Did anyone else get this letter from Target?

[proud2BlibKansan]

Dear Target Guest,

Target places a high priority on our role as a community pharmacy and our obligation to meet the needs of the patients we serve.  We expect all our team members, including our pharmacists, to provide respectful service to our guests, particularly when it comes to their health care needs.

Like many other retailers, Target has a policy that ensures a guest’s prescription for emergency contraception is filled, whether at Target or at a different pharmacy, in a timely and respectful manner.  This policy meets the health care needs of our guests while respecting the diversity of our team members.

So respecting the diversity of your team members is more important than making money ? I have a hard time believing that.

Your thoughts help us learn more about what our guests expect, so I’ll be sure to share your feedback with our pharmacy executives.

Thanks for taking the time to share your questions, thoughts and comments. I hope we’ll see you again soon at Target.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hanson

Target Executive Offices

[napi21]

1. No, but I never had a scrip filled at Target, and rarely shop there.

I doubt they have my name.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. This is in response to the petition I signed

I believe it was linked here on DU the other day.

[MissB]

2. Didn't someone post a similar letter yesterday?

I seem to recall seeing that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Sorry I guess I should have done a search first.

[MissB]

7. Don't be sorry.

I was too lazy to search. :D

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Then we have something in common

LOL :hi:

[Hissyspit]

3. Can you say "Cop-Out."

I read that letter and I don't know what the hell they are trying to say.

Corporate weenie bullsh*t.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. She is trying to take both sides of the issue

but it doesn't make any sense. Why in the world would any retailer knowingly turn away customers?

[Hissyspit]

18. Did I say corporate weenies? I meant corporate weasels...

Actually I mean both.

Yeah, she's trying to compromise on something she can't compromise on, so it makes no sense. It's insulting to customers. It's insulting to thinking people.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. I'm still of the opinion of "Fuck the religious fuckbag pharmacists"

They knew what they were getting into when they became pharmacists - either you give people their prescription, or you have your license revoked forever.

Deciding to be a pharmacist, but one that doesn't give birth control is no different than saying that you will be a cop, but you won't arrest anyone for crimes that you think should be legal.

If you need to have Saturday off because you're Jewish, or Sunday cuz you're Christian, or need a masturbation break every 55 minutes because your Zoroastrian, then fine. But pharmacists are in the job of filling prescriptions - and religious attitudes have no place affecting that part.

Shame on Target for letting their religious fuckwit pharmacists off the hook.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. We are in complete agreement

The decision of whether or not to fill the prescription lies with the doctor and the patient, not the pharmacist.

[Carla in Ca]

34. The 'out' is this part

'whether at Target OR A DIFFERENT PHARMACY'

Target is R-E-D.

Courtesy of Americablog:


Over the years, Target CEO Robert Ulrich has donated:
- $71,353 to Republicans
- $3,660 to Democrats
Hmmm... that's interesting.

Perhaps my favorite donation is the $5,000 he gave just two months ago to a PAC named "Every Republican is Crucial."


Among other donations:
$1,000 to anti-gay bigot Mel Martinez, now the GOP Senator from Florida.
$1,000 to kinky-sex-cage-my-wife-please GOP Senate hopeful from IL Jack Ryan.
$3,000 to Bush-Cheney '04
$1,000 to Bush for President 2000
$1,000 to Elizabeth Dole for President 2000
$603 to the Republican National Committee
$1,000 to Robert Dole for President 1996
The only Dems he's given to in nearly 20 years, according to the online records, are Amy Klobuchar and Tim Penny from Minnesota. Yeah, big hitter's, those two.

Oh Target. Things were so much easier when you were nice people rather than intolerant red state Bible thumpers

[Gato Moteado]

24. zoroastrians masturbate every 55 minutes?

that is impressive! i wonder why that religion went out of style?

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. They all died of exhaustion!

[Democrats_win]

9. This is FUBAR.

On edit, what do they mean "at a different pharmacy?"

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. They are respecting the diversity of their team members.

What a fucking crock.

[Democrats_win]

16. I agree!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

38. Ain't that somethin?

And it raises the question - cliched, but valid - whether all their team members are allowed to express their diversity. Can the checker decide she won't sell junk food to someone with a big gut?

Me, I would refuse to sell clothing to people who have picked the wrong colors. If I saw someone with a Spring/Autumn complexion trying to buy an ice yellow or royal blue sweater that looks best with Summer/Winter complexions, I would send them back for the goldenrod or teal. It's against my principals to allow skin tones to clash with apparel.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. No, they won't -

Target has a policy that ensures a guest’s prescription for emergency contraception is filled, whether at Target or at a different pharmacy, in a timely and respectful manner.

