Built Ford
Tough?
Guy Adams
March 25, 2006
Built Ford
tough. Heard that slogan lately? Does your
Ford truck have a solid frame? According to
the American Family Association (AFA), you might
want to check--since the company that builds it,
Ford Motor Company, is apparently
inclined to sway to and fro. I will
explain.
On November 28, 2005, leading
members of the American Family Association had a
meeting with representatives of Ford. I'm told
that Buddy Smith and Dr. Don Wildmon, head of the
AFA, were also present. (Dr. Wildmon and the AFA
do good work for America.) At this meeting,
according to the AFA, Ford reportedly
promised the
following:
- Ford
would not renew current promotions or create
future incentives that give cash donations to
homosexual organizations based on the purchase
of a vehicle.
- Ford
would not make corporate donations to homosexual
organizations that, as part of their activities,
engage in political or social campaigns to
promote civil unions or same-sex
marriage.
- Ford
would stop giving cash and vehicle donations or
endorsements to homosexual social activities
such as Gay Pride parades.
- Ford
would cease all advertising in homosexual
websites and media outlets (magazines,
television, radio) in the U.S. with the
exception of $100,000 to be used by Volvo. The
Volvo ads would be the same ads used in the
general media and not aimed at the homosexual
community
specifically.
After
this agreement was reached, however, several
homosexual groups complained to Ford and got the
company to drop its agreement with the AFA. To
appease the homosexuals, Ford then signed a
letter agreeing to continue its strong support of
homosexual groups. Ford also announced
that ALL their brands, not just a few, would
support the homosexual media with
advertising.
For background, here are some
of the objectionable things Ford has been
doing--taken from the AFA's sister website, www.BoycottFord.com:
- Ford
has publicly announced that they are giving
$250,000 to help build a dedicated
homosexual community center in Ferndale,
Michigan.
- Ford
hired a D.C. marketing firm to target the gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender market and
developed a plan to involve Ford in the
day-to-day business of selling vehicles
worldwide to gay and lesbian
customers.
- Ford
was an executive sponsor of the 2004 "Out &
Equal Workplace Summit Conference." The purpose
of the event was to advance the homosexual
agenda, including homosexual marriage, in major
corporations.
- Ford
donated to the Michigan Gay Pride March a red
Mustang Cobra convertible. This was the first
time an auto manufacturer has donated a vehicle
for the Michigan Gay Pride
Parade.
- Ford
has been an "Emerald Sponsor" of Parents,
Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
(PFLAG), a national organization promoting the
homosexual lifestyle, including homosexual
marriage.
- Ford
has been an annual sponsor of the "Reaching Out
MBA Conference" that promotes the education,
visibility, and networking capabilities of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender business
leaders in the United States and around the
globe.
- Ford
believes the effort to legalize homosexual
marriage by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) is so important that, in
2005, the company gave GLAAD up to $1,000 for
every Jaguar or Land Rover (both Ford products)
purchased that year.
- Ford
gave more than $5000 to help sponsor the 2004
and 2005 Motor City Pride Weekend. The 2005
event included--among other things--a
homosexual "commitment (marriage)
ceremony."
- Ford
supports homosexual publications with ads,
including sexually oriented
ads.
(See
the heading "Ford's Track Record of Support
for the Homosexual Agenda," including
homosexual marriage, for more details on how Ford
seemingly promotes and endorses homosexuality at
www.BoycottFord.com/.)
Betrayed?
Don't
you feel at least a little betrayed? Why is a
powerful corporate icon undercutting the efforts
of parents to shield their children from an
unnatural lifestyle? That lifestyle is already
injected into our kid's world via the Internet,
movies and DVD, music, and schools. Look at how
widely circulated the pro-homosexual book
"Heather has two Mommies" has been
into the elementary school system. Look at how
increasingly difficult it is becoming for parents
to effectively oppose what their kids are being
taught about homosexuality throughout our
culture--especially on television. Was it
appropriate for Britney Spears to
French-kiss Madonna on primetime TV?
Is this the kind of role model we want for our
children? Well, as you can see from the above
bullet points, this is apparently the kind of
influence Ford is willing to give our children, if
the AFA is correct. Now do you feel a little
betrayed?
