Ben & Jerry’s has been a company that pushes leftist talking points since its founding, so it’s not surprising to see them spout off some progressive rhetoric. They have a long history of making such statements.
But they set off the internet when they chose to do it on July 4th, and people were not shy in responding with a well-deserved ratio to the company.
This 4th of July, it's high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it. Learn more and take action now: https://t.co/45smaBmORH pic.twitter.com/a6qp7LXUAE
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) July 4, 2023
Taking to social media, the ice cream company divided fans over its Independence Day post, tweeting, “The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it.”
In a similar message on its website, the company argued that July 4 festivities and celebrations can “distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth.”
Ben & Jerry’s proposed to “start with Mount Rushmore,” writing, “What is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom.”
“The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of men who actively worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and ways of life, to deny Indigenous people their basic rights,” the statement concluded.
The post has over 11 million views, and it’s still climbing. I think it’s fair to say that virtually all of the responses let the company have it.
Many responded that if the company believed this, when would they turn over all their lands and properties to the tribes that used to be on the lands they now occupy? That if they wanted to push this idea, they should turn over their land first.
Ben and Jerry’s corporate office is in South Burlington, VT
Home of the Abenaki people.
There are 3,200 of them still residing in the area.
Ben and Jerry’s- give them their land back. https://t.co/UEqAPnXggN https://t.co/dCmba716vm
— 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 (@txsalth2o) July 4, 2023
Speaking of stolen land, the Abenaki Nation would like to have a word with @benandjerrys about the land under their headquarters that they are occupying in Vermont.
They really should commit to returning this stolen land, and naming their next flavor *Shameful Hypocrisy Crunch* https://t.co/3OddasrfEt pic.twitter.com/xk7oKmPOoy
— Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) July 5, 2023
We at the Department of Justice agree. We are filing for Eminent Domain to seize your company property, as well as the personal property of all Ben & Jerry's employees. Thank you for being a leader and setting the example. https://t.co/oDH14ozkGe
— Merrick Garland US Attorney General parody (@MGarlandDOJ) July 4, 2023
Indeed, because Ben & Jerry’s is owned by Unilever now, why doesn’t Unilever give back all the land on every one of their many companies? I suspect we’re not about to see that anytime soon.
Some took it a step further and even brought up the cows, pointing a finger at the company for taking milk from cows and asking when they were going to give that or the profits back.
You make profit from stolen milk. Forcibly removed from the udders of enslaved female bovines without their consent. Repent, you evil s.o.b.s. https://t.co/85aQmeLot7
— TheMorningSpew2 (@TheMorningSpew2) July 5, 2023
When are they going to free the captive cows they are using for the milk to increase their profits?
But since we all know they’re not about to turn over their properties or money, what’s this all about if they’re not walking the walk themselves? It seems to be all about virtue signaling and the ESG points.
But they’re not reading the room; folks aren’t sitting still for such stuff anymore. Some — like country singer John Rich — called for Americans to make Ben and Jerry’s “Bud Light again,” meaning to initiate a boycott against them.
Make @benndjerrys Bud Light again.
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) July 4, 2023
As I reported over the weekend, Bud Light is desperately trying to dig itself out of the hole it made for itself with all kinds of tactics, from bad ads to free beer, and none of it is working. Ben & Jerry’s should be looking at what has happened to them and reconsidering what they are saying. But they won’t because that’s how far all these companies are into the ESG. They seem more willing to go down with the ship and the bad ideas than they are to listen to customers or the American people.
I’d note one other point of hypocrisy by Ben & Jerry’s here: Back in June, they were pushing the liberal narrative of the time that “hate speech” was up on Twitter since the Musk takeover, so they were pulling their advertising. Yet, here they are, still spouting off on Twitter. What are they still doing there if Twitter is so evil?
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