Posted on 12/23/2013 8:06:36 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Over the weekend, America’s favorite faux-folksy diner/knickknack chain became the newest front in the culture wars when they removed any trace of Duck Dynasty‘s Phil Robertson from all their stores. It didn’t turn out so well for them, and the way they’ve waved the white flag is instructive.
From Cracker Barrel’s Facebook page, 7:51pm on 12/20:
Cracker Barrel’s mission is Pleasing People. We operate within the ideals of fairness, mutual respect and equal treatment of all people. These ideals are the core of our corporate culture.
We continue to offer Duck Commander products in our stores.
We removed selected products which we were concerned might offend some of our guests while we evaluate the situation.
We continually evaluate the products we offer and will continue to do so.
Less than 40 hours later, somebody in the corporate office yelled: “Duck!!!”
Dear Cracker Barrel Customer:
When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that’s just what we’ve done.
You told us we made a mistake. And, you weren’t shy about it. You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings. You flat out told us we were wrong.
We listened.
Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores.
And, we apologize for offending you.
We respect all individuals right to express their beliefs. We certainly did not mean to have anyone think different.
We sincerely hope you will continue to be part of our Cracker Barrel family.
The change in tone from the first statement to the second is remarkable. Gone are the vague, politically correct euphemisms to sugar-coat their capitulation to the fascist bullying tactics of groups like GLAAD. Just a direct, plainspoken apology. They screwed up, they offended their own customers to satisfy the whims of the outrage industry, and they’re sorry. That’s how you do it.
I wonder how many empty tables they had to look at on Saturday?
Okay, then, let the liberal and LGBT boycott of Cracker Barrel begin. That’s such a huge customer base for them. It’ll be devastating.
"In early 1991, an intra-company memo called for employees to be dismissed if they did not display "normal heterosexual values". According to news reports, at least 11 employees were fired under the policy on a store-by-store basis from locations in Georgia and other states. After demonstrations by gay rights groups the company ended its policy in March 1991 and stated it would not discriminate based on sexual orientation. The company's founder, Dan Evins, subsequently described the policy as a mistake. From 1992 onward the New York City Employees Retirement System, then a major shareholder, put forward proposals to add sexual orientation to the company's non-discrimination policy. An early proposal in 1993 was defeated, with 77 percent against and only 14 percent in support, along with 9 percent abstaining. It was not until 2002 that the proposals were successful; 58 percent of company shareholders voted in favor of the addition.[
Cracker Barrel achieved the lowest score (15 out of 100) of all rated food and beverage companies in the Human Rights Campaign's 2008 Corporate Equality Index, a measure of LGBT workplace equality. Their score for 2011 had improved to a 55. The 2011 survey noted that the firm had established a non-discrimination policy and had introduced diversity training that included training related to sexual orientation. However, the company's score for 2013 dropped to a 35 out of 100, not having obtained the points related to non-discrimination toward gender identity and health benefits for partners of LGBT employees and transgender-inclusive benefits.......
[snip]
In 2004, an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department found evidence that Cracker Barrel had been segregating customer seating by race; seating or serving white customers before seating or serving black customers; providing inferior service to black customers, and allowing white servers to refuse to wait on black customers. The Justice Department determined that the firm had violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The company was required to sign a five-year agreement to introduce "effective nondiscrimination policies and procedures". The terms included new equal opportunity training; the creation of a new system to log, investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination; and the publicizing of its non-discrimination policies. They were required to hire an outside auditor to ensure compliance with the terms of the settlement.
In 2006, Cracker Barrel paid a $2 million settlement to end a suit alleging race and sexual harassment at three Illinois restaurants. Cracker Barrel stores subsequently began displaying a sign in the front foyer explaining the company's non-discrimination policy, and added the policy and details of how to make a complaint to its menu and website.
