the Wal-Mart movie.
As most of you probably know, Move On was helping get the word out for Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
Now as most of you know, I'm a pretty conscious consumer, and while I have stepped foot in a Wal-Mart, it was to run through the aisles of the toy section somewhere around midnight near Hartwick. heheh... and I have scoundrel314 to thank for that excursion. Lots of fun
and zany antics, and nothing was bought.
I have been fortunate enough to never such desperate financial need that I would have shopped at Wal-Mart. And while most of what the film
showed I was already familiar with, a few tidbits I didn't know:
That quite a few robberies, murders and rapes have happened in parking lots without security patrols or with un-manned security cameras,
some of which were installed to monitor union activity, supposedly.
There have been a lot more victories to keep Wal-Mart of out communities than I knew. That was wonderful and heartwarming. Chicago
was listed. And I found that odd because when I left they were moving in to the SW side of the city... I'm curious to find out if was defeated
after I left, or what...
And now being in a political/activist mood I have David Rovic's Hang a Flag in the Window playing. (Note: if you're running Foxfire his page
doesn't come up for some reason. I have to check out his page via Explorer)
I had a nice conversation with the folk I was sitting next to in the theatre too. We started discussing the near child slave labor used for cocoa in Africa
that supplies Nestle with their chocolate and how organic chocolate is more likely to not come from such practices, the only way to be sure
is to buy fair traded chocolate.
I'm lucky enough to live in a city where these options are available to me. For a higher price, but to me it's worth it, even though I don't earn
much more than a Wal-Mart employee. It's amazing the difference a few thousand dollars, really great friends and a determined vision of the
world I want to live in makes.
And that I don't have a family to support.
The question is, what would I do if I lived somewhere in middle America where all there was a Wal-Mart? What if I was my cousin feeding
2 kids on her Wal-Mart salary somewhere in Arkansas?--if she hasn't moved. We're not close. And is there any fucking way for me to
share my political ideals without sounding like a fucking privledged bougie??? And how the fuck do I deal with the nights when all I can
think about is how lucky I am in my support and my art and that it's just as likely that when I die any effect will be almost nil in the grand
scheme of the Universe. And that one woman's boycotting of fast food and Wal-Mart doesn't do a damn thing to help my cousin get a job
she likes or free child care for her kids.
Now as most of you know, I'm a pretty conscious consumer, and while I have stepped foot in a Wal-Mart, it was to run through the aisles of the toy section somewhere around midnight near Hartwick. heheh... and I have scoundrel314 to thank for that excursion. Lots of fun
and zany antics, and nothing was bought.
I have been fortunate enough to never such desperate financial need that I would have shopped at Wal-Mart. And while most of what the film
showed I was already familiar with, a few tidbits I didn't know:
That quite a few robberies, murders and rapes have happened in parking lots without security patrols or with un-manned security cameras,
some of which were installed to monitor union activity, supposedly.
There have been a lot more victories to keep Wal-Mart of out communities than I knew. That was wonderful and heartwarming. Chicago
was listed. And I found that odd because when I left they were moving in to the SW side of the city... I'm curious to find out if was defeated
after I left, or what...
And now being in a political/activist mood I have David Rovic's Hang a Flag in the Window playing. (Note: if you're running Foxfire his page
doesn't come up for some reason. I have to check out his page via Explorer)
I had a nice conversation with the folk I was sitting next to in the theatre too. We started discussing the near child slave labor used for cocoa in Africa
that supplies Nestle with their chocolate and how organic chocolate is more likely to not come from such practices, the only way to be sure
is to buy fair traded chocolate.
I'm lucky enough to live in a city where these options are available to me. For a higher price, but to me it's worth it, even though I don't earn
much more than a Wal-Mart employee. It's amazing the difference a few thousand dollars, really great friends and a determined vision of the
world I want to live in makes.
And that I don't have a family to support.
The question is, what would I do if I lived somewhere in middle America where all there was a Wal-Mart? What if I was my cousin feeding
2 kids on her Wal-Mart salary somewhere in Arkansas?--if she hasn't moved. We're not close. And is there any fucking way for me to
share my political ideals without sounding like a fucking privledged bougie??? And how the fuck do I deal with the nights when all I can
think about is how lucky I am in my support and my art and that it's just as likely that when I die any effect will be almost nil in the grand
scheme of the Universe. And that one woman's boycotting of fast food and Wal-Mart doesn't do a damn thing to help my cousin get a job
she likes or free child care for her kids.