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Why Jesse Jackson's Toyota boycott
is better than any government remedy

WASHINGTON, DC -- If you want to help achieve racial equality in
America, then joining Jesse Jackson's threatened boycott of Toyota is a better way to accomplish that goal than by supporting government affirmative action, the Libertarian Party said today.

"Want to force Toyota to reconsider its racial policies? Then a boycott
is the way to do it," said Steve Dasbach, the party's national
director. "Who needs affirmative action, government quotas, and
politicians when you've got the economic power of millions of Americans on your side?

"Not only that, it's refreshing to see Jesse Jackson, who usually
relies on the coercive power of government, to try a voluntary method
of solving a problem, such as a consumer boycott. That's why we applaud Jackson for asking ordinary Americans -- rather than politicians – to help resolve this issue."

The longtime civil rights leader is expected to officially announce the
Toyota boycott at a meeting of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, which begins Wednesday in Chicago.

Jackson has accused the Japanese automaker of discrimination because only 55 of its 1,400 American dealerships are minority-owned. Jackson said he was also angered by a recent Toyota advertisement showing a close-up of a black person's smile that featured a gold RAV4 -- a small sports utility vehicle -- embossed on a front tooth.

For Americans who share Jackson's concerns about Toyota, a consumer-driven boycott is a far better way to achieve racial justice than a government-mandated affirmative action program, said Dasbach. Here's why:

* Boycotts let ordinary people have a "vote" in the process.

"If Jesse Jackson can persuade you that Toyota is awarding dealerships in a racially biased manner, you can 'vote' for racial justice by refusing to buy a Corolla, a Camry, or an RAV4," said Dasbach. "You can also try to convince your friends and family to join the boycott.

"But if you disagree with the boycott -- and worry that Jackson is a
publicity-seeking race baiter who's targeting Toyota because it refused to award lucrative dealerships to his friends -- then you can 'vote' for Toyota by purchasing one of its vehicles. Either way, you as a consumer get to decide who is right."

* Boycotts have an immediate effect.

"If millions of consumers decide not to purchase a product, it can have an instantaneous and devastating impact on a company," said Dasbach.

"If a boycott against Toyota is launched on Wednesday, the company
could be feeling the impact by Thursday."

"Now compare that to the sluggish political process: First, you have to
mobilize enough support to convince a Congressman to introduce a bill; then hire lobbyists to battle competing special interest groups,
lobbyists, and bureaucrats; and then try to get it approved by the
House, Senate, and president. After all that time, the problem you
originally wanted to solve may no longer even exist."

* Boycotts empower people, not politicians.

"With a boycott, you can decide whether to participate, based on your
values and your concept of racial justice," said Dasbach. "But with a
government program, politicians get to decide, based on what will
garner them more campaign contributions, more votes, and more power.
Whom do you trust more: Yourself, or a politician?"

* Boycotts are temporary -- unlike government programs.

"A successful boycott serves its purpose, then goes away," said
Dasbach. "But every federal program spawns more government bureaucrats whose jobs depend on finding an endless stream of real or imaginary villains and victims. The result is that your business could be the next target -- whether or not you've done anything wrong."

So, is Toyota really acting in a discriminatory fashion, and running
racially insensitive ads? The Libertarian Party doesn't know, admitted
Dasbach.

"But we don't have to know," he said. "The great thing about a boycott, like the one proposed by Jesse Jackson, is that you get to decide. If you want to change the way Toyota does business, you have one of the most powerful weapons in the world at your disposal: The power of your wallet or pocketbook. It's up to you to decide how to use it."