I picked up the following from the Dow Jones Newswire:

Ford Motor Co. (F), in the midst of a massive restructuring of its North American operations, on Monday reported a preliminary third-quarter net loss of $5.8 billion, or $3.08 per share, representing the company’s largest quarterly loss since 1992.

The auto maker also said it will restate earnings results dating back to 2001 to correct the accounting for certain transactions entered into to hedge interest-rate risk. The restatement for all periods, including the third-quarter results, should be finalized by the time the company files its quarterly report with the Securities and Exchange Commission next month.

[…]

North American operations continued to be the biggest drag on the overall performance. The company’s automotive operations in the region posted a pre-tax loss of $2 billion, up from $1.2 billion a year ago and compared with $1.3 billion in the second quarter. North American automotive revenue fell to $15.4 billion from $18.2 billion, as sales of pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles suffered amid concerns about high fuel prices and rising interest rates, among other factors.

Ouch. A loss of almost $6 Billion (with a B) or $3.08 represents a huge problem from Ford, its shareholders, and the employees. I will not presume to speak to the business factors of what is going on inside Ford. However, I do have to question if there is a philosophical reason behind this drastic drop.

I am tempted, as a Conservative Christian, to point to Fords vocal support for the Homosexual Agenda. As you may know, several Conservative Christian Groups including the American Family Association, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family and American Values have called for a boycott of Ford for its outspoken support to homosexual groups and gay marriage. You would be hard pressed to find an American company who has contributed more than Ford to these causes.

I have to question the logic of any organization who would intentionally place themselves into such an emotive argument such as Homosexual rights. No matter which side Ford would have chose, they would have alienated no small number of potential buyers. Why not stay silent on the issue? Ford is not alone, Wal-Mart is taking a similar road.

I am confident that Ford’s problems are deeper than the various boycotts. I am sure Ford would point to the international competition from companies like Toyota, which surly has some merit. Yet there seems to be a shocking lack of good sense at the executive level over at Ford. Perhaps the name Ford doesn’t automatically indicate the wisdom and capability to run one of the world’s largest auto makers.

I divested myself of my Ford stock around this time last year. Yes, it was for ethical reasons, but it looks like it was good financial sense as well. Ford is a major employer, and feeds about 110,000 US families. I hope they find and address this problem quickly, for the sake of those families. I believe the first step is to focus on making good quality cars, not corporate activism.