bloodreddiamond.jpgBack in January I reported that my simple Diamond Boycott Petition had grown to over 100 signatures. I was excited that this important message was spreading. Now, nearly 40,000 visitors later, we’re approaching 1,000 signatures (921 as of this posting.)

The idea for my boycott first came from reading the book Blood Diamonds, by Greg Campbell. If you haven’t read that book, or others on the diamond trade, I encourage you to do so. It will appall you. It will disgust you. It will likely compel you to act.

I felt like I needed to do something. So I started blogging. I spoke about how diamonds are a warlord’s best friend, and how when you buy a Diamond Ring, you get an Amputated Hand Free. I even stopped to tell Tom Shane, a local diamond vendor, what I thought of his diamond business.

The reaction from the Internet community has been considerable and positive. The diamond boycott website has changed since it’s launch because of the feedback I’ve received. New pages include:

Like the diamond boycott MySpace page mission statement reads, “We don’t wear the blood of the innocent. We don’t buy into artificial value. We don’t fund wars. We don’t condone child labor. We don’t buy diamonds.”

If you haven’t signed the anti-diamond petition, I encourage you to read up on diamonds and consider the ill effects they’ve had on the world. If you feel like boycotting diamonds will help stop some of these effects, I urge you to sign the petition.

If you’ve already signed, now is a great time to spread the word by sending an email to a friend about the diamond boycott.