Let me stress at the outset that,
as opposed to the homosexual lifestyle I am, I
believe in the right of homosexuals to live as
they choose in terms of the right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, without
fearing for their lives or safety.
But homosexuals are not in need of
any special protections or advantages, from
Ford or any other entity, including government.
Why should federal money, YOUR money, be used to
create or fund a federally protected group when it
is NOT NEEDED? The same laws that protect you and
me already protect homosexuals.
I am not advocating discrimination
in public employment or in housing, etc.
Homosexuals have the same constitutional right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that
any American has--but I do not believe that the
homosexual lifestyle should be thrust upon others
or other people’s children in the media, in
entertainment, in education, or in advertising.
Nor do I believe that a publicly traded company
should be using its money to further promote
homosexuality, in clear disregard for the
overwhelming majority of its customers and
stockholders.
The word of Henry Ford
The
issue here is not simply Ford's promotion of an
unhealthy lifestyle--disturbing as that is. It's
also the company's unwillingness to abide by an
agreement. When Henry Ford gave his word, it was
well-known that a contract was usually not needed;
it was understood by everyone that he was a man of
his word. If Henry Ford said he'd do something,
you could bank on it, and indeed many did, putting
money into various ventures because Henry Ford was
good for the money. Henry Ford produced an
affordable car, he paid high wages for workers,
his company pioneered the assembly line, and he
helped create a substantial middle class as a
result.
Assuming that the AFA accurately
reported Ford's alleged failure to uphold the
company's side of their agreement, then Ford needs
to take stock of its public policies and make
needed corrections, in the tradition of its
founder's fidelity to his word. Ford should
uphold its promises.
Should it ultimately do so,
as a result of the AFA boycott, I will inform you
of that fact as soon as I hear from Ford. You have
my word on it.
Willing to be
open-minded
So we reportedly have a
situation were Ford has gone back on its word. The
AFA has stated this. There is little reason to
doubt the AFA, knowing what good and sound work
they have previously done for America. In my
opinion, their credibility is beyond serious
question.
Let me add that I believe this
whole mess is the kind of thing that happens when
you take God out of public life. You can't take
God out of our schools, our universities, our
government, our businesses, and sadly, even out of
some of our churches, without arriving at a point
where this kind of far-reaching betrayal
had to happen. Our word is no longer our
bond. Left is now right. Day has become night.
Moral clarity has become blurred. According to the
AFA, it now appears that the company of Henry Ford
cannot be relied on. I hope that they will come to
their senses. They have gone back on their word,
according to the AFA.
The
BoycottFord website says, "The homosexual leaders
. . . demanded, and got, a letter from Ford
stating that Ford would continue [to] support . .
. homosexual groups. All the homosexual groups
which receive financial support from Ford have the
legalization of homosexual marriage as the top
item on their agenda." Read it for yourself at http://www.afa.net/Fordletter.asp.
From the information I've read and received, it
seems that Ford has gone back on their word
to the AFA and ultimately to America, as well.
Again, I hope there is more to the story than I've
been informed of.
Should Ford contact me with
any clarifications, and I hope that they will, I
will report that to you right away.
A proud American icon seems
to be hiding its pro-homosexual support under such
terms as "diversity" and "inclusiveness." (See http://www.BoycottFord.com/pdf/Fordletter121405.pdf
for Ford's reply.) If everything reported by the
AFA is true, then it seems that high-level Ford
executives are cowering in the shadows,
intimidated by a mere handful of homosexual
activists. Henry Ford used to say, "They can
have any color they want, as long as it's
black." He was resolute, and if he saw an
issue one way, well then that's the way it was. He
did not cave in to lobbyists. To the Ford Company
I say: contact me and let me know that I have been
misinformed. Set the record straight and I will
report it. On the other hand, if the AFA was
correct, then amend your position, and I will
inform our grassroots readers of it.
A
few Ford slogans
In the meantime, perhaps we
should reconsider some familiar Ford slogans in
light of the company's alleged support of
homosexuality:
"Everything we do is driven by
YOU!" ~ Oh really? The overwhelming
majority of Americans oppose homosexuality and
homosexual marriage. You can dilute it by using
such semi-neutral terms such as "gay marriage" or
"same-sex marriage," but in the end, it's about
placing the most unnatural act of human behavior
under the hallowed rubric of marriage. Listen to
your customers, Ford: they resoundingly oppose
homosexuality.
