OPINION:
When George Floyd was killed in May 2020, some corporations leaped at the chance to speak out.
Netflix said: “To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.”
Meanwhile, the child labor employer Nike released a video that said:
“For once, Don’t Do It. Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you. Don’t sit back and be silent. Don’t think you can’t be part of the change. Let’s all be part of the change.”
And Uber said in a statement: “We stand with the Black community. We stand with those peacefully protesting injustice, hatred and racism. We stand in support of orgs like [the Equal Justice Initiative] and [Policing Equity] working to make America more just for all.”
These companies and others used Floyd’s killing to virtue signal. They not only told the public that they were behind the Black Lives Matter movement, but they put their money where their mouth is.
Companies lined up to donate to groups that support the end of the nuclear family and “defunding the police.”
It was a wave of support for a political cause never before seen from corporate America. It transformed American politics and led to several police departments slashing their budget.
But here’s the thing: Not one of these companies has spoken out about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, and not one of them has encouraged donations to the family of Corey Comperatore, the innocent patriotic American who was killed in Butler, Pennsylvania.
One could argue that the leftist causes they championed over the years fostered the environment that led to the shooting of Mr. Trump. The Black Lives Matter Global Foundation, which received millions from corporate America, tweeted that Mr. Trump is a “terrorist.”
The attempt on Mr. Trump’s life was one of the most shocking moments of my lifetime. We were less than an inch away from the abyss. Everyone recognizes this. That’s why world leaders such as France’s Emmanuel Macron and India’s Narendra Modi spoke out about the shooting. But for Uber and Nike, it’s worth speaking out only when a criminal dies in police custody.
Consumers need to keep track of how the companies they support reacted to Mr. Trump’s shooting. After all, why stand by a company that refuses to stand by this nation?
• Michael Seifert is founder and CEO of Public Square.
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