Full disclosure: I am a loyal Publix customer. But on the rare occasions when the company does something that makes me unhappy, I let them know. I’m also a fan of Bud Hedinger (local talk radio host) and Neal Boortz (national talk radio host).
The Publix calendar issue is a non-issue, and Hedinger, Boortz, and other talk show hosts need to look at the situation for what it really is and stop trying to inflame their listeners.
If you haven’t heard, Publix has produced a calendar listing holidays around the world for several years. The 2010 calendar notes that the Islamic new year begins on Dec. 7 but it doesn’t mention Pearl Harbor Day. The calendar didn’t mention Pearl Harbor Day last year, either. And the Islamic new year doesn’t occur on the same day each year.
In a news report, Publix spokesman Shannon Patten was quoted as saying, “We have great diversity in our customers and wanted to include as many of them as we could, which is why we included the Islamic new year along with Passover, Palm Sunday and a number of the national holidays of our customers. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day wasn’t included because it’s not a holiday.”
Makes perfect sense to me. There’s no pro-Muslim or anti-American conspiracy going on at Publix, and certainly no intention to offend anyone. This company is a wonderful American success story that consistently delivers superior products and services to its customers. I repeat: this calendar thing is a non-issue. Let’s focus on things that matter.
