As much as I hate BP, I really feel for the owners of these little shops.  Most of the BP stations in town are old Amaco stations.  These are locally owned gas stations, they can't just switch suppliers overnight.

BP doesn't own the stations, they just buy their gas from BP. Given that most people are avoiding them now due to bad feelings about BP, I think local station owners are hurting enough.

Protesting a locally-owned franchise that makes most of its profit on chips, smokes and sodas is probably not going to end corporate domination or reliance on fossil fuels.

Are you walking to the protest? Cuz your bike relies on fossil fuels for it's production (and parts).

I applaud your general sentiment, but it may behoove you (and your cause) to redirect your energy elsewhere.

The argument so far:  On the one hand, we cannot hold BP accountable because on the national/global level they are far too wealthy and powerful to stand up to.  On the other hand, we couldn't possibly confront BP franchise owners (whose revenue profits BP on a national level) because such accountability wouldn't be fair to the "owners of these little shops."  After all, "local station owners are hurting enough."

 
When we fail to hold a corporation like BP accountable on the global and the local level, what is left, helpless cynicism?  Interesting. 
 

So who are these local "owners?"  According to the Manta company profile, "Highland BP is a private company categorized under Gas Stations and located in Duluth, MN. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $2.5 to 5 million and employs a staff of approximately 5 to 9."


How much of that revenue is going back into the pockets of BP, a company that has bribed our elected officials to deregulate their incompetence?  But as "Bad Cat" argues, it shouldn't matter because "BP doesn't own the stations, they just buy their gas from BP."  Guess we're fine then...


In response to the question, "Do you think you'll actually be able to 'change the status quo on the local level?"  The answer is yes, because we are contributing to a broader, national effort.  


Seize BP: Campaign Statement
"The government of the United States must seize BP and freeze its assets, and place those funds in trust to begin providing immediate relief to the working people throughout the Gulf states whose jobs, communities, homes and businesses are being harmed or destroyed by the criminally negligent actions of the CEO, Board of Directors and senior management of BP."

Go to seizebp.org.

Lastly, I respect the comments posted here.  I struggled with the same concerns, but came to a different conclusion.  The other members of "Northlanders for Corporate Accountability" came to a different conclusion too.  Enough, enough, enough.

So ... we can buy their smokes and chips, but not their gas.

Northlanders for Corporate Accountability: I love it Nate.

To say that protests (or boycotts) of non-corporate BP gas stations don't hurt BP is ridiculous.  While the stations may be a very minor part of BP's operations and supply chain, they are also the public face of the company.  BP is fighting an image war right now, and sorry to the station owners, but if being a BP franchise becomes an untenable branding situation, that will send a strong message to BP leadership that we don't appreciate the corner cutting, the drastic underestimating, and the lying playing out in this oil spill.

It's important to recognize that we buy a lot of BP gas without knowing it, because it's branded in other ways. It's also important to realize that long term the problem is not BP specifically, but the entire industry which is made possible by each of us. This means we all need to change our behavior to avoid complicity. 

Corporations do not operate democratically. *  Where they have outsized influence; they mitigate our ability to self- govern.  One thing we can do however is vote with our dollars.  We need to look at where the things we buy come from, how are they produced, and where does our money go after we hand it over to the friendly gas station clerk.   If the company has very little direct exposure to consumers, we need to bring pressure where we can.  If we pressure the local owners, it forces them to either stand with BP or change their supplier which in turn pressures BP.

If we cannot, or will not, put economic stress to the extent possible on a bad corporate actor in these most egregious circumstances, in what situation would we? 

On the other hand BP is just a brand name.  If things keep going as they are, they'll shuck the name.  Whether through a merger, name change or whatever, the actual company will live on through their oil fields, refineries, engineers, trade secrets, etc.  So long term, we can't forget that our enemy is not the brand BP, or even Halliburton. Our real nemesis is the multinational corporations that bribe our elected representatives in government, control the government regulators that are supposed to protect our interests, privatize the astronomical profits from our planets natural resources, and externalize the costs onto the rest of us in the form of turning our one home into a toxic cesspool.  

Right now there is no better way to do this than expressing economic outrage at BP.

I truly appreciate and laud the sentiments of Resol, et al, but I continue to firmly believe that corporations simply supply a demand.

We want cheap disposable goods, cheap energy, and easy access to both. The responsibility lies with you and me. 

I also think in details; the Sharpie you'll use to write on your protest sign is a perfect example of the cheap, disposable, fossil-fuel based, corporate-produced product we can't seem to live without.

Well, as soon as your protesting efforts reap any fruit (i.e. change BP's ways), just let us know.  Meanwhile, millions of humans and animals suffer in the Gulf; again, if you care so much, go down there and REALLY do something about it!

Someone's got to shop at the BP to supply them with $$ for clean up efforts, doy.

I'll be gassing up between two and five.

Palm>face>grumble.

Ad hominem attacks would assume your character or personal life is being attacked here.  Although there's definitely sarcasm and cyncism afoot, I don't see personal attacks.

Also, consider this from CNN: 
BP boycotts hurt local stations; gas giant offers help