I LOVE Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!

The religious right went after Kraft for donating money to the Gay Games in Chicago. Instead of buckling under pressure from these religious groups, Kraft fired back an amazing letter clarifying the importance of diversity to their company.

If you support this decision, tell the people at Kraft that you do. It really makes a difference.

Here is the letter:

From: Marc Firestone, Executive Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Kraft Foods Inc.

Subject: Kraft's Contribution to 2006 Gay Games

The true test of any commitment is how you respond when challenged. Kraft is experiencing this to a degree right now, as a result of our decision to be one of several contributors to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. The games will bring together thousands of athletes in a competition that will take place in our corporate hometown.

In recent days, the company has received many e-mails, the majority of them generated through the America Family Association, which objects to our sponsorship. We also have received calls and e-mails - - not as many, but equally passionate - - thanking us for supporting this event. A member of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's team said, "We applaud the businesses that are sponsors of the Gay Games, including Kraft Foods."

You may have questions or might have had questions from friends and family about our contribution to this event. While Kraft certainly doesn't go looking for controversy, we have long been dedicated to support the concept and the reality of diversity. It's the right thing to do and it's good for our business and our work environment.

Diversity makes us a stronger company and connects us with the diversity that exists among the consumers who buy our products.

Diversity is more than a word many people like to say. At Kraft we truly respect all kinds of differences. And diversity is not a selective concept. By definition, it's nothing if not inclusive. We respect diversity of ethnicity, gender, experience, background, personal style and yes, sexual orientation and gender identity. Recognizing, respecting and valuing these differences helps us be a more successful business and a workplace where all employees can realize their full potential.

For more than a decade, we have had employee councils that promote our awareness of diversity. The newest of our nine diversity councils is the Rainbow Council, which strives to provide a forum for support and networking among gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender employees; raise awareness within Kraft and promote involvement in the community. Each council has an executive sponsor and I have been the Rainbow Council's sponsor since last year.

Through all of our councils, we support various initiatives that demonstrate how strongly we believe in diversity, through involvement in the community. Our sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games is one of almost 1,700 cash and in-kind grants we make annually.

It can be difficult when we are criticized. It's easy to say you support a concept or a principle when nobody objects. The real test of commitment is how one reacts when there are those who disagree. I hope you share my view that our company has taken the right stand on diversity, including its contribution to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.

I now feel a bit better about feeding my kid dehydrated unnaturally orange cheese

Kraft shells & cheese...the white cheddar wif broc...mmmm mmmm. And as for the prez's letter, This all reminds me of the Procter & Gamble thing back in the '80's, when the x-tians thought their trademark was some sort of evil, witchy, satan symbol

That is a very good letter. I applaud their determination to do the right thing in the face of criticism, and as soon as I go to the store I'm going to show them my support by buying me some Kraft Mac & Cheese!

KM&C is my staple food of choice.... how'd you think I got to be such a brilliant shade of orange? ^_^

I have much more respect for Kraft now. They rock the food world now.

Value peace, harmony, equity and togetherness in the circle of birdkind (and humanity too), take positive messages deep into the hearts of our communities. Diversity forever. Amen. ^_^

Then:



Now:





Interesting Snopes story about it here:
http://www.snopes.com/business/alliance/procter.asp

Another here, in PDF format:
http://www.pg.com/content/pdf/01_about_pg/overview_facts/trademark_facts/catholic_register.pdf

YAY! For Kraft supporting this and yay for Kraft Mac & Cheese. I like the Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese the best, but the original is still good.

P.S., what IS that orange powder? I think its people (redheads apparently), or maybe orangutans, like soylent green, only orange!

Maybe I can get into Snopes now!

I just sent an email to them and told them what a good job they were doing

And it's also good mac n cheese! A bonus!

I love it too, but too cheesy for me. So I only put in one half of the cheese packet and give it a liberal (no pun intended) dusting of Chile Chipotle flakes ........yuuuuummm.

That and a green salad make a great meal. Served of course with a glass of red wine.

Me, too! Bring on the Cheese & Macaroni!

Are the Velveeta shells and cheese made by Kraft also? I'd love to support this tolerant company, but I can't stand the blue box and their pouch of pseudo-cheesy death.

Kraft is owned by Philip Morris Company, the tobacco giant. (Today, Philip Morris Co. calls itself Altria Group, Inc., to "communicate its corporate structure with greater clarity."

