Because I'm crazy like that, I try not to put money in the hands of corporations whose owners fund right-wing causes. I don't work out at Curves, I don't succumb to the allure of waffle fries at Chick-Fil-A, and I don't get pizza from Dominos. But that's mostly because their pizza absolutely sucks ass.
In the interest of full-disclosure I must point out that while I don't shop at Wal-Mart, but I DO have a Sam's Club membership, which a friend (who is also a member) memorably equated to "buying from the Hitler-Chinese." So, already my whole philosophy is doomed. The impetus for this post, however, comes from the recent discovery that Target funded an right-wing, anti-gay Minnesota politician to the tune of $150,000.
TARGET. A company from my home state. A company that bought the naming rights to the stadium of my favorite sports team. A company that at least markets itself a being hip and diverse. I never felt bad about giving my money to Target, even though they are a big-box store. Now what? Does it even matter? Are all my dollars ultimately doomed? Where else do I spend my money?
Harris Teeter: Local NC supermarket chain. The president of Harris Teeter, Fred Morganthall II, donated to the campaign of Richard Burr, one of the most right-wing Senators in the nation (and friend of the blog! see below...). He has also contributed money to Republican members of the state legislature as well as the "Food Marketing Institute" PAC (which, admittedly, on its face at least appears to be bi-partisan).
Whole Foods: CEO John Mackey is an anti-union, anti-health care reform Libertarian. The health care plan at Whole Foods has extremely high deductibles and does not cover any form of medication or treatment for mental illness. In a New York Times op-ed, Mackey defended his position on health care reform by stating that, at least in his view of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, an "intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter has never existed in America."
Any Time I Buy Gasoline Ever, No Matter Where: 'nuff said.
Even if the company doesn't support right-wing causes, I can't help but feel like a jerk whenever I buy clothing or shoes. All those items are made overseas probably by a person who makes a LOT less money than they should. And, precisely for that reason, only on the rarest occasions do I buy any clothes or shoes. Any tips on where to find good 'merican made stuff?
WAIT - Some good news!!
Total Wine & More: Founder David Trone gave money to the campaigns of Paul Wellstone and Max Cleland. A toast to Total Wine! You can continue to count on my patronage! [Vee, I know you are breathing a giant sigh of relief right now. :) ]
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2 comments:
Yeah, this is very difficult. Very very difficult. For us, we get almost all of our produce from either a CSA or from the local farmer's markets. For clothes, I find myself looking at Etsy more and more often... I'm also pretty lucky in that we have a lot of locally made shops in San Francisco, like Chrome. But it's definitely something I think about, too.
This issue is such a thorn in my side. I have long held the belief that in this capitalist society, our true vote is our dollar. If I buy organic produce at Teeter, for example, that will encourage them to stock more organic produce. Change most often comes in small steps.
But lately I've been much more discouraged. If you dig deep enough, it's all dirty. I'm trying to find a compromise between keeping myself aware and not going off the deep end.
That corporations are even allowed to be involved in our political process is the true problem... but (starting today) I'm trying to keep the blog a bit more positive, i.e. at least a 1-week moratorium on political diatribes. :)
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