As the backlash against Lowe’s decision to pull ads from the TLC reality show All-American Muslim grows, right-wing activists are rallying to the company’s defense.
Brigitte Gabriel’s ACT! for America launched a petition to boost Lowe’s that ironically defends the right of businesses to “be free to make advertising decisions” even though Lowe’s withdrew their ads after a pressure campaign from the extremist Florida Family Association:
We the undersigned join to stand with Lowe's Home Improvement stores in their decision to cease the flow of their advertising dollars to The Learning Channel's (TLC) television show "All-American Muslim."
We believe that American businesses should be free to make advertising decisions without fear of repercussion from radical Islamist groups.
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Therefore, we the undersigned, join with others across America, to let Lowe's Home Improvement know that:
• We support Lowe's Home Improvement's decision to end paid advertising on TLC's "All-American Muslim."
• We thank Lowe's Home Improvement for their position in the face of unwarranted and unfair criticism.
Religious Right radio host Janet Mefferd railed against the company’s critics on her show yesterday, where she hosted FFA president David Caton, arguing Lowe’s decision has absolutely nothing at all to do with anti-Muslim sentiments! According to Mefferd the show was plainly “controversial,” because apparently filming the lives of real Muslim families is controversial: “This has nothing to do with bigotry against Muslims, it has to do with the fact that the company didn’t want to advertise on this particular show because it was so controversial. So what! Get over it! Not everything is religious bigotry!”
The leader of the California Republican Assembly also defended Lowe’s in response to a California State Seantor Ted Lieu’s criticism of the company:
Lieu criticized the chain store, calling their action "un-American" and "naked religious bigotry," adding that he plans political action if the store does not apologize to Muslims and re-broadcast the ads.
Cathy Carlson of the California Republican Assembly points out Lowe's was just one of several companies that made the same decision. "Lowe's is a business -- and yes, it's the right business decision," she tells OneNewsNow. "And they're not the only ones -- there were dozens of advertisers who pulled their sponsorship."
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"He is a lawyer -- and what he said to cover himself was that he was going to look into seeing if any laws have been broken; and he knows there aren't any laws that are broken," says Carlson. "So I just think he's posturing. I think he is playing to his base so he gets re-elected. This is typical California politics."
