Odie J. Watts sent a message to Stuart Parker that said:
June 11, 2020
Dear Mr. Peacock
I have been a USAA member for 49 years. My two sons, both veterans, are also USAA members. They and I rely on USAA for all of our insurance needs and most of our banking needs. I hold USAA in the highest regard. Your customer service representatives are outstanding. I trust USAA to always be there for me when I need them; and, to date the USAA organization has never failed me.
As a 49-year member of USAA I feel I have earned the right to speak out when I disagree with USAA Corporate leadership on any issue, and today, I am speaking out as loudly and emphatically as I can. I want you to understand that I totally disagree with the decision someone in the USAA organization made to contribute advertising dollars to support the Fox News/Entertainment, in particular the Tucker Carlson program.
Mr. Carlsonâs recent racist remarks on his program sent me into a rage. In this day and time systemic racism has to be addressed head on and I do not want to be a part of any of any organization that spends its advertising dollars to support that type of blatantly racist conduct.
Fox Newsâ success depends on advertising dollars and the only way to really hit them where they live is to stop spending those dollars to support their talking heads, and by implication support their programming content.
Since members, such as myself and my family, are paying to advertise USAA on the Tucker Carlson program, I want you to know, in the strongest terms possible, that I am against spending another dime on any USAA advertisement on Carlsonâs program or on any of the other rabid, Fascist programs routinely aired on Fox News.
In good conscious, I cannot, will not, support Fox Newsâ racist programming nor those companies that enable that programming via their advertising dollars. I urge you and the board of directors to immediately cancel USAA ads on Fox News. I am depending on you, Mr. Peacock, and your corporate leadership staff to make the right and honorable decision in this matter.
Sincerely,
Odie J. Watts, Captain USAF, Retired
USAA Member 1194936