Philip Morris/Altria is currently divesting itself of all its assets in preparation for bankruptcy. Why? Because Philip Morris/Altria is going to be destroyed over the next several years as multi-billion dollar legal verdicts against them are upheld in appeals courts. The corporate plan is to destroy the company and pay off the executives with the proceeds, rather than pay out to victims, health care systems, and governments (i.e., taxpayers).

As part of that divestiture, Kraft sold Nabisco to Cisco Systems in April of this year. That's right, Cisco is making routers and cereals now. Kraft executives made millions off of that deal, and so did Philip Morris/Altria executives. To run Cisco/Nabisco, Cisco tapped former RJR tobacco company chief Lou Gerstner to come out of retirement. RJR owned Nabisco before it was acquired by Kraft/Philip Morris/Altria.

Sensing a pattern yet?

Analysts are expecting Philip Morris/Altria to divest itself of Kraft very quickly, so that Kraft assets cannot be used to cover the costs to American taxpayers of nicotine addiction. Kraft and Philip Morris/Altria executives are personally expected to take in over $200 million USD in such a deal.

In the meantime, Philip Morris/Altria memorandum have directed Kraft and other subsidaries to build relationships with key demographic groups in the U.S. Why? So that when the company tanks, and the public learns the deliberative strategy to avoid responsibility for crimes and to continue to profit from them, sold-off assets like Kraft and Nabisco can call on their supporters to shield executives who have moved on to other companies.

Including, presumably, the gay community.

It's nice that Kraft likes gays. Apparently their strategy is working, because people now like Kraft.

Very nice. Now I have two reasons to support Kraft et al.

O.O

Back in the day, we had a Crisco/Sysco/Disco/Nabisco party. To attend, you had to bring Crisco, a disco album, a bottle of Sysco (think Mad Dog 20/20 but cheaper and more syrupy) or a Nabisco product.


I shudder to think that the Nabisco/Cisco merger means that half of our stoned amusement has now reached corporate levels. If they hire the brothers Gibb to start advertising for Crisco, Armegeddon can't be far around the corner.

This is the second time recently that Kraft has been under fire. I'm still chuckling over this one.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4300029.stm

You sure we're not talking about Sysco Corp., the food products mfg?
http://www.sysco.com/

I've said this to about everyone O.o

Despite it being a good food group,


Its liquid cheese!! how does one eat liquid cheese?
It just escapes my mind, why do people eat liquid cheese!?
I'd eat the black corn mush from a site I ventured, but I am not going over and beyond liquid cheese,

I miss my ichiban noodles ;_;

Nope, although I thought the same thing when the guys started talking about Sysco.

I have no idea if its available anymore - this party was back in like '94-'95 - or if its a regional thing (upstate NY) - but it was a bottle of sickly sweet malt liquorish type alcohol called Sysco. Gag-o-rama. But hell, it was cheap and we were underage.

Maybe they should change their name to Krafty

Suing tobacco companies because you smoked and got sick is right up there with suing McDonalds because you ate and got fat.

I don't have a problem with Phillip Morris or Kraft.

EEEK! (runs to dye her red hair blue) hehe. On the bright side, yay for kraft tho. Maybe I'll donate a lock or two to that cheesy-scented people powder. (or could it be redheaded avatars, finely grated down into their pixels?)

As several people have suggested to you, Nehai - we all get to choose our own causes, and we have the right to judge the sillyness or seriousness of other causes. In this case, however, the real issue isn't millions of smokers who have chosen slow suicide. The real issue is the billions and billions of dollars in medical and insurance costs, lost productivity, and related issues - that everyone is paying for, including everyone on this thread. Except, of course, for Kraft and other Altria executives.

Go ahead and clap for Kraft if you like. I can't, because that POV is too simplistic.

Seth, I want to make it very clear that I have not been hired to represent anyone else on these forums. As such, you can always assume that I am speaking for myself and no one else.

You may judge the silliness of anything you'd like. You are a big boy now and that is part of being a grown up.

What? Were they afraid kids were gonna hop on their bikes, run over snakes and squirels and eat them? Maybe as a goof I'll start a campaign about banning PEZ for "sending the wrong message to children" since the gizmo rewards kids with a goody every time they snap off the animal's head...

Nehai, I'd like to make it very clear that I never thought you spoke for anyone except for yourself. Why would I think otherwise? You do, however, seem to have a habit of committing the same errors you accuse others of.

For example, that last comment of your about being a big boy? It was...well, immature.