Labor Day 2014

It's a different world than the one that organized Labor Day in the US, in 1887- that day that celebrates workers  both for their works and the unions, fighting for decent working conditions, decent pay, did away with child labor (at least legally) - than the one we live in today. The one where the tag Made in the USA slipped out the back, Jack, while a whole lot of people were looking the other way. Maybe they were looking at Walmart and carrying home cheap goods made in another country where labor unions don't exist, or maybe they were banging on about Mexicans stealing jobs that obviously hoards of folks were lined up for, such as picking tomatoes for 10 cents a bucket. A big bucket.

No. The jobs being taken, those jobs where sweat runs, those jobs building things we use every day like electronics and clothing and food (food that yes, goes from America to be processed and then is shipped BACK to America) and tools and ceiling fans and, well, all of those jobs? Those were taken by politicians and corporations, by letting corporations move their work and their wallets out of the US to where children do have to work, pay is less than subsistence (oh, like here, but not like here at all) and a work week is never done. Literally.

I never thought I'd post anything touting Republicans, but as you can see, in 1956, they were a very different breed of cat.

It's not just China, far from it. You can read about where some of your Fruit of the Looms, Hanes and Levi's come from (for a worker making less than five bucks a day) here. photo credit: unknown

So my hat's off to the laborers. Hats off to those who go out of their way to buy American products, even if they cost a little more. Hats off to anyone standing in the way of the backdoor tax evaders. What happened to that oomph, America?

And yes, I'm guilty of hypocrisy. I make this on a Mac, I take photos with a camera made who knows where, but where do I buy an American made computer or camera? I do try to buy American or buy used, recycled options, especially in tools. One reason is selfish, old tools, tools once made in the US, when well taken care of, they last! There ARE websites dedicated to helping you find American made products, such as these - americansworking.com, madeinamericaforever.com, and madeinusa.org. to help you sort out what is and isn't really made in America. We DO have choices, just sometimes we have to work harder to make good ones.  What happened to our jobs, our factories anyway? You can read about it here and find out.

I will bet this is NOT a Republican poster in 2014

I think our culture of 'gotta have it and have it right now' is one of the reasons I love living on Culebra. I haven't seen one Labor Day (or any other day for that matter) sale here, except maybe Valentine's Day and that's from our local plant nursery. There are no billboards with products you didn't even know existed to lure you into thinking you need it and need it now, take the mall exit here. It's easier here to do with less and have that be more. I like that. A lot.

This photo was made with a camera made in China or Japan. Bad me.

So happy Labor Day, readers! Do your part. One by one by one, things can change. The Power of One works. Really.

Have a made-here mercantile Monday. Do something mightily minuscule.