We face several challenges in our world today. We are faced with a crushing national debt, a border Joe Biden and his Administration refuse to defend, a two-tiered justice system, a Congress that appears unwilling to sufficiently address the lawlessness that is exposed and a rejection of objective truth. Anyone who loves our country and fights to defend our Constitution is at least frustrated. Even worse, some feel hopeless.
Convention of States Action (COSA) is an organization which is comprised of grassroots volunteer citizen activists who are committed to the principles of self-governance. What can simple citizens do? Remember that it was simple citizens who freed what became the United States of America from the most powerful economic and military force on Earth at the time. It did not take a majority to achieve this amazing result. About a third of colonists supported going to war to gain our independence. A third of colonists were agreeable to remain British subjects. A third of colonists did not care. They just wanted to be left alone.
But Brett, our Founding Fathers were men like Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin. How can we possibly compare to those men? There is no question these were exceptional individuals. There were thousands of other men and women who are not as well known who are just as responsible for establishing our republic. I would argue that we are not much different from those in our founding era.
Their mindset was different from ours as they had lived under a tyrannical government. In many ways, we are experiencing elements of government tyranny. Just like in our founding era, patriots are being called to action. There are several examples of grassroots efforts having a profound impact on current events. Let us look at three examples.
Bud Light’s Bad Bet
On April 5th of this year, InBev’s beer brand Bud Light launched an advertising campaign featuring biological male Dylan Mulvaney. Mulvaney has a significant social media presence chronicling his gender denying surgeries and acting as a 13-year-old girl. The InBev marketing executive responsible for the Bud Light brand appeared on a podcast stating the move was to attract a younger demographic, change Bud Light’s “frat boy” image and be “more inclusive.” Keep in mind Bud Light has always been available to those over 21 years of age regardless of sex or lifestyle. This was a deliberate decision to inject the company into a public policy debate.
This decision caused a couple reactions. First, it alienated a significant segment of Bud Light’s target demographic. Marketing decisions are made to grow brand awareness and market share. That is not what happened here. Sales of Bud Light immediately plummeted as regular consumers of the product revolted against this decision. Second, a broader boycott was enacted by traditional values and even some gay rights groups. This has been a sustained effort and is about to enter its third month.
So, what has been the effect of this grassroots reaction? Sales of Bud Light have fallen by some 25%. Bud Light is no longer the best-selling beer brand in the US. Several retailers have lowered the price of Bud Light in efforts to sell existing inventory. InBev attempted a rebate campaign that would reimburse consumers $15 for proof they purchased the product. Market estimates are that the brand faces a “permanent decline” of 15% in sales. According to Investors.com, InBev’s stock price has fallen 11.9% since the beginning of April. This has cost the company over $15 billion in market capitalization.
Right on Target
It is no secret that Target is a very liberal company that supports several left-wing causes. They have carried numerous items and set up displays for “Pride Month” for several years. This year they decided to move this merchandise into the children’s section. Target partnered with a company from Great Britain that openly promotes Satanic worship and displayed these items in their stores. Swimsuits for boys that resembled girls’ swimsuits where boys could “tuck” their private parts were part of Target’s inventory decisions.
It turns out that was a bridge too far. The Left’s exploitation and abuse of children has garnered public push back and these decisions by Target are yet another example. Virtually overnight, Target stock lost $13 billion in market value. As of the third week of June, the market value of Target stock has fallen from $74 billion to $59 billion according to Fox Business. Target stores have moved their “pride” displays to the backs of their stores and decreased their floor space. Target has not reported official sales numbers for the quarter. It is reasonable to expect there will be a significant decrease from their first quarter results.
Playing Chicken
In 2012, Chick Fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy caused a stir when he told the Baptist Press the company supported, “the biblical definition of family” and defended traditional marriage. This caused an uproar on the Left and calls for boycotting Chick Fil-A. Keep in mind there was no specific evidence of discrimination by Chick Fil-A against any groups. All Cathy and the company were guilty of is standing up for principles that have proven superior over thousands of years, and were agreed to in America, until 15 minutes ago.
What was the impact of the outrage against Chick Fil-A? The grassroots who believe in proven, timeless principles responded. A grassroots-led “Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day” for August 1st went viral on social media. This was promoted by several public figures, most prominently by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Chick Fil-A reported all-time record daily sales for August 1, 2012. I remember standing outside our Chick Fil-A store in a line probably 100 people deep to buy my lunch that day. Overall sales for the year were reported up 12%.
Those of us who believe in our Founding, in our Constitution, and in time-tested traditional principles can make a difference when we are focused and engaged. The societal decline we are experiencing is not a result of us losing. It is a result of not enough of us being willing to fight. It is not in our nature to be confrontational. The “live and let live” philosophy works fine when “the other side’ is content with that as well. That is clearly not the case. This destructive agenda must be forced on people because it directly conflicts with human nature.
When we act to defend traditional principles, right and wrong, our children, to take back the language and to define the terms of the debate then we win. That is what we commit ourselves to do at Convention of States Action. Whether it is working locally to return sanity to school boards and city government, lobbying for COS and pro-liberty legislation at the State Capitol, or leading policy discussions on a national level, we are in battle and on the offense.
As John Quincy Adams said, “Duty is ours. Results are God’s.” We do not know what the results of our efforts will be. We do know the result if we refuse to make the effort.
In liberty,
Brett
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