On Hobby Lobby
(They are so fleeting here.)
I admit that I was shocked by yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling in the Hobby Lobby case. I probably shouldn’t have been, and maybe I’m just completely naive, but I thought our country had moved beyond this issue. I know this decision only begins to touch upon the bigger picture playing out within the United States, and I understand the politics involved and the talking points on both sides.
For me, though, this case was simple. It was about doing the right thing and giving basic rights to American citizens. But yesterday, that didn’t happen.
That’s a very simplistic view to hold, I realize, and it doesn’t really mean much coming from a suburban mom with a tiny blog. I’m a cliché, and I realize that, too. I have a husband with a stable job, two kids I drive around to their activities, and enough disposable income and free time to put my thoughts out onto the internet. I’m like those peonies above, which so many bloggers love to photograph and talk about this time of year.
I used to shop at Hobby Lobby all the time, for school supplies, fabric, holiday decorations, party decorations, and on and on. Hobby Lobby is big in Texas, and there’s one on the edge of every suburb here. It’s probably the biggest craft chain in the state, and I have to drive quite a bit out of my way to find another place that sells as much as Hobby Lobby does. I’m not a crafter by nature, but once I had my boys, I found myself shopping there more and more for different items. But as I became interested in ethical clothing, my shopping habits changed and I started scrutinizing everything I buy. I stopped shopping at Hobby Lobby last year, and now I know that I’ll never shop there again.
I really believe that my purchases can have a lasting effect, and what I choose to buy and where I buy it from can send a clear message to manufacturers and businesses. I also know that there are a lot of women in my shoes, with children heading back to school later this summer and hobbies that require regular craft supplies. As women, we are Hobby Lobby’s primary customers, and we can choose to send a message to the company’s owners. It’s one thing to write a blog post, or start a Twitter rant, but if it really is true that money talks, then that’s the best way to make our opinions heard.
Stop shopping at Hobby Lobby and take your money elsewhere. Find different merchants for your craft supplies and fabric, and don’t school supply shop there, no matter how many coupons they might offer.
This case was about the rights of women, who are the employees of the Hobby Lobby chain and the target customers for their goods. I’m not comfortable supporting a business that doesn’t value my basic rights, and I hope you feel the same.
Good for you.
I’m not an American and choose not to get involved in discussing events like this one. But you can guess that I’m in complete agreement with you.
Thanks so much, Sandra. It’s so telling that we have to decide where to shop based on political issues like this.
I used to work at Hobby Lobby and after a few months of reading the “made in China” labels plastered on the frames, garden gnomes, scrapbooking supplies, EVERYTHING, I started to rant and I haven’t really stopped.
I’m concerned more for the precedent this case sets than for the specifics of this case, since most forms of birth control are still covered. But what really irks me is that Hobby Lobby doesn’t really live its Christian values at all. You can’t knowingly buy cheap crap from China and other developing countries and proclaim that you’re living your values. You can’t profit at the expense of impoverished families working together in factories and pretend you represent a Christian business model. They spent thousands of dollars and months of work on this case when they could have put that time and money into restructuring their supply chain.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Leah. I agree that it really comes down to money, and by aligning themselves with a particular group, Hobby Lobby will probably continue to grow, unfortunately.
This is a troubling story and I agree with Leah that it’s hard to think of Hobby Lobby as a Christian company.
I always knew they were a Christian company and I didn’t have a problem with that. But, as Leah pointed out, their beliefs don’t seem to line up with their business practices at all. That is really concerning.
companies can have whatever religious values they choose. i take issue with those values infringing upon individual rights. this case basically opens the doors for other organizations to follow in their footsteps.
I agree with this completely. The whole thing is a travesty.
Donna and Sonya, I completely agree. I have no problem with the owners of a company privately donating to causes they believe in with their own money, but this ruling is completely ridiculous and, like Donna said, makes it possible for other companies to do the same thing.
I’ve been heartened to see most of my American friends being totally appalled by this via social media, but it’s still awful that it can happen in the first place. The whole ‘abortion-causing birth control’ misinformation fiasco is just awful.
And I think the fact that it’s a beloved craft store where so many women shop makes it all the more disgusting.