This article from Everything Yoga Blog asks where our yoga clothes come from. It was a good article as far as it went. Knowing the country of origin is important. But the author should have gone further. It’s not enough to know where our clothes come from. Singapore, China, India — it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is this – were the people who made these clothes paid a fair and living wage? Were they provided with good working conditions? Were they adults or children forced to work instead of going to school? Of course, we should also ask, what is the environmental impact of the clothes we buy? These are the questions we should be asking.
Truthfully, we should be asking these questions for everything we buy. We have a moral responsibility to ask these questions and require that answers be provided in order to make a decision to purchase. Once we know, we have a moral responsibility to purchase accordingly.
Watch this movie about the U.S. apparel industry, Made in L.A. to learn how three young women changed the industry. Be inspired!
We vote for a just world with every dollar we spend.
Follow-up article – this article details the toxic and banned chemicals showing up in clothes made by major clothing manufacturers. Because they are manufactured and shipped from overseas, the clothes arrive with the toxic chemicals already on them. They leach into our environment and onto our bodies when we wear and wash them.
“Samples of clothing from top brands including Adidas, Uniqlo, Calvin Klein, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lacoste, Converse and Ralph Lauren were found to be tainted with the chemicals, known as nonylphenol ethoxylates, the watchdog said at the launch of its report “Dirty Laundry 2”.
Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Learn more about celebrating 100 years of women’s achievments here.
Tragically, today too many women around the world still can not vote, open bank accounts, study or get advanced education, do work of their choice, marry the person of their choice or live a life different from their culture’s expectations with dignity. Too many women are still stoned for adultery (as if men don’t participate), killed at birth for not being male, or treated as family servants and slaves. In too many places rape is still seen as something that women bring on themselves, rather than as a crime of violence, power, violation and abuse.
Read Lisa Shannon’s powerful and moving book, A Thousand Sisters documenting the treatment of women in the Congo, for example.
Throughout most of human history (until the last century) women have been considered property – owned by men. That is still true in many places today. In the United States, these same conditions have only been alleviated for women within the last century. I am keenly aware that only within the last twenty years would I have been allowed to attend a Catholic seminary in order to receive my M.Div. degree.
But huge changes have come in my lifetime. In the United States, since the 1960’s, women can now open bank accounts without their husbands or fathers co-signing. Their confidential medical files are no longer shared on their husbands’ requests. While the glass ceiling exists, more women continue moving into positions of authority in business and in politics. Meanwhile, men are becoming more involved in family life. Bringing balance to both genders is good for families and for society.
Women comprise more than half the world’s population. What is good for women is ultimately good for their children, their families, their communities and the world.
Welcome to the month of March and the middle of the home buying season. Having spent most of my adult life working in the marketing world I learned a few things. One of the things I learned is that the large population group called the “Baby Boomers” is like a pig in a python. They are so large (up to 76 million) that they dramatically affect products for every stage of life they move through. This includes housing.
You can read the details of why home prices will continue to free-fall here. Or you can consider that as the Boomers retire and downsize, the demographic group behind them is much smaller, earns far less and isn’t as interested in living in a large home in the suburbs.
Marketing forecasters have noted that young homeowners prefer urban living in order to develop richer relationships and social networks. A strong social network is an important asset in a high unemployment economy. Urban locations also have greater access to those jobs that are available as well as public transportation. Cars are a big expense today that not everyone can afford. Long suburban commutes take up time that young couples are not as willing to give up as their parents were.
In the end younger homeowners focus on developing relationships over acquiring “stuff” or square footage. This is a survival strategy as much as a lifestyle choice. But I think it’s a good one.
Not surprisingly, many retired Boomers often prefer urban areas for some of the same reasons, plus the added benefit of easy access to high quality healthcare.
In addition there is the general overall trend toward much smaller, easier living spaces (read more here, here and here).
Added to this is the nightmare title/foreclosure problems that exist with MERS (40% of mortgaged homes). It’s difficult to buy or sell if no one knows who owns the title.
Then we have the Too-Big-To-Fail banks’ total lack of interest in cooperating with consumers through loan modifications, but instead, a preference for foreclosures whenever possible. Why? Because these banks never experienced the consequences of their unethical and risky mortgage loan practices. Not only were bank executives never prosecuted, investors were actually made whole from all losses through the Republican-Democrat taxpayer bail-out. Can you say “good ‘ole boy network?”
Of course this was VERY expensive (trillions of dollars) and we, as taxpayers, will have to reduce our national spending to pay for it. One way this might happen is by the recently proposed elimination of the home mortgage tax deduction. Reduction in social security, medicare and education funding are other targets – not to mention any and all social safety nets for those in crisis – mainly women & children.
