Monday, May 31, 2010

Marriott Continues Cuteness.

As I discussed earlier, the folks at Marriott got just a bit cute with NRA attendees staying in their facilities and with folks holding side-events to the NRA convention at their facilities - setting them up, after taking their money, for potential felony charges.

To their surprise, things went viral. Seems the designated targets not only took exception, but they and their friends are spreading the word here and elsewhere with coverage on most major blogs and in national venues (since the venomous bigotry was aimed at "icky gun people", the national traditional media seems largely unable to detect said misbehavior).

Boycotts are firing up, starting with the folks at Grass Roots North Carolina. Apparently, effective boycotts and negative PR, given Marriott's subsequent actions.

A BIG LIE. Marriott announced they'd take down all the nasty signs and wouldn't be naughty anymore. As Examiner Paul Valone documents, for Marriott there is apparently a huge difference between what they say and what they do - for us common folks, we call that sort of thing fraud and deceit (but to be really sure, run it past your attorney).

Apparently their current course is based on the theory if they just babble on long enough and loud enough, gun owners will somehow forget Marriotts ongoing fun and games and come back, bringing their checkbooks with. Not likely.

In the meantime, where's the NRA? Granted, their website is a truly godawful piece of slow-loading kludge on anything less than a T1, but still - they are the 800lb gorilla.

When do we see a statement across all NRA sites along the lines of:

We at the NRA are vastly disappointed by the ill-considered conduct by the staff and corporate leadership of Marriott in Charlotte during our convention and subsequently. We recognize and respect the right of private property owners to set policy, however bigoted and ill-advised, on their own property. We also support the right of our members, affiliates, and allies to take their business and their dollars to persons that do not engage in discrimination against our members, including varieties of discrimination that could be considered entrapping our members in felonies. We encourage all persons opposed to bigotry and bait and switch tactics to do business with any other hotel or motel than Marriott at all our future events, staying in tents, if necessary as superior lodgings to those available from such a duplicitous organization. We regret this necessity, but for the legal protection of our members, we must post this recommendation until further notice.

Mr. LaPierre, your podium is waiting....

2 comments:

Old NFO said...

One can only hope...

rexxhead said...

Oh, dear...

I hope you're not holding your breath while waiting for NRA to take a principled stand. 'Blue' is definitely not your color.

(wv: 'scoul' ;-)