Freedom to Protest (What We Think is Wrong)

For John, BLUF:  One would think that an organization as large as Amazon would have someone on the payroll to advise when public announcements might be misread by the public or by the press.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Amazon suspends Black Lives Matter from its charity platform

From The New York Post, by Reporter Isabel Vincent, 17 February 2022, 5:49 pm.

Here is the lede plus three:

The beleaguered Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has been kicked off Amazon’s charity platform for its failure to disclose where tens of millions of dollars in donations it received nearly two years ago have ended up.

AmazonSmile, which gives a portion of eligible purchases on the online shopping site to charities, said it “had to temporarily suspend” the group today, an Amazon spokesperson told The Post.

“States have rules for nonprofits, and organizations participating in AmazonSmile need to meet those rules,” the spokesperson said.  “Unfortunately this organization fell out of compliance with the rules in several states, so we’ve had to temporarily suspend them from the program until they come into compliance.”

Amazon plans to hold any funds that have accumulated for BLMGNF “until they’re back in compliance,” the spokesperson said.  AmazonSmile has raised more than $300 million for charities, according to its website.

The reasoning put forward is plausable, but with it being right after Black Lives Matter Louisville bailed out Mr Quintez Brown, arrested for attempted murder, is suspicious.

Freelance Reporter Andy Ngo Tweeted:

@BLMLouisville has paid the $100,000 to bail out Quintez Brown, the @courierjournal writer & leftist radical who is accused of trying to assassinate a mayoral candidate in a shooting.  Brown wrote columns about white supremacy & is a black nationalist.

What Mr Brown is accused of doing was wrong.  That he was arreated seems fair.  That bail was set in an attempted murder case is questionable.  But, if Amazon is cutting off Black Lives Matter so it can look good now that "wokeness" has gone out of fashion, that is a blot on Amazon.  The Blaack Lives Matter crew may all be Communists, but they have the same Bill of Rights I do providing them Free Speech protection.

The actions of the Canadian Government, and Go Fund Me, and TD Bank, in cutting off contributions to the Truckers Freedom Convoy demonstrating across Canada and especially in Ottowaa, is dispicable.  That folks in the United States would follow suit is embarrassing.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff