of their perceived moral superiority to Uber, but only if they're committed to respond adequately when the next opportunity arises. In the end, they're all companies with revenue as their number one focus. I plead to these companies to earn the loyalty of the people they depend on for that revenue by taking a stronger position on important social issues. I plead to the public to hold the companies you support accountable to uphold your values. Together we can join forces to send a real message of the economic consequences of endorsement of Trump's authoritarian regime. 

#trump #corporateresponsibility #uber #deleteuber #brandconscience #brandvalues

 

What Privileged People Need to Understand About Trump's Threats

At initial glance, this felt like one of the truest statements made about the 2016 election. Somewhat back-handed, it is directed at the privileged people who voted for Donald Trump because he doesn't threaten their human rights. No one should accept his racism or his many other unforgivable qualities, but it is to some extent understandable that privilege makes it difficult to see or understand the gravity of his words and actions. There are so many types of privilege at play here, predominantly the following:  

Male privilege. This could make it understandable how one could overlook sexual assault and misogyny against women. Men do not feel threatened on a daily basis because of their gender, so perhaps it's difficult to see how policies that take away a woman's choice over her own body or a legal system that doesn't protect women against rape and assault are serious concerns under Trump's presidency. It's not the first thing to come to mind for someone who is not personally affected. 

White privilege. This could make it understandable how one could not take seriously the threats against minorities and immigrants. White people haven't experienced racism so perhaps it's difficult to see how social policies designed to suppress others based on race are a real thing and will become more probable under Trump's presidency. Most white voters probably didn't even realize or think about this possibility because it's never been something they've needed to be aware of themselves.  

Socio-economic privilege. This could make it understandable how someone could not fear the impact of economic destruction and the repeal of affordable healthcare. If you've never had to worry about earning enough money to keep a roof over your head, if you've never had to weigh the cost of medical treatment against the effects of prolonged suffering, if you've never had to be thankful for social programs that allow your child to eat lunch at school because you can't afford to feed them -- it makes sense you wouldn't be able to see the financial fears people have about Trump's presidency.  

Heterosexual privilege. This could make it understandable how someone could not fear the impact of policy changes that will not cause any change in daily life for heterosexual people. Meanwhile, my trans friends are concerned with legality of their name changes and access to healthcare. My gay friends are concerned with the recognition of their marriage. My queer friends across the spectrum are concerned with threats of violence or discrimination in the workplace or with housing. Someone who is straight and doesn't personally know any LGBT people may not realize how much Trump's presidency threatens to change. 

Seriously though, despite privilege, you should be capable of seeing what a dangerous president Trump will be. 

It does not require having a penis to understand that a president needs to not be hateful and violent toward women. Plenty of men voted and continue to petition against Trump because although they are male, they have women in their lives they respect and love. Plenty of men without a specific woman in their life whom they feel the need to protect are just plain capable of seeing men and women as equals and care about human rights. 

Being white is not an excuse either. One doesn't have to be threatened personally to understand a threat against another human being is just plain wrong. You can be white and still be abhorred by the violence Trump encouraged against black people at his rallies. You don't even have to personally know any illegal Mexican immigrants to know they're not all "rapists and criminals". You don't see racism with your skin color, you see it with your eyes. You know it with your brain. And yes, regardless of your own race, you can feel it in your heart when your fellow humans are being attacked and threatened. 

Wealthy individuals may benefit from paying less in taxes and may not be personally concerned with affordable healthcare or the volatile changes to real estate and global economy, but any individual with half a brain should understand the long-lasting impact an economic downturn has not only on our nation of 325 or so million people but also across the world. No one should want the economy destroyed, even rich folks.  

You can be straight and still understand that roughly 9 million people are not and they deserve the same rights you have -- for marriage, housing, employment, financial loans, adoption, healthcare, use of public restrooms, freedom from violence, etc. 

Still, perhaps people of privilege can be excused for their ignorance, but what about the Trump voters who fall into into the many non-privileged groups his campaign has promised to harm?  

By far, the data I've found most incomprehensible is the statistical breakdown of actual Trump voters that exposes how many women and minorities voted for him. It would make sense perhaps if women and people of color voted for him because they fell into the third category of privilege I listed above - that of a higher socio-economic class. However, media reports show that many of them are poor and struggling -- hopeful for some sort of change. Could they feel so far removed from personal impact of his platform that they don't feel a threat? Could they be so un-educated that they can't understand the change they need is not the one they'll get? 

According to exit polls published on NY Times  42% of women voted for Trump. They voted for a man who bragged about being a sexual predator and who has disrespected women countless times and is facing charges for raping a 13 year old girl. It is unbelievable to me that any woman would throw her morals aside to cast a vote for him. He also garnered support from people of color who voted for him -- 8% of black voters, 29% of hispanic/latino voters, 29% of asian voters, and 37% of voters who identified as "other" did too. While exit polls are not accurately representative of nationwide statistics, these numbers are far greater than I'd expect for a man who has openly insulted blacks, hispanics/latinos, and asians throughout his campaigns. 5% of people who identify as LGBT voted for Trump!! This is a man whose campaign stands against many policies protecting the rights of the LGBT population, how can any LGBT person be okay with what this means for their community? An overwhelming number of people voted for Trump simply because they felt a needed change. Change is coming, and I hope the people who voted for him understand they are responsible for the damages these changes will bring. 

Lastly, it's important to note that nearly 47% of the U.S. population eligible to vote -- didn't. At all. They simply chose not to vote in our modern history's most critical election. These people are equally implicated in whatever may come as a result of their inaction. These people are just as responsible for electing a racist, misogynistic, and homophobic president who will cause great harm to so many people.   

A racist president will not protect people of color from being relegated to second-class citizenship, he will not protect us from violent attacks from the racist America he has revived, he will not protect us from discrimination in the workplace / housing market / financial institutions, and he most certainly will not protect American citizens of color and their families from the effects of deportation and immigration policy changes that were the foundation of his racist platform.   

A misogynist president will not protect women's rights to their own reproductive system, their healthcare access, their equal pay, or their rights to justice after assault. 

A homophobic president will not protect the rights to healthcare for trans people, the right to marriage for gay people, the right to live and work without discrimination and threats of violence. 

Circling back to the concept of privilege and how it plays a role in how people voted. My Trump-supporting friends stated they're not racist (and they don't believe Trump is racist) but that they voted for Trump based on policy. What their privilege prevents them from understanding is why racism matters in policy making. And while the quote at the top of this post is about racism, the election of Trump as our president will result in policies that have far wider impact across many groups of non-privileged people. This is something that people of privilege need to understand and acknowledge, and need to help prevent now that Trump is our president elect.  

#privilege #trump

If Not Now, When??

When will things change? Every day more heartache over lives lost at the hands of murderous police sanctioned by the racism and corruption that's insidiously growing across this country. This can't keep happening.

#blacklivesmatter