By
now we’ve all heard, ad nauseam, of Chick-fil-A’s owner expressing his personal
opposition to marriage rights for all people. Do I disagree with his stance?
Definitely. Do I wish his company didn’t give money to groups that also oppose
equal marriage rights? Absolutely. That’s my right. However, it’s also the
right of Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy to voice his personal
opinion on issues and at least he’s open and honest about how the company’s
profits are being spent.
So…
what do I do?
There
are those who say I should boycott Chick-fil-A… but I never ate there anyway.
There are those who say it’s just a chicken sandwich and boycotting would only
hurt the hard-working employees.
So…
what do I do?
I
think the real question I need to ask myself before I start to rail against one
particular company is – how committed am I to practicing what I believe is ethical consumerism? For instance, last night I treated Bill to a delicious dinner
at Carrabbas. Do I know the political and social stance of OSI Restaurants that owns Carrabbas? No. Did I take the time to look up the company’s investment or donation information
before diving into my mezzaluna? No. We ate. I paid. We left.
So…
what do I do?
If
I want to aim for that place where justice meets consumerism I need to research
and pray about how and where I do spend my
money.
I think workers’ rights and fair pay is important, so I can choose to shop
at fair trade shops. Tenfold Fair Trade in Harper’s Ferry, WV (http://tenfoldfairtrade.com), and Bead for Life out
of Boulder, CO (http://www.beadforlife.org), are two of my
favorite. Providing a safe, inclusive workplace is very important to me, so I
can consult resources such as the HRC Buyers Guide (http://www.hrc.org/apps/buyersguide/index.php#.UCfZQWOe46) prior to shopping. Protecting our environment is a priority for me, so I can
find out how “green” a company is before choosing to support them with my
purchase.
Being
mindful of workers’ rights, fair wages, safe and inclusive workplaces, and
care for the environment will definitely add more time to shopping. That’s
not necessarily a bad thing, though. Investing the extra time needed to
research and pray before making purchases will cut down on impulse buying and
will provide the space to consider whether the desired product or service is a
“want” or a “need”.
Practicing
just consumerism and not just being a
consumer… this is what I’ll do.
