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Once again, Americans are performing an annual ritual known as Christmas shopping. Most are racking up credit card bills, but supposedly it’ll all be worth getting deeper in debt when you see your loved ones’ faces light up as you give them the latest piece of Made in China plastic junk.
Do we give each other gifts in honor of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ? Not likely. We give each other gifts because that’s just what we’re supposed to do; right? We are well-trained consumers.
I’ll get off my soapbox for now regarding what I believe is for the most part a gross display of hypocrisy when we give each other gifts once a year, and the rest of the year we often treat each other in uncharitable ways.
Since Christmas shopping isn’t going anywhere, let’s address a problem at hand which we do have some control over — our own spending.
Every second half of the calendar year, retailers are preparing for their busiest shopping season. Executives at many of these companies are laser-focused on a big, fat bottom line. They want to sell us as much stuff as possible, so the beginning of the so-called Christmas shopping season starts earlier and earlier each year.
At the rate we’re going now, Christmas shopping will be starting by Labor Day — not that it isn’t already in some areas.
While I love a “deal” as much as the next sucker — I mean shopper — there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than we can imagine.
Yes, many of us have been avoiding Target for years because of its ongoing support of things like homosexuality and transgenderism — whatever that truly means, anyway.
2nd Vote is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit which has put out its 2017 Conservative Shopper Naughty & Nice List. They rate retailers based on several charitable and other social-cause activities the companies are behind. This year’s list goes way beyond just avoiding Target.
Later in this column, I’ll share some retailers who are on the nice list, but let’s get the bad guys out of the way first.
Coming in at number one is — not surprisingly — Starbucks. This company has had a terrible history and reputation for being as left-wing as they can be without entirely falling over the communism cliff.
The Seattle-based coffee giant has been supporting sex and death-peddlers Planned Parenthood for a long time. Of course, homosexual agendas go together with all that Planned Parenthood represents, and Starbucks is right there to hand them all the money they need to continue their agenda. I don’t care how much your friends or relative like Starbucks, do not buy them a gift card or anything else from these jerks.
Number two is CVS pharmacies. CVS is a huge supporter of the Center for American Progress. CAP is all wrapped up with the gun control nuts, the environmentalist wackos, and the “gay mafia” at the deceptively-named Human Rights Campaign, a radical homosexual organization.
CVS is also a supporter of Common Core curriculums and rampant illegal immigration. See you never, CVS.
Next on the list is one that hurts me because I really like Walmart. This retail behemoth even beat Target on the list this year, so that’s not a good thing at all. While lefties have targeted Walmart for years about its poor wages and unfair labor practices, Walmart now has a black eye among conservatives as well.
With what devils is Walmart in bed with? See CVS above.
Rounding out the remainder of the Top Ten Naughty Retailers, guilty of a number of the same activities, are Target, Walgreen’s, Marshall’s (whom I like a lot too), Dollar General, T.J. Maxx, Amazon, and the Gap.
I know, I know — where are we supposed to shop then, Mr. Flores?
I’m glad you asked. You may have to get a little more creative in your shopping habits, and tough luck if your gift recipients didn’t get that Starbucks gift card. Try using the Nice List this year.
At number one among the good guys is the always fun and unashamedly Christian Hobby Lobby. This is always a great place to shop, albeit not as inexpensive as some of the naughty retailers, but just remember, our treasure is in Heaven. Go ahead and spend a few extra bucks. Isn’t your eternal soul worth it?
At number two on our nice list is outdoors sporting goods, hunting, fishing, and camping giant Cabela’s. I have never shopped there because, as a Chicago boy, outdoors activities are not my thing. All my friends in Virginia, however, are big on Cabela’s given that they are Virginians.
Next is Guitar Center. As a musician, I’ve shopped there, but prefer local mom and pop shops for my musical purchases. While 2nd Vote says that they found no record of Guitar Center involved in any shady leftist activities, I must call them out because GC supports the Salvation Army.
While the Salvation Army says they’re pro-life, their statement unfortunately includes exceptions, such as: “Carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother”; or “Reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a fetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief postnatal period.” Salvation Army also allows for rape and incest exceptions.
So, if you have a musician on your gift list, I recommend you support a local music retailer instead, and at least support a local business.
The remaining retailers on the “nice list” are: Ace Hardware, Overstock.com, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Dollar Tree, Anthropologie, Dillard’s, and Peet’s Coffee.
While not all retailers are perfect, neither are all shoppers like ourselves, so let’s try to keep in mind that what really matters during Advent and Christmas is the birth of our Lord and what it should mean to us all and our loved ones.
For the full list and more details, visit www.2ndVote.com.
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic writer and speaker. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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