Should the public boycott banned athlete Lance Armstrong's sponsors?

[eddy]

 

 

Sorry for your loss, but what does that have to do with what Lance has done for cancer patients? Did he or Livestrong do anything for you and yours?

 

No

Edited September 11, 2012 by eddy

[goya-goya]

When last did you see a whitey in a woolworths....

 

didnt know they ever employed whites.

 

Doesnt matter to me...Dont like a companies employment strategy...dont work there are start your own company and never have to deal with that sort of behaviour again.

 

I have other options besides woolworths.

 

And yes, i still do my weekly shopping there...

 

EDIT : but if lance worked at woolworths...i would boycott there steaks.

 

I guess you boycotted school too

[GrumpyOldGuy]

But the questions I asked still remain. Would you boycott a brand if you dont believe in their business model. And, do you even believe in boycotting a company to stand up for your principles (the two are essentially the same question).

 

Yes, I would. I know it doesn't always make a difference in the greater scheme, but it makes a difference to me.

 

The issue is that S.Africans have never really been put in this position much before, we are not used to standing up for a cause, especially white S.Africans, and we think unless there are world moving responses its just a waste of time, and we should rather be cycling because nothing will change!, but I always remind myself of that old saying "If you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything" so yeah, I do stand up for what I believe in.

 

Just a little example, I was in NY in June, in the upper east side one morning I saw a group of protesters (actually a picket line) outside a health food store, asking what was going on, I found out the manager smoked, and the consensus was a health food store should not employ smokers.

I walked past there three days in a row and each day the picket got bigger and bigger, on the morning I left it made the newspapers. I dont know what happened eventually but I applauded them, whether I thought it was right or wrong is irrelevant, - they believed strongly enough in the cause and took a stand, when last did you see a picket by a bunch of pale faces outside anywhere in SA?

 

Never, but we usually have strong view's on matters, so why do we do so little beyond mumbling at dinner parties to make our voices heard.? Apathy?, Indifference? Self indulgence? Dont want to make a scene? Below our perceived status? - I dont know, but I have my thoughts.

Edited September 11, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy

[Slowbee]

It is an interesting phenomenon this culture we have in SA of not standing up for our principles against corporates, or even companies. It is just such a cultural thing (maybe historical, but that would make for another debate). We stand up to help with environmental issues (rescuing animals, saving Rhino's), but struggle to stand up for environmental issues (the fracking debate highlights the point).

 

In all the discussions the point always comes up, but if I boycott this company, then it will not employ people, so it is my fault that people are without work. This is such a fascinating thought process.

 

But I like your saying GOG, "if you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything"

[HappyMartin]

My mother has survived 2 bouts with different cancers. Medical aid helped. Doctors helped. A wonderful oncology department in Alberton helped. The family helped. Lance not so much

 

Everyone knows about cancer for goodness sake. It's not like we were all unaware until a megalomaniac cyclist turned up to inform us. Thank cancer researchers, thank hospice, thank doctors. Not LA

 

If Lance wants to set himself up as a poster boy for a cause then he must have the balls, sorry couldn't help myself, to face the consequences of his actions and come clean.

 

Funny thing is my mother thinks of him as a doping cyclist. She seems unaware of his connection to cancer research other than that he is a survivor.

[flymango]

Anybody see the Tyler Hamilton interview on BBC last night? Basically said "back then" the whole peloton was rotten to the core, and if you didn't dope you were left behind. Mentioned an incident in Colorado last year where LA confronted him in a restaurant basically saying he should use LA's lawyers or keep quiet.

[rudi-h]

My mother has survived 2 bouts with different cancers. Medical aid helped. Doctors helped. A wonderful oncology department in Alberton helped. The family helped. Lance not so much

 

Everyone knows about cancer for goodness sake. It's not like we were all unaware until a megalomaniac cyclist turned up to inform us. Thank cancer researchers, thank hospice, thank doctors. Not LA

 

If Lance wants to set himself up as a poster boy for a cause then he must have the balls, sorry couldn't help myself, to face the consequences of his actions and come clean.

 

Funny thing is my mother thinks of him as a doping cyclist. She seems unaware of his connection to cancer research other than that he is a survivor.

 

All of the doctors and researchers and hospitals and everybody that helped your mother needed funding. You will be more aware of the costs involved than me, but what I do know is that very few people can afford cancer treatment without significant financial aid. Although LA didn't fund your mom directly, he did and still does fund a lot of things that help many other cancer patients survive. So yes, his contribution is probably a fraction of the global "cancer research" budget, but his contribution is still valuable to many.