Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise

So, I got myself into a bit of trouble with the Cookie Crumbs article in last month's issue of the HomeCook'n Newsletter. In their defense, many of the people who wrote the comments below thought I wrote the article when, in fact, it was written by someone else. I just published the article in the newsletter.

I figured that it might be somewhat controversial and that some people might see it as a disconnect from our usual cooking theme. However, as our company slogan states our goal is to "Strengthen Families with Quality Software." The Cookie Crumbs section of our newsletter is the designated place for good content that is unrelated to cooking and recipes.

Issues like this are usually off-limits to most businesses because most companies have only one goal...to make money. However, as we state on our About page, we believe in preserving the family unit and as we describe in our 20 year goal, our priorities are: people first, products second, and profits third.

My position is no secret but that doesn't mean it was easy to publish this article. I knew that some people would react negatively and that it might negatively affect the bottom line. But, I had to do it.

It's one thing to engage in activities and as Americans, we have that right. However, giving out marriage licenses to two men and/or two women is a very bad idea for a number of reasons such as:

Weakening the family unit
Confusing little children
Propagating the spread of the deadly AIDS disease
Opening Pandora's Box; what's next? The legal union of three men?
Offending God

I could go into detail on each of these issues but the truth is, the reasons to maintain the traditional definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman is an obvious one that can hardly be disputed. The issue seems like a tough one because of the small but very loud group of minorities who are so effective at twisting and confusing the truth.

That's why it is essential for the majority to make their voice heard. We cannot be afraid. I hope you will have the courage to support me!

Sincerely

Dan Oaks

Mr. Oaks,

You seek to "ensure that marriage remains the way God intended it." Well, aren't you special to have a direct line to God? Thank goodness our society has types like you who are so proud of their special connection to God that they just have to impose it on everyone else.

Your form of rigid religious orthodoxy is the cause of so much evil in this world I can only imagine how a just and loving God reacts to those, like you and Osama bin Laden, who use God's name to justify acts of hatred and cruelty.

Had I known you were of this ilk, I would never have purchased anything from your company and I will no longer do business with your company.

Please remove my name from you e-mail address immediately.

Appalled,
Michael M.

First of all, I love your newsletter. The recipes are great and I love the little tidbits about your family. What I do not like is using your newsletter for your own political agenda. When I read your newsletter, it is to find new recipes and get new cooking facts. I don't want to read about your campaign to stop same sex marriages. I am not wild about the idea of same sex marriages myself, however I think that should take a back burner to what is happening in Iraq and what is happening in North Korea. At least these marriages deal with love even if it is . I personally think we should be worrying more about ending Hate.
Thank you,
Mrs. Kathryn F.

Mr. Oaks -

This is very important, so I hope you take the time to read this with an open mind.

Please, in the future, try to keep your personal views out of your business life. I recently purchased your HomeCook'n with Betty Crocker and was very pleased. That is, until I received the newsletter on 11/27/03.

A few questions for you:

1) Why do you feel it is your place to push your personal views on consumers who buy your products?
2) After reading your article, I still found no evidence of WHY you oppose same sex "marriage" or civil unions. Can you sum it up for me? I need true hard answers...not because you don't believe in it.
3) What purpose does this hatred in your heart serve you?
4) Are you homophobic?
5) What will you do in 15 years when your son or daughter comes home and tells you that he or she is gay?
6) Are you a Christian? If so, is it not taught that "thou shalt not judge others?"
7) Can you tell me what exactly is meant by "to preserve the
Judeo-Christian foundations of marriage."
8) Please do not send further newsletters to my e-mail address.

Next, I ask that you refund my $29.99 + tax. I have contacted Best Buy and since the package was opened I must contact the supplier. I am very dissatisfied with the product and would like my money back.

Lastly, as you have asked in your newsletter, I will call or e-mail my representative and senators today to considerately urge them to NOT support the Federal Marriage Amendment (H.J.Res. 56). I will also ask my family and friends to do this as well. I will also recommend to all family and friends that they not purchase products from DVO. There are far more superior products out there that do not push their personal views on to their consumers.

Sincerely,

Lori P.

I do not agree with your political views and think that to politicize a web site that advertises cooking is specious and spurious at best. It does not bode well for your religion to see such rope a dope tactics. I wonder why you do not open a web page concentrating on homophobic pro da via religion such as the Rev. Phelps and the Westboro Baptist church. Perhaps you should first ask your subscribers what their political and religious orientation happens to be before sending them the pro da contained on the crock pot cooking web site. Please unsubcribe me from your awful newsletter and may you have a happy hateful thansgiving -- no doubt you will thinking about how much more pious you are than others you share the planet with.

I am writing to let you know the reason behind the cancellation of my subscription, and the reason that I will not ever purchase another DVO software collection.

A cooking website is not an appropriate venue to advertise your homophobic attitude. I am a straight woman, raised in a Protestant household, married to a straight man, raised in a Jewish househod, in a completely monogamous relationship, however we have many friends who are gay, lesbian, and - .

These people take long-term relationships very seriously, maybe even more so than many of the hetero- couples that we know. To deny these people the benefits allowed to "traditional" married couples amounts to the denial of their *Constitutional* rights. The Constitution and Bill of Rights do not apply only to white hetero- Christian men and women. It applies to all men and women that live in this country, no matter what their race, orientation or religion.

If you remove your Bible from this argument, what is your reasoning why these people should be denied the right to marry? Nowhere in the *original* text of the Bible does it say that marriage is to be only between one man and one woman. It is the King James version of the bible where this first appears. In fact, in the Old Testament, many of the man had *Multiple* wives.

At any rate, I have said my piece, and I will repeat that I will never purchase another of your products again, if this is the type of bigoted attitude which you represent and support.

Sincerely,

Elaine H.

Dear Dan,

I know you're a businessman and a family man and you gotta do what you gotta do.

But I have to tell you that it hurt to go to your web site (https://www.dvo.com/) and find the hateful anti-gay bias advocating for the Federal Marriage Amendment.

I don't care about the Amendment. I don't think the government has any business legislating relationships of any kind unless they are non-consenting, but that is not my point.

The point is that I am a Lesbian, and I have been a faithful customer of yours for many years, I have bought your software as gifts for my family -- yes, my FAMILY -- and friends and I have recommended you everywhere I go online.

And you do this. Would you not have taken my money had you known? It's just as green as anyone else's. And even though your web site is clear about who you are and what you stand for, your products don't advertise it. I initially found Cook'n in a sale bin at Best Buy and upgraded from your site. I had no problem with who you were. I hoped I could presume that you would at least respect whoever I was as a customer.

I can see that I presume wrong.

Please take me off your list.

Cathleen