Yes, it’s true. An online nursery based in Raleigh, didn’t like the original name of one of the plants they were selling, so they changed the name to Domestic Violence. You know — because they thought the new name was funny.
What is worse, the reason Plant Delights chose that name is because the plant colors are black and blue. I started writing this within minutes of learning about it. My stomach is turning and my heart is racing as I type. To mock the horrors of domestic violence is beyond despicable.
According to research by?Mother Jones:
Domestic violence is the?No. 1 cause?of injury to women. The incidents add up to more than all the rapes, muggings, and car accidents women experience each year.?One out of every four women?in the United States will be physically injured by a lover in her lifetime. That translates into a woman being assaulted?every nine seconds?in America. Immigrant women are beaten?at higher rates?than US citizens, and African-American women are subjected to the?violence. Not surprisingly, a?shaky economy?just makes these numbers worse.
The original name of the plant is?Salvia Guaranitica. Changing the name for marketing purposes is one thing, but this goes beyond normal thinking and common decency. Plant Delights is apparently known for its shock marketing. They have a ‘hate mail’?section they proudly publish on their site, though I doubt they have include?all the mail people have sent in.
Another ‘funny thing’ they have done according to Jezebel?was using?- Gitmo Plants as a selling tool. Oh, how lovely. The detainees at the Guantanamo Detention Camp, in many cases, have been denied a trial for up to 10 years. Some have stopped eating -?they would rather die than go on not knowing when they will receive basic justice under the Geneva Convention. The detainees are being tortuously fed with tubes that are forced up their noses, and Plant Garden? They think this is a hoot.
So why, or even how, are companies like this still in business? As an activist, I do not write to bitch. I write to send out messages and hopefully offer solutions, and I have a few ideas right now. What people like Tony Avet, the owner of Plant Delight do not realize is that the public is fed up with hate speech.
Now with social media, it’s more than easy for consumers to speak out and take action. We can boycott, email businesses, post on their Facebook page, tweet their?Twitter accounts, use their competitors – and we can spread the word far and wide with a simple click and share.?A good example is the Rush Limbaugh boycott; over 2800 sponsors have pulled ads from his show after the public spoke up and began contacting advertisers?over his sexism, racism and lgbt-hating bigotry.
The public’s voice can bring some businesses down in days and it will be interesting to see what happens to Plant Delights after this news is spread.
Domestic violence is nothing to joke about. If you’re in an abusive relationship, or know someone who may be, there is help:?Call: 800-799-SAFE or visit?National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Sources: Jezebel,?Mother Jones,?National Domestic Violence Hotline
Edited by Jeromie Williams
