Lines Drawn

The Quiet Boycott

They didn’t look away

Ethics don’t always come wrapped in foil. Photo by Caleb Oquendo

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The United States of America is starting to sound like an oxymoron. We are most certainly not standing united. The country is more invested in divisiveness than unity. Two branches of government have effectively vacated their roles — just rubber-stamping what the third decides. The loudest and the most obnoxious and inflammatory are being heard.

Is there any blooming hope?

As long as the fat lady is not done singing, there is hope. I hope. A part of the country still believes in the principles of justice, fairness, empathy, and even democracy. We have to cling to the hope that the sinking ship can be righted.

And a major part of that is the young voters — the participants in this great game of democracy. If the ship is sinking, my kids are at least looking at the manifests of the lifeboats. They have always been aware globally, politically, of the climate and of climate changes.

But let me step back a few weeks.

Chipotle has fed my kids more than the school cafeteria — until last week. I am not saying the two closest to our house are in black because of us. But we add a lot of grey. It’s relatively healthy. My teens — high schoolers — are convinced that it’s healthier and more palatable compared to the cafeteria food. I have not tasted the food. I take them at their word. They don’t always take Chipotle for lunch. But a few times a week. That’s still a lot.

But while the 50mph winds rattled my windows last week, and the temperature was -25°F, a different kind of draft was blowing through my kitchen — the chill of a boycott.

For my teens to go back to cafeteria food, or take Indian food that smells Indian-y as soon as they open the thermos, is not too trivial a sacrifice.

The viral claim wasn’t accurate — Chipotle’s owner hadn’t donated. But Bill Ackman, who once held a major stake in the company, had personally given $10,000 to a GoFundMe for the ICE agent involved in the Minneapolis killing. His fund had already divested from Chipotle by then — but the timing, the ethics, and the headlines were enough for my kids to boycott anyway.

And till the bad taste of this entire incident leaves them, they will continue to avoid Chipotle.

What gives me hope?

They understand that money talks. Consumers have power. They were aware of the viral post — and then proof that it was a false claim. But maybe they are questioning the timing of divestment in November 2025. And Chipotle’s corporate values. They didn’t just read the news; they felt the ethics.

Even if they go back to Chipotle — they questioned. Processed the nuances. Gives me blooming hope.

Thanks to Dennett for the prompt. Didn’t see the prompt leading to moral calculus over lunch, but that’s the kind of month it’s been.

[embed]Blooming Hope Weeds & Wildflowers February Promptmedium.com