When you hear the word American, what images does it invoke? For many it is patriotism, freedom, baseball games, etc…There are so many different ways to interpret the meaning of American. But what about made in America or names that include American like America Girl dolls or American Joe clothing. One automatically assumes that those products are Made in America. Unfortunately one is not, and with the message it brings to little girls around the U.S. it should be a disappointment to all who find out that those pretty babies are Made in CHINA. No fault of our own for assuming because it says American that it is made here.
In this world of mass consumption and CHEAP products, we must wonder what does it really cost us to have things Made in China, and sold at Walmart. In my parents and my grandparents generations, items were made in America and cost a pretty penny to purchase, but you know, they still own those items or have passed them on to younger generations. In this day, items are made cheap and so are our mentalities around them. The products are made cheap and sold cheap so that we can say “Oh, it only costs X $, to replace, I’ll just get a new one.” So what do you do, you give that store more business, and so goes the vicious cycle. There is a wonderful video out there describing this awful cycle called Garbage Revolution…You can join their community online at www.garbagerevolution.com and I encourage the purchase of the film. Or you can host a viewing party like I did in your neighborhood.
I will be the first to profess I am cheap and I love a sale and getting discounts, but I would like to think I do it the right way majority of the time. Thanks to www.freecycle.org and my apartment dumpster, I have gathered some very nice items for my home over the last 6 yrs. I love the idea of saving items from the landfill that can be cleaned and reused. I urge all reading this to go to check out freecycle and even if you don’t need anything, there is bound to be something in your home you don’t want and can Offer to someone else. I think American means so much more than freedom or patriotism. I think we have the right to know and decide where our products are made and demand more quality items and less consumption. So the rich men have to step down off their alters and let middle America build and consume AMERICAN made. What does American mean to you?
AMEN