Longer term, this means big banks are highly motivated to continue selling risky mortgages, foreclose and resell any and all properties for as long as possible. No need to modify loans or stop shady loan practices. Where are the foreclosure fees or resale profits in that? Meanwhile, we the taxpayers, have already reimbursed them for failed mortgages – even as many of us are evicted from our homes. The rest of us are apparently in the wrong business! (Post Script added 3-2-11: But resigning ourselves to this outcome of events is not inevitable, only one choice, as Yves Smith writes about here.)
NET: This huge over-supply of super cheap homes will last decades.
This timely article provides another glimpse of the current state of the housing market.
All in all, you can readily see why suburban home prices will continue to drop, drop, drop for a LONG time.
So what will happen to all those 3 bdrm/2 bath McMansions? We haven’t seen anything yet.
It’s always good to question the culture we live in. Here’s a cultural critique.
My husband and I have noticed that for years now home builders have showcased homes with built-in bars, either on the main floor or in a finished basement. Also, furniture makers push “gathering height” tables and chairs in order to have “that bar experience at home.” Really?? Do I want to have a bar experience in my home? Yuck! Nauseating to even think about.
Furniture makers also feature beer can holders and even entire coolers built right into sofas and recliners. Open any Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel catalog and find entire furniture and serve ware sections devoted to storing liquor, serving liquor and drinking in general. What’s going on? Are furniture retailers getting kick-backs from liquor manufacturers?
Are Americans so unaware that they simply plop down in front of the TV, requiring beer (or even soda) at their fingertips? Or worse, entertaining guests as if they were in a bar? Wow. This is a desirable way to live?
I don’t have a problem with an occasional drink or serving a glass of wine with dinner. But I do question home furniture and entire rooms designed specifically around drinking.
In the previous post I discussed how increased income disparity caused by the power of global multi-nationals is creating a world we do not want to live in.
But what can you and I do? We are not victims, nor are we uninvolved bystanders, we are participants. We are not powerless, we vote with our dollars, time and actions.
I promised you some suggestions. Here are ten for your consideration. If you are already doing some of these – yeah!!! If not, start now!
1. Social change starts inside. We can explore our own values. Know what they are and live in a way that brings integrity to the best within ourselves. Eliminate any violence (physical, mental, emotional, verbal) in your own life. Meditate. Reflect. Pray.
2. Education. We need to become educated regarding the real nature of poverty. Get your news from sources other than American news companies. Read how other countries perceive events in the world. (Jerusalem Post, Al-Masry Al-Youm, Der Spiegel).
3. Read. Read. Read. Most of what we need to know can’t be found on TV. TV is junk food for the mind. Read how U.S. policies have affected other countries. Books like Mark Kramer’s Dispossessed and Jeffrey Sach’s The End of Poverty provide a good foundation and a bibliography of other resources. Request that these books and others be available in your local library. Other books include The Blue Sweater, Three Cups of Tea and Half the Sky.
4. Volunteer and donate to non-profits such as Bread for the World or Mary’s Pence, working with networks of women to solve the problem of poverty – not just provide charity.
5. If your church or community offers mission trips to poverty stricken areas – go. Talk to those struggling with poverty. Listen and learn from them the problems they face every day for clean water, food, housing. We would not last a day in their world. Or arrange a dialogue with some of the working poor in your city through your church or community organization. Find out what life is like for many right in your own community.
6. Buy Fair Trade and local products whenever possible. Buy produce from your local Farmer’s Market. Know where the things you purchase come from and how those who make them are paid.
7. Learn how extreme weather caused by climate change particularly impacts the global south, the two thirds world – creating more poverty. Drive less. Carpool. Walk more. Use public transportation when you can. Consolidate your trips. Fly less often. Shop less. Consume less. Live more simply.
8. Work to end sexism, racism and “isms” of all kinds. Discrimination moves billions of dollars unfairly from one group to another. Begin with suggestions in a previous post here. In the Twin Cities we have an inter-faith discussion group. Join us or start one in your community. Learn about the different (“different” not worse) values and perceptions of other faith traditions. Hear others’ stories and share your own.
9. Become active in local politics. Meet with your local politicians. Participate with many others in “A Day on the Hill” – a joint religious advocacy gathering today at the State Capital. Or work with MICAH for affordable housing in your community. All change starts locally.
10. What else can we do?
The ability to develop deep relationships beyond our own family (clan, social class, nation) and connect with others who are different than ourselves is what it means to become truly human. This is compassion. This is what brings depth and meaning to life.
We are part of the human family and the web of creation. Just like with our own families – this family will not be healthy and whole until each member is healthy and whole.
This is not an easy task. Certainly it is not an instant or quick-fix task. But neither is it an impossible task. Rather, it takes education, listening, connecting and be willing to make different choices. Come with me on the journey!
