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It's interesting. Those on this forum who claim conservative social policy has no impact on the economy should rethink their stance. Look at all of the companies that have boycotted North Carolina. Below is an article written in the Phoenix Business Journal about 4 takeaway lessons.
Besides performers, here is a list of companies who have boycotted the state thus far.
1. Pepsi
2. Choice Hotels Internation
3. Hyatt
4. Lionsgate studios move production of it's show Crushed from Charlotte to Canada
5. Deutsche Bank
6. General Electric
7. the Dow Chemical Company
8. Hewlett Packard
9. Levis Strauss & Co.
10. the NBA
Well, here's what I see and what I think those in Phoenix should see from all of this.....big business/those with $/power and influence are going to teach individuals how to think in mass and you better bend to our view or else we are going to squeeze/punish you until you come around to "our" way of thinking.
Let me preface before I go on further....I'm a live and let live guy. To each their own. Really. If what one does is legal, I don't care what one does. I truly don't. Live and let live.
With that said, at a high level, this group think/outside pressure thing scares me as it sounds like strong shades of 1984 to me where independent thought, the unique views of people regardless if I agree/disagree with them is looked upon as evil and called "thoughtcrime" and the few elite and those at the top/with the $ control what "should" be. So regardless if one agrees/disagrees with this bathroom matter, I feel it's a states right/the individuals in a state to do what they want. If something is done at the state level that is against federal law, then it's up to the federal gov to step in. If businesses/people/entertainers want to act all PC/push their own agenda for their various reasons down the throats of others regardless if it's coming from the political left/right/or center, sure, that's their right too of course. But what I think these companies/entertainers/etc want to accomplish here in a state that I'm willing to bet most of those companies/people don't even reside or vote in simply want to control state policy scares me far more than the matter at hand. I think these largely outside businesses, groups, entertainers, etc to me are the ultimate busy bodies/control freaks that want to control/push their thoughts and beliefs on others. And that's not right in my book, again, regardless if I agree or disagree on a matter such as this.
So yes Phoenix, take note. This example is another scary reminder to me that individualism is dying. Group think/the few want to control how everyone should think and believe is becoming a reality. And I think the herd is largely asleep to all of this.
Well, here's what I see and what I think those in Phoenix should see from all of this.....big business/those with $/power and influence are going to teach individuals how to think in mass and you better bend to our view or else we are going to squeeze/punish you until you come around to "our" way of thinking.
Steve, it's always been this way. You guys are just waking up to it now. The difference is it was subtle and silent in the past. Companies were polite and said they had a preference for Nevada or Texas. Now, companies are outright calling you out and saying they are not moving to your state if you violate civil rights and civil liberties. The NFL threatened to move the Superbowl if we passed 1062.
You may not like it but educated people think this way. And educated people are those who bring jobs to your state. As I've said multiple times, who do you want to attract to this state? Do you want to attract neocons and other uneducated Klansmen/Neonazis/ "Patriots"/Militia members or do you want to attract educated white collar executives who bring jobs.
We better be careful otherwise Arizona will be the next North Carolina
Why is it that when anyone with money and influence uses that they are automatically enslavers of free-thinking and society? What is that purpose of accumulating such things if you don't use that to try and make the world a better place from their perspective? What these people/organizations are showing is that they think things could be accomplished another way and they don't need you. People should be perfectly fine with that and be able to do just fine in life without that money and influence if they truly believed in the morals that they preach.
Secondly the entirety of the bill is getting flack because of restrooms but I encourage people to actually read everything that was in the original some of what has been overturned after different revisions. The bill was trying to omit gays and transgenders from any form of anti-discrimination protection that is afforded to other groups. You know all the "regardless of race, creed and religion" that employers, government and the like adhere to was going to legally not be an applicable defense for them in lawsuits. I'll put it out there and hope this doesn't sidetrack the discussion but don't believe that they should be able to use whatever restroom they feel like. As someone who is married to a woman who has been sexually abused I feel the consequence of possibly having even one pervert violate a woman or girl isn't worth accommodating someone a few minutes in the loo. However I also realize that the bathroom crap is just a sideshow.
Last edited by Sandlapper3396; 07-24-2016 at 12:44 AM..
Why is it that when anyone with money and influence uses that they are automatically enslavers of free-thinking and society? What is that purpose of accumulating such things if you don't use that to try and make the world a better place from their perspective? What these people/organizations are showing is that they think things could be accomplished another way and they don't need you. People should be perfectly fine with that and be able to do just fine in life without that money and influence if they truly believed in the morals that they preach.
