What is ESG?

 ESG grew out of investment philosophies clustered around sustainability and, thereafter, socially responsible investing. Early efforts focused on “screening out” (that is, excluding) companies from portfolios largely due to environmental, social or governance concerns, while more recently ESG has favorably distinguished companies that are making positive contributions to the elements of ESG, premised on treating environmental and social issues as core elements of strategic positioning. While climate figures prominently in ESG discussions, there is no single list of ESG goals or examples, and ESG concepts often overlap. That being said, the three categories of ESG are increasingly integrated into investment analysis, processes and decision-making.

• The “E” captures energy efficiencies, carbon footprints, greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, biodiversity, climate change and pollution mitigation, waste management and water usage.

• The “S” covers labor standards, wages and benefits, workplace and board diversity, racial justice, pay equity, human rights, talent management, community relations, privacy and data protection, health and safety, supply-chain management and other human capital and social justice issues.

• The “G” covers the governing of the “E” and the “S” categories—corporate board composition and structure, strategic sustainability oversight and compliance, executive compensation, political contributions and lobbying, and bribery and corruption.

How is Diversity, Inclusion & Equity (DIE) tied into ESG?

 As you can see in the “S” above, DIE comes under the “Social” aspect of ESG. DIE addresses social justice issues. It is our belief that, like corporate ESG scores, social credit scores will be imposed on American citizens in the near future. The social credit system will make it impossible for a citizen to function in everyday life activities if an individual stands up for his closely held faith based beliefs. The social credit system already exists in China. We highly recommend you research this topic on your own.

What about DIE does SWFF specifically stand against?

We thought this question could be best answered with a video. Please listen to this segment from Real Time with Bill Maher, March 10, 2023, below:

 I thought SWFF was a health freedom organization. Why are you taking on DIE? 

The “vaccine mandate” was an attempt to gain control of the American population by using corporations to enforce an unpopular policy that was unable to pass though the legislative bodies on its own merit.  To do this, the government withheld contracts and imposed financial penalties on companies if they refused to terminate all employees not in compliance with the presidential directive. We believe vaccine mandates were a dry run for ESG initiatives, including DIE.

DIE has roots in Marxism, is redistributive in nature, and will leverage corporate America to persecute all who are not in compliance with the directives of the state.  DIE has become the clearest threat to our beloved airline and as such, requires our attention.  For more information on SWFF revised mission, read here.

 Did SWFF create the Southwoke website/billboard? Was it real?

 Yes, the website/billboard is real.  No, it was not us.  We cannot claim credit for that brilliant piece of satire.  We lack the talent and resources for such a magnificent display of satirical wit. The fact that other, independent efforts are taking on the DEI issue shows that we may be on the right side of this one.  We do not condone this billboard or website and ask all of you to avoid clicking on Southwoke.com.

If SWFF is against DIE, are they a racist organization?

 Absolutely not!  SWFF believes in a meritocracy. DIE divides us based on categories unrelated to job performance and reduces the workforce entirely to pie charts.  The stated goal of “increasing diversity in the workplace” means that one section of the pie chart must be reduced to grow some other section of the chart; it’s a zero sum game. Someone of a race/gender/religion/orientation will be hired/promoted or not, based entirely on these arbitrary factors in order to satisfy metrics.  DIE is the very definition of discrimination and replaces a meritocracy with mediocrity.  The only way to move past this injustice is to remove all demographic criteria from the application process, or stop tracking and reporting these metrics. We believe the best way to end racism/bigotry/homophobia, etc. is to quit talking about it.

What is a meritocracy?

A meritocracy is a system, society, or organization in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit. It is a system that fosters and rewards personal effort, ability, and talent through competition. In a meritocracy, all citizens have the opportunity to be recognized and advanced in proportion to their accomplishments. A meritocracy contrasts with aristocracy, where people advance on the basis of their money or social position.

 Is SWFF against the LBTGQ+ community? 

 Absolutely not! What a person does in their free time is of no concern to us. However, work is not a place to impose identity politics, of any kind, on our co-hearts or passengers; it is a place to provide great customer service as we safely and reliably move airplanes around the country.  What happens after work, among consenting adults, is their business. We absolutely believe in the Golden Rule (Herb’s version, not Lee’s version).  We treat all people with respect and ask that they do the same. After all, SWA has been wildly popular and financially successful using the Golden Rule model for 50 years! Why do we need to stray from that now?

SWA has stated that they don’t have hiring metrics and operate under the Golden Rule. What’s the problem?

 Great! We fully support those efforts. If that is the case, there is no need for DIE initiatives! We can continue operating as we have for the last 50 years. We believe DIE allows individuals to break themselves into smaller and smaller groups of identities. The more divided we are, the easier it is to control us. We believe in uniting as ONE group, under Herb Kelleher’s legacy, simply as, “The Warrior’s of Southwest Airlines.” We’d like to add the philosophical impossibility of SWA’s recent promotion of “Every. Single. One. Of. Us.” The language here is divisive in nature. It separates instead of unites under one banner. It’s a nuanced message that is hard to capture in short form and will be addressed in a future email/blog post. 

What are SWFF thoughts on preferred pronoun pins?

 Preferred pronouns are forced identity politics at work.  Any policy requiring use of preferred pronouns leads to one party being compelled against their will to participate in another party’s identity politics. This places one person’s view of reality above another. Again, work is not the place to be pushing identity politics. At this point in time SWA does not require the use of pronoun pins, nor the requirement to address someone by their pronouns.

What help do you have for applying for a religious exemption?

We have multiple options! The fastest way is to ask for help on the telegram chat group. There are plenty of employees who have walked the path and can tell you what to expect, as well as what their experience was with the process.

If you desire more information about what your Title VII rights are, you can view First Liberty Institute’s Religious Liberty Protection Kit that guides you through details about your Title VII rights.

If you want legal help filling out your religious exemption, Nathan McCoy of Wilson McCoy, P.A. is an expert in the field and has been gracious enough to offer the people of SWFF a discounted fee for their services! Nathan is a trusted source that has helped SWFF on multiple occasions.

Feel free to email us with more questions:

swfreedomflyers@protonmail.com