The Concerned Women for America are loudly protesting Target Corporation's decision to rescind the Salvation Army's exemption from the store's ban on solicitation. Although the organization's public protests are carefully couched in the language of the season -- Target is the Grinch or Scrooge in the tales they tell -- the organization's primary concern is to keep gays from enjoying domestic partner benefits. The Mainstream Media, of course, knows not to notice.

The Star Tribune quotes the group's spokesman saying: "For Target to say that the Salvation Army is no longer welcome at the inn should send a message to Christians that perhaps they'd like to do their shopping elsewhere." According to this CWFA press release, the real reason is quite clear: "But Christian shoppers and others of goodwill can also decide to take their business elsewhere. Why reward a company that appears to favor the values of homosexual activists over those of the families that do most of the Christmas shopping? ... The company gives millions to charities, but only if the recipients are deemed 'politically correct' by the ACLU, homosexual activists and other bullies. Target routinely has been turning down church-related charities, apparently out of fear of offending the 'keep Christ in the closet crowd.'"

Another release quotes Knight saying, "Could it be because homosexual activists, who are urging people to boycott the Salvation Army because they won't subsidize homosexual relationships, have persuaded company officials to cut them off? Is Target the latest company to be cowed by homosexuals?"

The American Family Association has asked its members to consider shopping at Wal-Mart, which allows bell-ringers at its stores. Target donates over $2 million a week to charitable causes. Target contributes to the Salvation Army through donations to the United Way and participation in a web shopping site, www.kettleshop.org. Although Wal-Mart's 2003 revenue was $258 billion, $210 billion more than Target's, Wal-Mart has only equaled Target's generosity once, by donating $102 million in 1998. The bulk of those donations went to the exceptionally needed business students at the University of Arkansas, which received $50 million.

From Star Tribune, December 2, 2004

Some seeing red over Target's kettle ban

Like many modern retailers, Target Corp. strives to offer its customers a pleasant, hassle-free and tightly orchestrated consumer experience.

But that desire to sanitize shopping has turned out to be anything but hassle-free for Target since it decided to ban Salvation Army bell-ringers from its store entrances this holiday season.

Target -- a company long praised for its corporate giving -- suddenly finds itself cast as the Grinch.

Target is being portrayed as cold and uncaring by commentators and activists. Other businesses, such as Cub Foods, have jumped in, publicly touting their willingness to play host to the bell-ringers.

And now, with Christmas shopping in full gear, several national Christian groups are denouncing the retailer in biblical terms.

"For Target to say that the Salvation Army is no longer welcome at the inn should send a message to Christians that perhaps they'd like to do their shopping elsewhere," said Robert Knight, a spokesman for Concerned Women of America, a Christian activist group that claims more than 500,000 members.

The issue dates to last January, when Minneapolis-based Target told the Salvation Army that it would no longer allow its red kettles and bell-ringers outside Target's nearly 1,200 U.S. stores.

Target stores have been an important piece of Salvation Army fundraising; the group says it raised about $9 million last year from Target shoppers nationwide. In the Twin Cities, Target locations accounted for about $750,000, more than one-third of the $2 million raised by bell-ringers in the metro area.

But Target felt it no longer could make the Salvation Army the sole exception to a rule banning solicitation at its stores, spokeswoman Carolyn Brookter said.

"It's unfortunate that this is being looked at as something against the Salvation Army," she said. "That's not the way we intended it to be. It's really about us trying to make our policy consistent. We have always respected the Salvation Army's mission and their goals."

Alerting the faithful

The American Family Association, a Christian activist group based in Tupelo, Miss., this week sent an "action alert" to more than 2.2 million people on its mailing list, alerting them to Target's decision.

While not calling for a boycott of Target, the association asked its members to consider shopping at retailers that support the Salvation Army -- such as Target's chief rival, Wal-Mart, which allows bell-ringers at its stores as an exception to its own no-solicitation policy.

"Target is like the priest who came on the man lying in the ditch and walked on by, where the Salvation Army is the Good Samaritan," AFA spokesman Randy Sharp said. Ed: Good thing the man lying in the ditch was straight!

No More Salvation Army Bell Ringers at Target

Concerned Women for America press release

You will not see the familiar Salvation Army bell ringers or red kettles outside Target stores this year.

That's because Target's corporate office decided to end, nationally, the Salvation Army's longstanding exception to Target's "no solicitation" policy. While Target is not the first retailer to ban the charity's bell ringers, it is the largest to do so, with 1272 stores in 47 states.

"We have always had a no-solicitation policy," Target spokeswoman Carolyn Brookter told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. And although the Salvation Army has been the one exception to that rule, the company has had more requests lately from other groups, she said.

"We receive an increasing number of solicitation inquiries from nonprofit organizations each year and determined that if we continue to allow the Salvation Army to solicit, then it opens the door to other groups that wish to solicit our guests," Brookter said in a written statement faxed to Concerned Women for America (CWA). Other than forwarding the written press statement, Target did not respond to our requests for comment.

"The contention that the Salvation Army bell ringers were banned because they didn't fit the Target image is inaccurate. The decision was based on our attempt to make our longstanding no-solicitation policy consistent," added Jennifer Hanson, Target Executive Offices spokesperson, in response to a guest relations inquiry.

"This doesn't wash," said Robert Knight, director of CWA's Culture & Family Institute. "Salvation Army kettles have been fixtures for years, and other retailers welcome them as an exception. Why is Target suddenly kicking them out? Could it be because homosexual activists, who are urging people to boycott the Salvation Army because they won't subsidize homosexual relationships, have persuaded company officials to cut them off? Is Target the latest company to be cowed by homosexuals?"

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Freepers have their say:

Do you still shop at wal-mart? I fail to understand freepers who wish to boycott target because the do not allow the SA to have bell ringers in front of their stores yet still shop at wal-mart a company that is the major buyer of products from a country that imprisons people who have the audacity to own a Bible or meet in a non government approved church. Target Ban SA = BAD Wal-Mart major support of commies who kill Christians = GOOD Should not BOTH chains be targeted for boycotts? (link)

It's apparent to Target's way of thinking that the "less savory groups" in front of the other stores are customers. Target wants to project an air of urbane sophistication; they can do without patronage from the sort of working class Christians who actually care about their fellow man.(link)Ed: Yep! Target wants to make sure no working-class Christians ever shop there again. They only want lazy secularists' dollars.