"Have you driven a Ford
lately?" ~ No, and I won't in the future
if Ford is intent on promoting the gay agenda, at
least as the AFA says that they do.
"Quality is Job 1" ~
Is the homosexual lifestyle a "quality" lifestyle?
Ask those who've been involved in homosexual
behavior for a number of years and some will tell
you it's a lonely, promiscuous, frequently
drug-addicted or alcoholic life, and that it
frequently leads to a dead-end and loveless
existence. Among the small homosexual community,
many are not happy and want a way out. Ask Stephen
Bennett (http://www.sbministries.org/),
as I did. He'll tell you the truth about it. It's
anything but 'gay.'
Many
homosexuals become infected with HIV and
ultimately AIDS. There are serious medical
conditions that develop as a direct result of
homosexual behavior. Dr. John Diggs,
MD., wrote an excellent
comprehensive discussion of this. See it at:
http://www.CatholicEducation.org/articles/homosexuality/ho0075.html.
Be forewarned, it is graphic but it is based on
good science and is medically detailed. Its
conclusions are not in dispute by the medical
community. Like excessive drinking, these
conditions and diseases he mentions can be avoided
by not engaging in homosexual sex. It's a choice.
Also like other avoidable risks, the
public is growing weary of the rising costs of
health care, now increased by the towering costs
of combating serious medical conditions brought on
by homosexual sex. And more and more of your tax
money will go to treating diseases and conditions
brought on by homosexual sexual behavior if it
continues to be promoted by companies like Ford,
as well as by Hollywood and Liberals. Sound good
to you? Me neither. Arguably (but only by an
uninformed few), many homosexuals spread disease
by casual and unprotected sex. There is little
serious disagreement that promiscuous homosexual
sex is directly related to the AIDS epidemic in
America. There's nothing "gay" about that,
is there?
"There's a Ford in your
future" ~ Let's go back to the future, to
a more correct day when an American company
wouldn't dare engage in this homosexual insanity.
They wouldn't even consider making homosexuality
corporate policy. They'd be bankrupt overnight. At
first, I felt bad about supporting the Ford
boycott--knowing that thousands of innocent
workers could be affected--but maybe they're not
so innocent if they haven't opposed this reported
public endorsement of homosexuality. Have you
thought about that? In any case, I mentioned this
boycott to a friend of mine who has been working
for Ford for over a decade, and knowing this could
directly affect his bank account, he still said,
"They should be boycotted!" At risk to
himself, he put principle over
policy.
"Is there a Ford in your
future?" ~ Based on the facts as the AFA
reported them, we are supporting the American
Family Association in their call to boycott Ford
for up to a year, if necessary. I do NOT treat
boycotts lightly, as my readers well know. I
carefully consider the implications before
unleashing this powerful weapon. Before calling
for a boycott on NBC for The
Book of Daniel and the episode of
Will and Grace that would have made
a mockery of the crucifixion of Christ, I gave it
a lot of thought. But in the end, the action was
necessary. Grassroots America thought so too, and
called NBC in the many thousands. YOU made a real
difference.
But first we invite Ford's
reply. If the AFA has misrepresented Ford's
position, I invite Ford to clarify that for
me.
I must ask: why would Ford want
to endorse such a thing? When the prices of cars
are skyrocketing, why would Ford want to spend
millions of dollars promoting unnatural sexual
behavior that is embraced by maybe only one
percent of Americans? You need to consider that if
you buy a Ford, and if Ford is supporting
homosexuality as the AFA says that it is, then the
cost of promoting homosexuality would be PASSED ON
TO YOU in the price tag.
"Ford has a
better idea" and seemingly their better idea is
homosexuality. I hope not.
PROVE IT!
Liberals are fond of saying
that there needs to be a wall of separation
"between church and state," but the same people
don't seem to think we need a wall of separation
between homosexuality and our impressionable
children. Given this important fact, if Ford still
claims to care about traditional American values,
I say to Ford: PROVE IT! Prove it to us
by:
- Publicly
retracting your letter to the homosexual lobby,
and
- By
rejecting your reportedly pro-gay agenda, and
finally,
- By
upholding your original four promises--a
covenant with America and the
AFA.
