Linda Bean, of the L.L. Bean family, ran afoul of the Federal Elections Commission by donating too much money to a pro-Trump PAC. Here’s where things get tricky:
Bean, the granddaughter of L.L. Bean founder Leon Leonwood Bean, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. She is a member of the retailer’s board and runs a lobster company called Linda Bean’s Lobster Dreams. She has run for Congress and is a big donor for Republican causes.
So word started getting around — I certainly spread the word — as a kind of (in my case) knee-jerk reaction to (in my case) a severe dislike of Donald J. Trump. (I don’t like him. Have I made that clear?)
But people started responding to the called-for boycott with stories of the apolitical nature of LL Bean. I emailed the company and got this back:
Good evening,
Thank you for taking the time to share your views. I apologize for the delay in responding.
I have forwarded your concerns to the appropriate department.
L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions. Simply put, we stay out of politics. To our customers, employees and community-partners, we regret any undue negative attention that this situation attracted. We remain steadfast, however, that the company has at all times honored our long-standing focus on our products and customers, and not partisan politics.
We hope you find this background information helpful. You are a valued customer and we hope that you will continue to support our business.
It was signed by “Jordan.” I emailed him back to thank him for his response and I am going to stand down. There are all kinds of lists circulating of businesses that don’t agree with my politics — and I have a list of my own, but I wouldn’t want to be a part of unduly vicious response. Things are getting interesting, yes?
Dating Jesus 
On that kind of thing I only concern myself with companies I feel can afford to patronize. LL Bean got scratched from that list a loooong time ago. Plus….they never carried my sizes.
Some companies I won’t do business with ever. Some companies I’m compelled to do business with out of necessity or lack of viable alternatives. When market conglomerates and cartels rule every aspect of your life, it’s impossible for 90% of the country to escape acquiescing to need and affordability from time to time.
When ammunition is in short supply, you have to pick your targets judiciously.
I agree. I have my own personal boycotts going, but that’s in part because I am privileged to have enough money to, say, NOT shop at Walmart. I hate the place, but if you’re in the middle of nowhere and you need bedsheets…
So both sides have boycotts going. Great! So how does this end…it doesn’t end happy, but I would say have at “Party of Change…Party of Understanding and Heart” NOT Ever Again can you say you care about another Human…ever it is over. No one will listen if you say you care about any cause because of your lack of self control and American backbone. Show the whole world what all Liberal Democrats are really made of and deep inside like…hate, judgmental, tear apart anything they might not like or understand. Go ahead everyone is watching and will remember. But we will not take the HIGH road, because in reality that is where we have always been…but now you are not in charge. Destroy children….we will try to fix.
No idea where this rant comes from. Are you OK? Do you need help?