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The petition was called "Sarah Palin: Violent Threats Have Consequences." Some are connecting the petition to the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in an incident that left four people dead and 14 injured. Some critics are charging that the fiery rhetoric of Sarah Palin and other right-wing Republicans may have contributed to the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords.
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Credo stated the following in its petition against Palin:
Tell Sarah Palin: Renounce use of shooting images in political rhetoric immediately, and stop using your platform to promote and validate violent calls to action on the right.
What happened in Arizona yesterday was not an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of a long stream of threats and attacks, most in response to the congresswoman's support for healthcare reform. ...
Let us be clear. We do not know why the shooter targeted Rep. Giffords.
Sarah Palin did not arm him or pull the trigger. We do not know if the shooter admired, loathed or ignored Sarah Palin. We will eventually know, and that will be a different accounting.
But only Sarah Palin put 20 Democratic members of Congress in her crosshairs.
The company goes on to cite three other incidents that led up to the recent shooting:
In November of 2009, a staffer fearing for Rep. Giffords' safety called authorities after a visitor dropped a handgun during another "Congress on Your Corner" event at a local Safeway in her district.
And on March 22, 2010, just hours after Rep. Giffords cast her vote in favor of healthcare reform, a vandal jumped a gate and smashed the glass front door of her Arizona office. It was just days later that the now infamous map featuring Rep. Giffords' district in the crosshairs was posted by Sarah Palin's PAC.
Credo has engaged in other forms of political activism.
For example, the company has also issued a petition asking President Barack Obama to back out of a scheduled interview with Bill O'Reilly from Fox News set to air right before the Super Bowl. It also admonished AT&T for donating money to politicians connected to the Tea Party Movement.
Personally, I have a great deal of respect for the unconventional business model being used by Credo Mobile. Rather than making the dollar bill their primary focus, they are working to fulfill a double bottom line.
I've recommended the same to many companies and celebrities within the African American community who seem to have forgotten that there is a degree of social responsibility that comes with being rich and powerful.
The approach to business that Credo has taken can either increase their profits or hurt them, depending on how well they continue the implementation. On one hand, those who buy products from the company become far more loyal and committed than they would to other cell phone providers.
On the other hand, quite a few customers might feel alienated by their approach, which counters the apolitical disposition used by so many other companies in Credo's industry. As a person who taught in a business school that promotes the idea of avoiding controversy at all cost, I am impressed with any company that engages in forms of political courage to give it a mission that transcends the narrow-minded focus of traditional capitalism.
I might become a Credo customer myself.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. 
Comments: (48)
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By: JEAN RHODES on 1/21/2011 4:47PM
These folks need to be commended in their efforts.
I applaud Credo Mobile for doing the right thing and
I will definitely sign this petition! Its abt. time folks stand up against this "Right Winged Teabaggin
Fringe group who has lulled the press to sleep with their heinous hate machine! I'm tired of being one of few who know things will not get better. They are only going to get worse. Some folks feel the country has went too liberal and they will do everything they can to stamp it out.
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By: AL on 1/12/2011 9:30AM
Typical politics.
Wait for the fall-out, than place the blame where it may benefit one party yet damage another.
When some nut job kills ANY politician, another political party begins to twist and mold facts to best suit an attack against their competition.
It's kind of like a double edged sword. :-)
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By: vdog on 1/12/2011 10:09AM
They should have added SHUT UP PALIN AND GO TAKE AMERICAN HISTORY AND CIVICS COURSES so that maybe you'll end up KNOWING SOMETHING.
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By: bob on 1/12/2011 10:35AM
Has anyone considered maybe Obama caused the murder when he stated bring a gun when the political opposition has a knife? OF course not!!!
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By: sun on 1/12/2011 9:20PM
@bob I knew some idiot would get around to blaming Obama, congratulations!!
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By: madmax on 1/13/2011 7:32AM
The Right has no responsibility for the shootings?
1. SARAH PALIN: “Don’t Retreat…RELOAD!”
2. RUSH LIMBAUGH: "I tell people don't kill all the liberals. Leave enough so we can have two on every campus – living fossils – so we will never forget what these people stood for."
3. SENATOR PHIL GRAMM: "We're going to keep building the party until we're hunting Democrats with dogs."
4. JAMES HANSEN on Bill Clinton: Get rid of the guy. Impeach him, censure him, and assassinate him."
5. JOHN DERBYSHIRE intimated in the National Review that because Chelsea Clinton had "the taint," she should "be killed."
6. ANN COULTER: "We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too."
7. ANN COULTER: "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building."
8. Clear Channel radio host Glenn BECK said he was "thinking about killing Michael Moore" and pondered whether "I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it," before concluding: "No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out -- is this wrong?"
9. SHARON ANGLE: “There are 2nd amendment remedies to take down an out-of-control congress”.
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Words have consequences, as these people have been told repeatedly. It only takes one nut to carry out their directions, and there are plenty around. The Republican Party should be royally ashamed of themselves for inciting treason!
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By: bob on 1/13/2011 10:28AM
Sun I guess you are a idiot! Did I say I blamed obama? Reading must not be your strong point. Don't get angry because I mentioned your boy. The real idiots are the ones blaming palin or anyone else but the shooter. That may be you, I don't know, tell us all! Wise up!!
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By: sun on 1/14/2011 12:03PM
@Bob reading nor writing are your strong points since you can't even explain what "You" wrote, but you didn't need me to tell you that.
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By: James Ward on 1/15/2011 12:58AM
The Democratic Party - A cauldron of Far-left Anti-God Abortion-lovin' Same-sex Marriage supporting Loons..who celebrate murder and mayhem as they hope against hope to pin the carnage (of Tucson) on their political enemies.
The Party that supported slavery and later ushered in the KKK in protest of it's abolishment is gleefully adding to it's sordid and shameful history.
The many perverted and profane posts in this blog illustrates the total lack of morals and basic human decency of your average DEMOCRAT today.
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By: MS on 1/12/2011 6:36AM
Dr. Watkins...this company is a supporter of "Planned Parenthood" an organization found by Margaret Sanger who was a hardcore racist. She gave speeches to the Klan and spoke of Black and Aborigonies as being the lowest species of humans and should be sterilized. Also Credo seems to be a supporter of the womens rights movement...headed by...you guessed it...another racist named Susan B. Anthony. You don't have to take my word for it concerning these facts; however, I do encourage everyone to research these people, movements, and organizations.
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