Anti-abortion Catholics generally ignore or dismiss criticism of their support for China and Chinese products. “Impossible” is how one concerned Catholic responded to one of my boycott inquiries. But remember: that’s a nation that actually utilizes law and punishment to enforce a one-child policy. The worst you can say about the US is that there is no official inducement one way or the other–the level of influence is largely personal. And a family, a boyfriend, or a set of peers seems as likely to urge a continued pregnancy as a termination.
I notice that NCReg continues to hammer away at the Girl Scout this week. Don’t buy and eat those luscious cookies, we are told, because one million Girl Scout dollars go to the international governing organization. While we know we don’t like them, we’re not entirely sure about the answers the GSA gave the bishops. In other words, they’re not backing down.
My take is that boycotting is a nearly useless activity. Karl Rove has somehow corrupted it into a political strategy, proudly borne by conservatives these days, especially if they can get someone fired or stop up the money flow. And redirect the flow to their own coffers. We are left with angry Catholics intimidating little girls who just want to wear brown and green and sew badges on sashes. And sell some cookies for a camping trip or something.
And let’s face it, like Catholic females, a Girl Scout grown up who judges her pregnancy unwanted may be as likely as anyone else to get an abortion if pressured by a boyfriend, a family, or swayed by the general acceptance of the procedure.
So what is the NCReg and “CookieCott” trying to accomplish? If it’s about remote cooperation with evil, I think they’d better check the “Made in …” labels on their consumer purchases. But if this is about scoring political points because China is too big, what’s so upright about that? Even pagans can boycott people they don’t like. Even pagans can bully little girls.
I recommend dropping a box of Thin Mints into the freezer–I’ve done this since my parents bought my sister’s cookies. Nothing like a cool chocolate mint cookie washed down with a glass of milk on a warm summer day. Those shortbread ones are good with milk, too. Room temperature for those.
Catholic Sensibility 
A friend of mine from high school was supervising when one of her daughters was selling surplus cookies outside of a Walgreens and had a run-in with some very vocal anti-abortion activists. Like of the foul-mouthed, graphic kind. (Did I mention said kids were all around 1st/2nd grade?)
I’m not entirely sure how we’re supposed to have a dialogue with said extremists, especially when they get further and further to the fringe. Those sorts of reactions seem to be designed to provoke further extremist reactions.
It is a good learning experience for very young children to witness a protest. The right to protest is as close to ‘sacred’ as our secular rules can get. Those children were lucky to learn that in America people have the right to speak up, even angrily, but without resorting to physical violence.
Even very young children are fortunate to learn how to properly argue for a position. Being exposed to someone who is arguing ineffectively because of personal insults or foul language is not lost on a child. It is a great opportunity to point out that passions are most effectively expressed when the listener is given as much respect as the cause in question.
This just makes me more willing to invest much more in GS cookies than my diabetes management will permit. But our parish girls sell them and I’ll but them .. again and again and again.