\nwhat is Black Friday. I described it as a disgusting manifestation of my
\ncountry\u00b4s consumer insanity. A sometimes homicidal frenzy<\/a> to buy, buy, buy. An
\noblivion of credit cards and savings spent, of angry drivers and enraged
\nshoppers, of mistreatment, impatience, entitlement, and just plain rudeness. <\/p>\n
Why do people act like that, my Peruvian friends asked. <\/p>\n
Why, indeed. <\/p>\n
A naked greed exposed on the blackest of days.<\/p>\n
Is this what we give thanks for, the day before, or how we
\nprepare for a sacred arrival?<\/p>\n
Yesterday I gave thanks to be in Peru where I wouldn\u00b4t have
\nto deal with this awful custom. I hate it, I really, really hate it. The fact
\nthat people stand in line all night, trample each other to enter box stores, or
\nfight over prices and product supply. <\/p>\n
The customer is always right, right? So we\u00b4ve been taught in
\nour culture. Consumerism is what is valued. <\/p>\n
But what about human values? Enjoying Thanksgiving with the There are choices we can make as consumers that favor human I encourage you all today to reflect on your purchasing power. One alternative is buying Fair Trade<\/a>. Besides the fact that Another alternative is boycotting. Take yourself out of the Why is Black Friday called Black Friday? asked our Peruvian One USAer said, because companies get of the hole in one day, and their books go from "red" to "black." I had never thought of that answer before.<\/p>\n My answer was: because it is a dark, dark day.<\/p>\n ——————–<\/p>\n Please excuse the lack of actual food references in this article. I am posting it as an awareness raising tool about consumer choices in general, to recognize the purchasing power we have in the US (for Christmas gifts or for…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nfamily instead of dashing out to spend the night awaiting the Golden Gates to
\nopen? Or analyzing the effect of box stores on local economies (destroys small
\nbusinesses) and the environment (imagine the trees that existed before the
\nmassive parking lot). And most importantly, recognizing the now-so-alientaed
\nhuman effort that went into bringing each Christmas bargain under your tree,
\nincluding the cashier who got up at 3am, missing her kid\u00b4s day off from school,
\ngetting paid just about minimum wage <\/span>to
\nmake sure YOU get the best deal (and the CEO is off on a yacht in the
\nCaribbean…)<\/p>\n<\/a> There were people who constructed that toy, or molded that
\ndish, knit that sweater, or made those earrings (photo: Ernesto of Fair Trade jewelry group Munay Rumi<\/a>). Were they paid fairly? Probaby machines played a
\npart in the production. Were the overseers kept safe in the operation? A
\ncompany shipped that in from SouthEast Asia or Latin America. How many hands
\ndid it pass through to get to you, and who made the most money in the exchange?<\/p>\n
\nvalues over blind bargains. That is, when you like at the price, think about
\nthe cost. Who is receiving less because you are paying less? I guarantee the
\nsqueeze is hardest at the production level. <\/p>\n
\nThink about alternatives to the mainstream manic of Black Friday. <\/a><\/p>\n
\nit is easy to buy over the internet, to avoid the unpleasant people out in the
\nmalls today (and for the next month, and just malls in general which give me a
\nsense of nausea), your purchase means that you are investing in an artisan\u00b4s
\nlife. It means you recognize, support, and encourage fair prices, producer\u00b4s
\nrights, safe working environments, gender equality, democratic leadership,
\nsolidarity, justice, communication, transparency, business training,
\nmicro-entrepreneurs, and alternative development strategies<\/a>. Yup, all that in a
\nscarf. (Like from the fair trade Group Warmipa Maqui<\/a>.) <\/p>\n
\nequation, and choose to celebrate Christmas in more meaningful ways. Maybe
\nhomemade presents, maybe activities instead of "stuff", volunteer,
\ninvesting time (instead of the money you apparently don\u00b4t have because the
\neconomic crisis is so bad that donations to humanitarian organizations have
\ndropped significantly), or make a donation<\/a> to a cause you care about in
\nsomeone\u00b4s name, as an honorary gift. <\/p>\n
\nfriends. <\/p>\n<\/a>
Alexandra Buck is facilitator of the Bridge of Hope Fair Trade program<\/a>, an effort of the Joining Hands Peru Network, one of 10 country networks that make up the international arm of the Presbyterian Hunger Program. She tries to stay balanced even when she\u00b4s walking on ruins, and she\u00b4s making this Christmas a Fair Trade Christmas. She hopes you don\u00b4t stand in line too long today. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"