2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Community Recognizes and Commends Anti-Coke Effort
Issue date: 4/7/05 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
To the Editor:
The energy and good citizenship students have shown on the issue of seeking to ban Coke products from the Smith College campus in response to its corporate behavior around the world has not gone unnoticed in the community.
As students point out, the Coca-Cola Company is presently in court in Florida answering charges of complicity in murder and other anti-union violence in Colombia. But there are other significant reasons for censure of Coke's behavior in the world. In India, where water is a precious commodity, the company has been using 10 liters of water for every bottle of product - in the process, also seriously contaminating the environment with toxic chemicals around its operations. The company has also been found guilty of bottling tap water for sale.
Concerted public efforts, such as these student boycotts, must be made so that Coca-Cola and other producers conform to rules of good corporate citizenship. The 200 members of Western Massachusetts Progressive Democrats of America stand firmly with the students on this issue and urge others to follow their example.
Carl Doerner, for WMPDA
cdoerner@surfglobal.net
The energy and good citizenship students have shown on the issue of seeking to ban Coke products from the Smith College campus in response to its corporate behavior around the world has not gone unnoticed in the community.
As students point out, the Coca-Cola Company is presently in court in Florida answering charges of complicity in murder and other anti-union violence in Colombia. But there are other significant reasons for censure of Coke's behavior in the world. In India, where water is a precious commodity, the company has been using 10 liters of water for every bottle of product - in the process, also seriously contaminating the environment with toxic chemicals around its operations. The company has also been found guilty of bottling tap water for sale.
Concerted public efforts, such as these student boycotts, must be made so that Coca-Cola and other producers conform to rules of good corporate citizenship. The 200 members of Western Massachusetts Progressive Democrats of America stand firmly with the students on this issue and urge others to follow their example.
Carl Doerner, for WMPDA
cdoerner@surfglobal.net