Meaning, "If you get one of our regular, non-judgmental non-hatefilled sexually mature pharmacists, your prescription will be filled; if you happen to come across one of our few religious fuckbag pharmacists whom we are afraid to fire, we DO guarantee that your prescription WILL go to another pharmacy, a fuckbag-less pharmacy, and that our fuckbag pharamacist will not destroy your prescription, so that a non-fuckbag can fill it there."

[politicat]

20. Yeah, but it doesn't address the issue that their register clerks can't

refuse to scan condoms, or their feminist stockers can't refuse to hang up the clothes that make little girls look like they're headin' down to the corner to make some moh-nay. If the register clerks and the stockers refused to Do. Their. Job. they would be *OUT* of a job.

I don't see why the pharmacists get such kid-glove treatment -- it's not like there aren't many more out there looking for a job, especially at the end of every semester.

If you're a fundie who doesn't want to fill prescriptions, you don't have to. But don't expect to work, either. I wish some company would take this stand....

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. That would be a nice stand indeed, to just not hire the whackos.

I love what you said about the other employees: if we let the pharmacists decide what they are "comfortable" with, then let the whole staff make that decision.

"I won't let this obese mother of five dirty, poorly-clothed kids buy a carton of cigarettes while she spends her food stamp money on frozen dinners and Doritos."

"I won't stock the fabric softeners - I think they pollute the earth with no actual benefit to anyone, and as a Christian, I cannot allow it."

I'd never thought of this argument through the lens you just offered - which is, "Why do we let the pharmacists get away with it, but no one else?"

Thanks!

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Can you imagine

if they really let personal politics get in the way of selling merchandise? (And I don't care what these fundies say about religion and their principles, this is about politics more than religion.)

Anyway, it they carry this out, they will go out of business. Dumb shits.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. I am a teacher

Do you have any idea how tempting it is to refuse to teach certain kids?

[politicat]

33. yep!

I'm a shrink.... I think our temptation must be about equal.... there are days I want pharmacist's rights to refuse....

[madame defarge]

10. Story about Target prescriptions...

Democracy Cell Project has a thread up about this now...

Check here: http://www.democracycellproject.net/blog/archives/2005/10/target_is_targe.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Thanks

[liveoaktx]

15. I'm hoping that Bush and Cheney got "THE" Target Letter-heh

[Democrats_win]

19. A new Sears Grand opened up down the street, Good bye Target!

No pharmacy, but it's the principle that matters. It's a K-mart/Sears store.

[mzteris]

21. yup - and I wrote them back

a scathing letter (well *I* think it was scathing anyways....)

How DARE they make moral judgements?

The whole "holier than thou gig" is going to blow up in the pseudo-Christians faces, I believe. They are just too totally ludicrous!

[Broken_Hero]

22. nope, i didn't get one...

[sproutster]

25. I got one and replied

(lol, don't ask, long day at work and I had just finished the book I mentioned)
My reply -

Slippery slope. On your days off you should read "A Handmaids Tale."

Sooo... If I'm black and I suffer from the rare form of anemea (sp). You support the rascists right to not give me my medication?

If I'm gay and have aids, you support the homophobes right not to give me my medication?

I would like to send you the shoebox with my reciepts to your store. This year in particular, I have shopped there for wedding presents, outfits, books, dvds, cds, home furnishings and some kitchen appliances. No kidding, one of your branches is right by my work. I enjoyed shopping there.

I will never shop there again, and I will send your reply, along with my reply to my friends, and on message boards.

Fred Myers is in the other direction, I have no problem making a left turn.

[Broken_Hero]

27. good way to stick it to them...

here is a tid bit for you, my wifey works for the Diversity Department at Walmarts Home Offices, and she use to work for accounting. When she was at the accounting annex, she came across soem startling numbers, do you know, which group shops/spends the most at walmart? Homosexual men, and thats the honest truth, well it was last year, the numbers may be different now. But on the other hand, the Pride group at Walmart, is having such a hard time getting off the ground (pride=gay,lesbians, transgenddered etc)....walmart should be wise and pander to them, they can't ignore them, they spend the most money there.....

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. Great letter

and welcome to DU :hi:

[Dervill Crow]

28. Yep, I got it, too. eom

[mondo joe]

31. If you have to to "another pharmacy" it is necessarily NOT "timely" or

"respectful". It's inconvenient and insulting.

That's what I wrote in my response.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

35. i am interested in your thoughts on requiring OB/GYNs

to perform abortions? Would that be acceptable as well? Where is the line? Should docs be forced to perform what is essentially an elective surgery? Please understand, that in life threatening situations, I think that a doc should do whatever is needed...but what about elective abortions? And let's please not argue the term elective...I am simply speaking of 'medically elective' meaning not medically required.

subjectProdigal

[fortyfeetunder]

36. Duh Target...what happens to "Customers Come First"?

Your employees are at the mercy of us customers. We can always go somewhere else if our needs are met....

[1932]

37. It sounds like they're trying to avoid a discrimination suit by employer

while also making sure their customers get served.