Target Gives Salvation Army the Boot for Christmas

Target's decision to kick the Salvation Army to the curb is raising the ire of some, but will it be enough to cause a reversal?

Is Target banking that busy holiday shoppers won't notice ... or care? Are they hoping that "red-staters" are still resting up from their fevered victory dance? Are they trusting Christian conservatives to turn the other cheek ... yet again?

Whatever Target's hopes, they just might come true. Each day the Salvation Army is kept from Target is a quarter-million dollars in lost donations. The $ 9 million dollar projected shortfall is not just this year, but every year. And if Target's decision holds, other retailers could drop like dominoes in the future.

It didn't cost Target one penny to allow the Salvation Army access. Assuming the average kettle donation to be a buck or two, Target had 5 million customers last year who were happy to see the bell ringers there, and probably a couple million more who at least didn't mind.

Does Target have the right to keep the Salvation Army out? Yes, they do. But having a right doesn't make it right. Target can bully America's oldest Christian charity, but they can't bully America's oldest Christian charity and keep me as a customer.

Who's with me? It's now or never.