- If
needed, clarify your position if the AFA
misrepresented it to the American
public.
If
you do these four things--which in effect you
told the AFA in November that you would
do--then we will call off our support of the
Ford boycott, and I'm sure that the AFA would do
the same. Neither of us is interested in
destroying the reputation of one of America's
iconic companies. To the Ford Motor Company, I am
open to your point of view, and I invite
clarification and correction, if that is what is
needed. God knows that we've all been wrong about
things at various times in our lives.
I am clearly opposed to the
homosexual lifestyle--but if the AFA
misrepresented the facts regarding this issue, let
me know. I will research it and report the
distillation of the two sides. Prove the AFA
wrong by your actions. On the other hand,
if the AFA correctly reported your position, then
we invite you to alter it and take the correct
course of action, by not endorsing or supporting
homosexuality. It would not be the first time a
company or individual later reconsidered their
actions and changed the way they acted.
Courage is sometimes
displayed in retraction and humility. We welcome
Ford's reassessment in this regard.
Stay tuned.
Should Ford prove the AFA correct,
here are some other companies under the Ford
umbrella that you can avoid patronizing: Lincoln,
Mercury, Volvo, Mazda Jaguar, Land Rover, and
Astin Martin. You can find the most pro-gay
companies at these two links:
http://www.WND.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46426
http://www.hrc.org/Content/ContentGroups/Publications1/Corporate_Equality_Index2/HRC_CEI_2005.pdf
WHAT
CAN I DO?
Contact Ford Motor Company.
Here is their address and a sample script that you
can use to make the company's leaders aware of how
you feel.
Chairman Bill Ford
Ford Motor Company
P.O. Box 685
Dearborn, MI., 48126-0685
U.S.A.
SAMPLE
script (put this into your own
words):
Dear Chairman Ford,
If the AFA has correctly reported
your position, I strongly urge you to stop
promoting the homosexual agenda and lifestyle.
Ford is viewed by many as an American icon, yet
you are diminishing your standing in your
customer's eyes by actively endorsing
homosexuality, rejected by me and most Americans.
I ask that you cease making any more monetary
contributions or support to any homosexual
organizations, event, or cause.
Do not give any more money or
assistance toward building the homosexual
community center in Ferndale, Michigan.
Do not sponsor the Out & Equal
Workplace Summit Conference; the Reaching Out MBA
Conference; the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation; Motor City Pride Weekend; Parents,
Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays; or
any other pro-gay events or groups.
Whatever your personal views on
homosexuality, they should not be promoted by
corporate money or activities. Sexuality is a
private affair. A more appropriate use of Ford's
money might be better spent on inner-city schools,
or on providing health care for those who cannot
afford it, among other things.
Lastly, we demand that you uphold
your four commitments to the American Family
Association.
References
& Related (I urge you to check out the
first half dozen or so):
http://www.BoycottFord.com/
http://www.afa.net/Fordletter.asp
http://www.WND.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46425
http://www.CatholicEducation.org/articles/homosexuality/ho0075.html
http://www.FamilyResearchinst.org/FRI_AIM_Talk.html
http://www.SBMinistries.org/
http://www.BoycottFord.com/Ford/businessweek/businessweek.htm
http://www.BoycottFord.com/Ford/chrisgeary/londonmardigras2001.htm
http://www.Fordglobe.org
http://www.CommercialCloset.org
http://www.CommercialCloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/themes.html?theme=16
http://www.witeckcombs.com/show.news.asp?id=184&format=pdf
http://www.witeckcombs.com/portfolio.html
http://www.Fordglobe.org/magnet.html
http://www.Fordglobe.org/history.html
http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3493
http://www.Fordglobe.org/2001/04/18fcn/GLAADMediaAwards.html
http://www.witeckcombs.com/show.news.asp?id=149&format=pdf
http://media.Ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=11559&make_id=96
http://www.originaldissent.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10188.html
http://www.planetout.com/money/article.html?sernum=314
http://www.thegully.com/essays/gay_mundo2/wilke/030515_gay_les_family_ads.html
http://www2.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=1082
http://www2.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=1170
http://shop.WND.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=1637
© Copyright 2006 by Guy
Adams
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