Last week at the Drogheda Stands With Palestine vigil in West Street, one of the speakers again reminded us of the need to maintain the boycott. She made a specific reference to Cadbury. Mentioning a different company each week seems a fine idea because at least it will stick in the head.
So when the vigil ended I headed to do some messages before catching the bus up home. As I sauntered through the shops I kept Cadbury to the forefront of my mind. I don't eat chocolate these days but my wife has a sweet tooth so often I would pick up something for her. As I navigated the aisles, I purposefully sought out a detergent other than Ariel - Proctor and Gamble is on the boycott list as well.
Shopping over, I walked the few yards back along West Street to make my bus. I rearranged the bag so that the contents would sit more compactly. While manoeuvring the Shredded Wheat box, the label Nestle stared back at me like a guilty secret. Shredded Wheat is my favourite cereal, probably the best for those trying to maintain their blood sugar at a healthy level. The realisation came over me that I had bought quite a few boxes in recent weeks given the price reduction on them as Tesco and Dunnes try to catch the return to school market. So there I was, attired in my Palestine scarf and incongruously carrying a product from a company on the boycott list.
How I wondered can people like me - who are seasoned campaigners by this stage and cannot therefore avail of a fool's pardon - persuade the wider public that boycott is vital, if we don't pay attention ourselves while shopping? I had always known Nestle was a company to be boycotted because of its links to Israel, but simply failed to look closely at the packaging in front of my eyes. Guided by I love it, it is a great price, grab it, due diligence was a stranger that day.
At the vigil minutes before completing my purchase I had read read out a piece written earlier that morning. Which only served to underscore that it is not what we say but what we do that really counts. So guilty as charged m'lud. No more Shredded Wheat for breakfast once the current supply runs out. Those being starved in Gaza do not have the luxury of choosing what breakfast cereal to pick from.
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