Secondly the entirety of the bill is getting flack because of restrooms but I encourage people to actually read everything that was in the original some of what has been overturned after different revisions. The bill was trying to omit gays and transgenders from any form of anti-discrimination protection that is afforded to other groups. You know all the "regardless of race, creed and religion" was going to legally not be an applicable defense for them in lawsuits. I'll put it out there and hope this doesn't sidetrack the discussion but don't believe that they should be able to use whatever restroom they feel like. As someone who is married to a woman who has been sexually abused I feel the consequence of possibly having even one pervert violate a woman or girl isn't worth accommodating someone a few minutes in the loo. However I also realize that the bathroom crap is just a sideshow.
Well said! Let's remember in the 1960's, the southern states opposed the Civil Rights act. Now, they feel it is okay to discriminate against LGBT community. They were applying the same arguments during the Civil Rights act as they are against LGBT. They referenced the Bible and said it was appropriate to embrace separate but equal reasoning whatever the hell that means.
The irony of this state amazes me. You have people pine for better jobs. They want high paying white collar jobs, not the call center jobs. Yet these same individuals do not want to take the necessary steps to get those jobs. We are on the wrong side of history. Arizona could send a huge message and acquire more jobs by embracing a statewide anti-discrimination against LGBT like California and other states have. If we want to lure the best jobs from California, we need to send a message that we offer the fiscal benefits of Texas with the social consciousness of California. If we did that, the job growth here would be unprecedented.
Like I said, we are on the wrong side of history. Donald Trump is going to lose in a landslide in the general election. And this neoconservative trend that he has sparked will fizzle out. For our sake, we better hope our state votes blue in the general election.
Steve, it's always been this way. You guys are just waking up to it now. The difference is it was subtle and silent in the past. Companies were polite and said they had a preference for Nevada or Texas. Now, companies are outright calling you out and saying they are not moving to your state if you violate civil rights and civil liberties. The NFL threatened to move the Superbowl if we passed 1062.
You may not like it but educated people think this way. And educated people are those who bring jobs to your state. As I've said multiple times, who do you want to attract to this state? Do you want to attract neocons and other uneducated Klansmen/Neonazis/ "Patriots"/Militia members or do you want to attract educated white collar executives who bring jobs.
We better be careful otherwise Arizona will be the next North Carolina
I completely agree. But it appears to be getting much worse and it sounds like we are on the same page on that front. Companies/individuals are getting more bold to push and for the reasons I mentioned in my post above, I have concerns with this level of power that is being pushed around here vs individuals in a state/the voters to me who should have the final say. I just don't think it's healthy for a populace to turn into a bunch of robots and adapt "tell me big money/those in influence how to think" as that can turn into an ugly can of worms and that's what I'm beginning to see. Those trying to exert this type of power from history has shown us it can all turn into an ugly direction when the leash gets too long.
As for attracting educated vs non, of course, educated on many levels is better for Phoenix. But I don't want to put jobs over outside influences/big $ controlling the will of a state/the voters in it. As an educated person with a 4 year degree in computer science, I see the educated vs uneducated and outlining my concern of a higher level control factor as two unique/distinct issues here. And I also think people who think like myself exist in large enough numbers but perhaps I'm out to lunch on that one as the herd usually never ceases to surprise me these days, in a most disappointing way. I would think those who are educated could see my concern that I have outlined at the $ pushing groupthink over the will of the voters/population of a state and see gray....ie, Phoenix inhabitants can have independent thought and make good decisions without letting big business/those in influence to tell them how they should act and behave on a matter. Again, this goes way beyond the bathroom issue as I'm looking at this at a high level.
And let's look on the bright side.....small business employs the vast majority of jobs in this country. I don't see small businesses on the list you made dictating how a states populace should behave/what they should believe in. Perhaps Phoenix would do well to attract/be positive to small businesses to do address what you are saying.....focus on attracting largely small company jobs to Phoenix yet keep the busy bodies/control freak large businesses thought police out of our state. We are actually doing well here in the metro in the IT area on that front.
But do you see the point I'm trying to make? It's like the NIMBY types in Phoenix/the few trying to push their views on many others, often a minority amount of people pushing change that will impact a majority. To me it's exactly what these businesses are doing in the state of NC except even worse.....the vast majority(all?) either don't vote and/or reside in the state yet they are pressuring/dictating change. You don't see that as wrong/can be an ugly can of worms at a high level, way beyond the bathroom issue?
Agreed, it's not specific to PHX and is being closed.
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I would think those who are educated could see my concern that I have outlined at the $ pushing groupthink over the will of the voters/population of a state and see gray....ie, Phoenix inhabitants can have independent thought and make good decisions without letting big business/those in influence to tell them how they should act and behave on a matter. Again, this goes way beyond the bathroom issue as I'm looking at this at a high level. 
We are actually doing well here in the metro in the IT area on that front.
