Petitions containing over 200,000 signatures were delivered to Lowe’s corporate headquarters today, protesting the company’s recent decision to pull its ads from the TLC reality series All-American Muslim.
More than 42,000 signatures came from supporters of People for the American Way, which recently called on Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock to “reject the bigotry of right-wing extremists and reinstate its ads on the show.”
Earlier this month, Lowe’s (and several other companies) pulled ads from the program in response to pressure from the Florida Family Association, a group that objected to the show’s portrayal of American Muslims as “ordinary folks just like you and me.”
Michael Keegan, president of People For the American Way, issued the following statement earlier today:
Lowe’s set a dangerous precedent by caving in to a fringe group that preaches intolerance toward fellow Americans. The TLC program portrays Muslim Americans as the everyday people they are – people who go to work, go to school and pay taxes. Lowe’s should have rejected the Florida Family Association’s unhinged complaints – as do the vast majority of Americans.
Lowe’s caved in to bigotry, but other companies stood their ground in the face of bigoted attacks. Companies like Campbell’s Soup and Sears, among others, rejected bigotry and were outspoken in their support of all Americans. In this case, they have set the bar for responsible corporate conduct.
