The Patriot Post® · Target's Misplaced Pride

In a world that’s going woke, sometimes it feels like we’re fighting a losing cause.

Then again, some recent developments might give hope to Patriots everywhere that they’re making a difference in the battle to save the soul of our country. For years, the counterculture of the Left specialized in activism. It made sense for a lawyer whose goal was to tear down our institutions, corrupt our political system, and mock our values. They haven’t changed, but the rest of us are finally starting to take a stand.

The difference is that our side is fighting for what’s moral and decent and right. We’re fighting to protect our children.

One part of this new movement is the ongoing boycott against Bud Light. Some on our side said it was too little, too late, but the brand continues to take a beating at the checkout line. All these months later, Anheuser-Busch can’t even give away Bud Light. More important than beer sales, though: We’ve sent a clear message across corporate America that we’ve had enough.

It’s one thing when beer executives deliberately insult the very people who made their product successful in order to appease the Rainbow Mafia. It’s quite another when a company like Target celebrates Pride by selling one-piece “tuck-friendly” swimsuits even for youth.

And when the Leftmedia tried to cover it up as nothing more than “misinformation,” we knew it had to be true.

They can claim it wasn’t in the children’s section, and that the label didn’t specifically mention children as the target market, but they can’t claim that it isn’t meant for children. Target knows it got caught red-handed, and now it’s putting the public relations machine into high gear.

According to The Wall Street Journal: “Target said shopper backlash over its Pride Month collection, as well as cautious consumers, pushed sales sharply lower in the most recent quarter. The retailer said it expected sales to decline again in the current quarter and lowered its profit goal for the full year. Executives said they would still mark Pride Month next year but with a more focused assortment of merchandise.”

Nothing like hitting them where it hurts. While the loss in profits may be modest compared to Target’s overall sales, it’s enough to get executives’ attention, and enough to send a powerful message.

In terms of numbers, “Target’s revenue for the three-month period ended July 29 was $24.8 billion — 4.9% lower than this time last year and worse than the company’s predictions,” the New York Post reports. “The figure was slightly under the $25.2 billion economists expected, though the dip isn’t surprising considering Target’s stock lost nearly $14 billion as the Pride month controversy grabbed headlines.”

Conservative boycotts of businesses and products are clearly beginning to make a difference. If nothing else, the next marketing exec or CEO might think twice before bowing to the woke mobsters.

“The lesson from Bud Light and Target is twofold,” writes Kimberly Ross at the Washington Examiner. “Conservative consumers should finally recognize the power they hold. And corporations must think twice before shoving politics down their customers’ throats.”

She adds: “Not everything needs to be political. But if businesses large and small choose a political ideology, they should prepare for their customers to react as a political force. After all, consumers hold strong opinions, too.”

Thanks to social media, conservatives now have the ability to share information and come together when companies cross the line. As The Spectator’s Amber Athey writes, “PublicSq, an app that gathers non-woke brands into one convenient platform, has exploded in popularity over the past few months,” and “Consumers’ Research launched a text program called ‘Woke Alerts’ that sends messages to subscribers when brands make politically leftwing moves.”

In some cases, it’s not about boycotting; it’s simply about supporting those companies that stay out of politics altogether.

And it’s about time. For as long as anyone can remember, the American people chose products based on their quality and affordability while putting aside their politics. Now, though, it seems that the woke Left has poked a sleeping bear.

It’s about time the bear woke up.