Boycott, day 19

I think I've resigned myself to the fact that I just can't shop anymore. And I'm okay with that. We're cutting down on our consumerism, which is a good thing in general, and we're saving money. We do get odd, and sometimes angry, reactions when we tell people we're boycotting "Made in China" but it's definitely led to some interesting conversations. Rather than bore you with all of the Q&A we've encountered, you can check out the Boycott Made in China website, which seems to answer a lot of the "why?" and "how?" questions we've been asked. This website has a plethora of information about the crimes against humanity that are occurring in China. While the website does seem a tad bit....(trying to think of a good word here)....angry? passionate? I think that they are trying to open eyes to how serious the issues are. Here's some information they provide:

After conducting on-site investigations and interviews with Chinese workers at Wal-Mart factories in China, the National Labor Committee issued a report describing the abysmal treatment of workers at such manufacturing plants. One particular section of the report on the Qin Shi handbag factory describes:
- 14-hour shifts, 7 days a week, 30 days a month
- average take-home pay of 3 cents an hour, $3.10 for a 98-hour workweek
- one worker earning 36 cents for an entire month's work
- 46 percent of the workers earning nothing at all and actually in debt to the company
- workers held as indentured servants, with identification documents confiscated, only allowed to leave the factory 1 hours a day
- 800 workers fired for fighting for their basic rights

I think that's definitely a reason to be passionate, or even angry, about what's going on in Chinese factories.

I think it's important to get the word out about these issues. I'm a lover, not a fighter though so I lean towards a softer approach. I love telling people about our boycott and explaining that it's something that is important to us, why we're doing it and what they can do too. Rather than storm my local department store and rant and rave to the manager about the disgusting quantity of Chinese made products, I plan to draft a letter that I can send to the corporate offices of all my favorite stores, encouraging them to buy more American made and fair trade products. (I'll have to work on that and post it here.)

As long as the subject is coming up, people will start becoming more and more aware of it. As I've mentioned before, we're trying to do more locally and handmade gifts for Christmas this year, but I've still journeyed to some of my favorite online shopping spots to check out the sales. I've emailed a few different companies to inquire where their products were manufactured. Some were helpful, others were not. Old Navy replied that they could not possibly tell me where a specific item was made (how hard can it be to look at the tag?), nor could they request it be made in a different country just for me. I nearly fell off my chair laughing! But you know what? The seed has been planted. And so I gently encourage you, dear consumer, to let your thoughts on this be known in an informative and peaceful manor in order to open ears and eyes.

~*Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.*~ Buddha