Injustice is Just Wrong

by: Jeff Gardner

Fri Dec 16, 2011 at 05:30:00 PM EST

Muslim-Americans and others protest at the Paterson, NJ Lowe's

The Paterson, NJ Lowe's store is among the highest volume stores in the national chain. And the city of Paterson has among the largest and most diverse Muslim communities in the nation. So, today's rally in Paterson in the Lowe's parking lot was the perfect place to send a message to Lowe's and the nation that anti-Muslim bigotry is an outrage not just to Muslim Americans, but to all who oppose unjust discrimination in every form.

To quote one of the many signs that popped up at the rally: "Discrimination is Low, Lowe's."

About 150 people (and I) braved the wind and the cold to make a statement about the sad story that has transpired since Lowe's was confronted by a fringe extremist group, which pressured the company to drop its sponsorship of a benign but thought-provoking reality television program featuring ordinary American families. Those families were, after all, Muslim. [sigh]

It should have been a no-brainer. But, instead of telling the fringe group that their bigotry was un-American and unwelcome, Lowe's fumbled the ball, and either believed the lies being spread about the show and Muslims in general, or just caved to the pressure of this fringe extremist group. Either way, Lowe's managed to draw a well-deserved boycott right in the midst of the Holiday shopping season. Way to go!

So, as a public service to those needing a refresher, I thought I'd offer this handy 3-step guide to anyone who might find themselves in the position of deciding such things:

1- Bigots who spread lies about communities they despise - bad.

2- Businesses who believe those lies, or cave to the bigoted demands of the fringe extremists who spread them - also bad.

3- Americans of all faiths uniting to speak out against bigotry - priceless.

Of course, a protest wouldn't be a protest if it didn't draw a handful of counterprotesters. (And by handful, I literally mean 5 people.) In today's case, they stood holding signs that read "Protest Jihad, not Lowe's."

Happy Holidays everyone!