Several folks wrote to ask if I was joining the boycott of Goya Foods products to protest some sort of pro-Trump stand the company has taken. The answer is that I can't boycott that which I have never purchased. I'm not sure I'd even heard of Goya Foods before this…and before you ask how such a thing is possible, I did just learn that they make products that are sold in the "Latino" section of the supermarket. There's almost nothing in that section that my food allergies would allow me to eat. I don't shop that aisle.
Would I boycott them if I did buy their products? I suppose. Maybe.
My view on boycotts has changed and somewhere in the ancient recesses of this blog, there are probably posts which reflect my old view, which was that boycotts of big companies rarely bring about change. Usually, the outrage is too small and the big companies are too big to miss the income. My view was that if it made you feel bad to give your money to that firm…or if it made you feel good to be "doing something," however microscopic, you should do whatever made you feel comfy. Just don't expect Ruth's Chris Steak House to replace the 40 oz. USDA Prime Porterhouse for Two with a plate of kale because a few hundred people believe beef = murder.
But in the last few years, I've seen boycotts yield some results. It seems to have something to do with increased Internet usage but I'm not sure if the 'net is helping boycotters organize and spread the word…or if it's that the big companies have become more afraid of the possibility of trending crusades to snowball into something huge. "Cancel Culture" is scaring the hell out of a lot of people.
So I guess my answer to those who asked is just that I can't very well boycott a company that's never gotten a dime of my money. That's inarguable and it also spares me from having to research whatever Goya did or said that prompted the outcry against them. In this world, there are times when you need to take a stand but it's not all the time.
