Obviously, there will be a response to the Martin verdict given this past weekend. But the idea to boycott the state of Florida is probably not the wisest decision. Here, in my opinion is why:
First, what about the families that live in the state that need the commerce in Florida to remain stable in order to survive.
Second, if we are to boycott the state of Florida we would need to think about the following companies which are based in Florida or have lucrative affiliates based in Florida:
ADP (home security), Office Depot (office supplies), Sun Capital Partners (invested in Boston Market - food and The Limited - women’s clothing), Hooters (restaurant), PODS (storage), Citrix (creators of GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC), Fidelity National Financial (one of the largest commercial and residential mortgage lenders in the country), NFL (Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Jacksonville Jaguars), NBA (Miami Heat and Orlando Magic), MLB (Florida Marlins and Tampa Rays), PGA Tour (professional golf association), Publix (supermarket chain), Burger King (fast food restaurant), Sony Music (record label and media group), AAA “Triple A” (motor club), AirTran Airways (airline), Darden Restaurants (owners of Red Lobsters, Olive Garden and LongHorn), Hilton (hotel chain), Westgate (timeshare company), The DIsney Company (owners of Disney World, ABC, ESPN and several other media outlets), Universal (amusement park), Raymond James Financial (financial planners), Home Shopping Network, Boar’s Head (deli products), Checkers (fast food) and Outback Steakhouse (restaurant).
This is a short list of companies from very surface level research and knowledge,
Third, boycotts are only effective if they are long term. In Dr. King;s day, the people boycotted until what they desired to have changed was changed.
When this “boycott” of Florida begins, if it does, will its participants stay the course and truly boycott all of these companies?
I am not saying a response to the verdict is not needed, but I think the true boycotting of an entire state is not realistic at all. If this is truly on the table, the idea needs to be rethought.
Something to really think about.