In my quest for an entry this week, I decided to revisit our adopted slogan: Think Globally, Act Locally. And I mulled over it and mulled over it and mulled over it. For whatever reason, when I think of truly acting locally in the U.S. of A., I immediately think of those people who boycott non-American products. Personally, I don’t know how these people make it through a day alive and clothed, but I wanted to examine their reasons.
Economy, right? It’s the most patriotic way to support our economy. Giving money
to Americans from Americans. Picture perfect, squeaky clean, lovely. And, personally, I give a lot of kudos to those who can follow a fully American lifestyle. It must be hard to check labels everywhere you go. But is this action completely positive?After all, trading, importing, and exporting promote interaction between cultures, which leads to ideas and innovations and just all-around good living. So, who’s really in the right here? American-only buyers or “who cares?” buyers?
And if only buying American products isn’t so amazing, then what can you say to defend those “who cares where it came from?” buyers, when the product may very well come from the hands of a five-year-old sweat shop baby?
And one more thing I think we should touch on: the Writer’s Strike. This massively controversial strike is intended to earn writers more compensation for their hard work. However, confrontationists against the writers point out the recent lay-offs of the stagehands and behind-the-scenes workers on the television shows, already numbering to over 100 lost jobs. Suddenly, I began wondering what kind of clothes the anti-Writer’s Strike people were wearing. After all, outsourcing jobs is one of the biggest causes of unemployment. Seems like we don’t always mean what we say.
So, I ask you, Reader. Do you consider someone who buys only American products to be closed-minded, or simply patriotic? Mull it over. I know I did.
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I think that people who choose to buy American products are simply trying to be patriotic. There is nothing wrong with wanting to support the workers in your own country. However, it is getting increasingly harder to buy American-made products since most of the products we buy come from other countries. When I am buying clothes, I typically do not look at where they are made before I purchase them. It is only after I have purchased them that I look at the tag and notice where they are made. Perhaps I should change my buying habits, but shouldn’t the companies selling the products also know that they are more than likely buying something made in a sweatshop if the product comes from another country? We can protest sweatshops, and refuse to buy products that are known to come from them, but the companies selling the products must consider their ethical values as well.
By: Julie on November 14, 2007
at 5:56 pm
Why does it have to be one way or the other? Maybe they are stubbornly patriotic, or so close-minded to their patriotic ways? I could be completely wrong, but as an open-minded person, I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I think this is an interesting entry, and I am really seeing how it relates to the initial theme of your blog site. I may need to mull over it a little longer… but I see where you are coming from. Good job.
-Melissa H.
By: mmmlissa on November 14, 2007
at 6:43 pm