[PAA-Discuss] Fw: Verizon Wireless said WHAT?

[Carole]

In addition to signing the petition to Verizon, I added the following statement:
"We are not "environmental extremists".  We are caring citizens trying to save communities as well as natural areas.  Preservation of viable ecosystems is crucial to continuance of life on this planet!  
Based on the statements of folks like Hannity and Nugent, it would seem that Verizon is actually the one supporting the "extremists".
If you go forward with this event, please at least have the good grace to take the false statements concerning your corporation's environmental stance off your website."
 
Please read the note from CREDO, below, and also the Petition, if you are so inclined.
Thanks,
Carole

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: "Matt Lockshin, CREDO Action" <act at credoaction.com>
To: "Carole Keene" <carolekeene at juno.com>
Subject: Verizon Wireless said WHAT?
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:46:30 -0500


Spread the word 
about this campaign: 
via Facebook 

via Twitter 

via email 

Dear Carole, 
Verizon Wireless responded to our campaign with utter contempt. It's time to turn up the heat! 
Before we launched our campaign, CREDO Action reached out to Verizon Wireless to confirm its sponsorship of the pro-coal "Friends of America" rally. Becky Bond, our Political Director, then sent a cordial follow-up to give Verizon Wireless a heads-up that our campaign had launched. Verizon replied as follows: 
"This is how our response is going over with the activists. Becky once lived in a tree for a while. At least now I know where the emails are coming from." 
— James Gerace, VP of Corporate Communications at Verizon Wireless 
You got that? 
If you don't think that Verizon Wireless should support global warming deniers and practitioners of mountaintop removal mining, then Verizon Wireless thinks it's okay to dismiss your concerns because you must have "lived in a tree for a while." 
If they're going to try to mock us for opposing right wing demagoguery, then we'll just have to make more noise. 
So please take a minute to ask your friends and family to join this campaign, especially if they are Verizon Wireless customers. 
Let's remember how this campaign started. Verizon Wireless apparently sees nothing wrong with co-sponsoring a rally put on by Massey Energy, the biggest violator of the Clean Water Act in history; sees nothing wrong with giving a platform to people who deny global warming; sees nothing wrong with giving the emcee microphone to Ted Nugent who famously said:
Obama, he's a piece of sh — . I told him to suck on my machine gun...Hey Hillary [Clinton] you might want to ride one of these [machine guns] into the sunset, you worthless b — ch. 
Apparently these are the values and sentiments Verizon Wireless feels comfortable associating itself with. You can violate the law, pillage the Earth and publicly insult Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the most vulgar way. Verizon Wireless is fine with that. But when we express common sense concerns about environmental stewardship, Verizon Wireless thinks we're tree-hugging nuts. 
The most galling part of this response from Verizon Wireless is how Verizon's response conflicts with its rhetoric about the environment. Its website, proudly declares: 
Verizon Wireless works every day to protect our environment and give our customers opportunities to do the same. 
.... 
Environmental stewardship is ingrained in Verizon's heritage, and the company prides itself on having a positive influence on the environment in which it operates. 
Give me a break! 
If they're going to talk the talk about environmental stewardship, then they ought to walk the walk. 
Help us turn up the heat up on Verizon Wireless by spreading the word about this campaign to your friends and family, especially those who are Verizon Wireless customers. 
Thank you for pressuring Verizon Wireless to sever ties with environmental extremists. 
Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager 
CREDO Action 
P.S. You can go directly to our petition to Verizon Wireless by clicking here. 



Tell Verizon Wireless: 
Stop co-sponsoring a pro-coal, anti-environment rally.
Your message to Lowell McAdam, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless: 


"Verizon Wireless is co-sponsoring a pro-coal, anti-environment rally on Labor Day. This event will feature speeches by prominent global warming deniers. Your company must issue a public apology and immediately withdraw all support from this extremist rally." 



Verizon Wireless needs to get out of bed with anti-environment extremists. 
Why is Verizon Wireless co-sponsoring a pro-coal, anti-environment rally on Labor Day? 
It's called the Friends of America Rally and over 25,000 people have already RSVPed to attend a political event to promote climate change denial and mountaintop removal mining. 
Massey Energy, a dirty coal company and the most egregious violator of the Clean Water Act in history, is the moving force behind the event. 
The rally features speeches by prominent global warming denier Lord Christopher Monckton and conservative pundit Sean Hannity. Ted Nugent will provide musical entertainment. 
Don Blankenship, the CEO of Massey Energy, issued his invitation to the rally via a YouTube video in which he said: 
"Hello I'm Don Blankenship and I'd like to invite you to a Labor Day rally in West Virginia. We're going to have Hank Williams and have a good time but we're also going to learn how environmental extremists and corporate America are both trying to destroy your jobs." 
Companies like Verizon Wireless may say they are not making a political statement when they participate in events like these. But it's never just about marketing. After all this is the same company that made a decision to block NARAL Pro-Choice America's text messages from its network. Verizon Wireless has choices. And once again, it's made a very poor one. 

Tell Lowell McAdam, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless to issue a public apology and immediately withdraw all support from this extremist, anti-environment rally. Clicking here will automatically add your name to the petition (see above). 
Thank you for working to build a better world.
Becky Bond, Political Director 
CREDO Action from Working Assets 
 Did you know CREDO has a Facebook page? 
Click here to check it out!  
© 2009 CREDO. All rights reserved. 
 
    
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