First in the series is immigration (for explanation of series read 'Stand for Something or Fall for Everything'). i am addressing this first because it is a huge mid-term election smoke screen to attempt to divert people's attention away from the large issues we are currently faced with. Once the elections are over it will disappear from political discourse much as the topic of abortion does. These are divisive topics to force people to choose sides for an election and then politicians push them aside until the next election to serve the same purpose. As important as these issues are voters fall for it every time.
Focus lately is surrounding illegal immigration from Mexico. To greatly oversimplify this, people cross the border because they can earn more money working in the US than in their home country. Sounds kind of familiar- like almost every immigrant group to come to this country. The US is a little more accessible to Mexico than many of our own lineages who may have faced long, hard trips at sea which accounts for a larger group of people making use of the option. If we have any knowledge of our own roots can we be too judgmental?
This causes us to look at the real issue: the pay in their home countries. The people of the US have worked hard, and continue to fight, for reasonable work days, safe work conditions, and fair wages. Unions, etc have set a certain minimum in most cases which we enjoy. The problem being that many businesses are exploiting the fact that they can produce things for vastly smaller amounts of money by setting-up factories in other countries or by sub-contracting production out. All that has been fought for in the US workplace hasn't improved work conditions, it has just moved those work conditions.
Your DVD player should cost you, lets say, $200 dollars if not more. The fact that there are many on the market for significantly less (i've seen some as low as $50) means that someone in some other country is not being paid what they deserve. They are not being paid what they need to survive and support their families. All this just so you can have a DVD player under every TV in your house and probably one in your car as well. Your sneakers cost less than $5 to make yet you pay $80. Who's getting that money? Not the workers.
Your cars and guitars are being made in Mexico because the companies don't want to pay what is required for the cost of living. Workers still need to live so they will go where they can earn enough for living (isn't that what we all want-to be able to earn a living). We contribute to this problem when we contribute to other's exploitations.
So what can you do to earn more s4s/f4e complaining minutes: buy what you can from non-exploiting sources. Now i know America can't quite go cold turkey but let's start it off. Maybe start with some pants made in the USA. They may be a bit more expensive than the cheap-o's at Gap of Old Navy Mart but isn't it worth it if there is even the possibility of everyone someday earning a decent wage. Your wallet speaks louder than your voice. Maybe next it's your guitar, someday even your car. Keeping where and how things are made in mind as you are making your purchases can make all the difference. Just start with a few things at first. Hell, maybe someday these jobs might return for the dissapearing working class in this country as well.
Fair wages are far more effective than a wall for solving this issue. What would you do to support a loved one? Find a way to get on the other side of a wall?
*i know there is a lack of humor in this one but i'm frustrated and it's late...
No comments:
Post a Comment