Since the early 2000s, Cracker Barrel has provided training and resources to minority employees, to improve its image on diversity. These efforts involved beginning outreach to minority employees, along with testing a training plan to help employees whose first language is Spanish to learn English. As of 2002, minorities made up 23 percent of the company's employees, including over 11 percent of its management and executives. Cracker Barrel is on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Texas Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and is a corporate sponsor of the NAACP Leadership 500 Summit, where three of its officials were moderators and panelists in May 2011. The company has been praised for its gender diversity, particularly on its board of directors, which includes three women out of eleven total board members. Its chief executive officer, Sandra Cochran, is the second woman in Tennessee to hold that office in a publicly traded company."....
Praise God! A victory!
Gays are about 1% of the population and most probably look down on places such as Cracker Barrel.
If companies are going to pander, pander to the PEOPLE WHO FREQUENT YOUR STORES!
The person who made this horrible original decision should be canned.
I wonder just how ignorant the “suits” at Cracker Barrel must be to have ever thought the first decision was a good one. How can you so totally misudnerstand your own customer?
If is such ... may your words spread like wildfire.
The Left paints this educated man as a hick, but in fact he is a very smart and savvy entrepreneur.
Duck Dynasty’: Phil Robertson has master’s degree
Jason Kempin/Getty
Emma Riley SuttonOklahoma City Top News Examiner
March 1, 2013
The slow talking “happy, happy, happy” redneck star of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” has a master’s degree in education. According to a report on March 1 from The Hollywood Gossip, Phil Robertson attended Louisiana Tech where he also played football.
“It is hard to imagine Phil Robertson with a master’s degree,” Lisa Simmons, from Oklahoma City, said. “If you can get past his beard and drawl and really listen to him, you can tell he is a very bright and intelligent man. Too many people judge a book by it’s cover. You can’t do that with Phil [Robertson].”
While earning his degrees, Phil Robertson also played a little football. He was the starting quarterback. Phil Robertson could have easily played for the NFL, but gave up football for hunting and fishing. Curious as to how good he was? Terry Bradshaw, the NFL great, was the back-up quarterback for Phil Robertson.
Although it may appear the Phil Robertson doesn’t use his master’s degree in education, but that may not be entirely true. He must have used his education when creating Duck Commander into a million dollar empire.
http://www.examiner.com/article/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson-has-master-s-degree
Might have had a fast one pulled by CB.
I was offended by Clinton and the blue dress descriptions of the 1990’s, and then this year you have the Male Jingle bell commercial with men in underwear, then my children are asking about erectile dysfunction, and then Martin Bashir did that Palin insult thing that was TMI…………..,
But it was NOT on MY TV that the supposed truthful gross language appeared……. It was originally limited in a magazine that I find myself too old to buy, until the MEDIA put it there on my TV, ad nausea. If I cuss like a sailor after work, it should not/does not affect my work.
They may still be operating under some Consent Decree from back when they ended their policy of not hiring gays. (I have a family member who worked for Denny’s ten years after the Great Birthday Scam and she still had to attend Racial Sensitivity Training as part of that Consent Decree)
Sounds to me like some Marketing VP made the call to dump DD and the Execs above him nixed the idea.
If they were taking a stand for the Robertsons and against A&E, then the press release should have said so instead of the weasel words they used. Plus their subsequent press release should have also referenced what their true intent was in removing the merchandise.
and it might be a fast one pulled
“Gone are the vague, politically correct euphemisms to sugar-coat their capitulation to the fascist bullying tactics of groups like GLAAD. Just a direct, plainspoken apology. They screwed up, they offended their own customers to satisfy the whims of the outrage industry, and they’re sorry. That’s how you do it.”
I have another perspective on this that might have influenced Cracker Barrel’s reversal. They got wind that Walmart sold out on Duck merchandise. Now, by putting the Duck products back out on their shelves, they can cash in too.
We all need to call corporate and demand his firing.I’m doing just that now.
I too prefer logical and I may have not been thinking.
Your point is worthy of being checked.
If that were the case, they could have avoided an apology with an explanation. Therefore, I don't believe that was their intent.
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