Posted on 11/23/2007 3:44:32 PM PST by Lexinom
Holiday Shopping: Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah FRiends!
This is the time of year that is special because is engenders the spirit of giving and selflessness of its sacred origins. Each of us, in his or her own way, has a special place in our heart for this joyful time.
As we put others' needs and desires first, as we look forward to the expression of surprise and delight on our loved ones' faces as they receive our gifts, as we peruse the ailes, let us consider the economic import of our duty.
Some of the nations producing the goods we will place in our carts are not characterized by the same selflessness and generosity that has governed our actions in time of crisis and natural disaster. Some nations do not value freedom or the individual, and seek only to profit on a seasonal tradition Some companies have little concern for America or the long-term consequences of tunnel-visioned pursuit of the Almighty Buck. Pursuit of profits in a free and fair market is one thing, but when that pursuit fails to consider maintenance of the road travelled or basic traffic signs, the road itself eventually deteriorates.
I hope we can discuss here ways to search out and buy only American and America-friendly goods. We must realize that many companies have caught on to the negative stigma attached to China and Chinese goods - a stigma that has ballooned over the last six months but which has existed in informed minds for years prior. Some companies will advertise boldly that their goods are made with American materials but fail to divulge that these materials are shipped to Beijing for assembly by what for all intents and purposes are slaves, or worse, political prisoners.
In my experience the workmanship of American-made goods is almost always superior to that of an inexpensive Chinese knock-off. Consider that this in some cases adds intangible value to the gift itself in the eyes of the person receiving it. Consider also that your American-made gifts may well outlast the latter by many years. There is value in quality over quantity, and you really do, generally speaking, get what you pay for. If you love America, buy the best - or at the very least buy from Canada, Japan, Europe, Mexico, and other less-hostile nations. Make intelligent choices this holiday season for America's sake.
Do not forget our troops: those men and women that we all so adore and admire, fighting for freedom on foreign soil. Many will be away from hearth, home, mother, father, wife again this year. They have their brothers-in-arms, united in a common and noble cause. Let us bolster their work in our way here at home by supporting our own economy and prolonging the American ideal for which they so diligently labor and yes, sometimes bleed. Let us remember them in our thoughts, in our prayers, and with continued care packages as we long for their safe return from a successful mission.
Lastly, remember to pray for the Chinese people - many of whom are our Christian brothers and sisters - and yes, for their government. The nation is indeed a threat, both economically and militarily, but God is above all and holds the hearts of kings.
Wishing each of my Christian brothers and sisters a blessed Christmas, and my Jewish friends a joyful and blessed Hanukkah.
This website has done some research at Toys R Us and has a list of toys that are made in America:
Duplos (I think) are made in Canada. For toddlers.
Lots of music and music equipment is made right here in the U.S.A. - guitars, amps, mics, etc. Finer-quality orchestral instruments are made in Europe and Japan.
I recently bought a couple of professional studio microphones for recording piano from CAD out of Cleveland, Ohio - based AND made there. They were the same price as a competing Chinese-made type (called "Perception" fittingly enough), and have better specs. Better quality, same price Had I just bought the Chinese ones without looking further (for that and other reasons) I would have been stuck with an inferior product.
However, I did find one made in the USA:
Candle-lite
A Lancaster Colony Company
Cincinnati, Ohio
Wow...we are on a roll tonight. LOL!
Candles make an excellent gift, BTW.
For Michael A Velli/All, Partial database of merchants selling American-made toys
In the U.S. shop at (Guitar Center).
Beware of "Sam Ash" Music..It's run by greedy foreigners that treat their employees like crap.
Separated at birth?????
My joy of giving does not extend to Red China, so I will be giving my grandchildren money for Christmas this year, in addition to Bill Bennett’s “America, the Last Best Hope” - unrevised American History. Their parents pose a slightly more difficult problem. :)
Thanks for the heads-up about Sam Ash. I'll remember that.
>We live on trade. To forsake it is to die.<
Because of a atupid, faulty trade agreement with Red China, the U.S. suffers billions in trade deficits every year! We are dying by trade with them, my friend.
BTW, thanks for the link in #22. Awesome...I have a new grandchild and I just saw great gifts and I can buy American from right where I sit. Doesn't get any better than that!
You’re welcome! I have four grandboys, ages 5 and under. I will be using the list extensively.
Local craft fairs are full of locally made handcrafted and artisan items.
Pendleton Wool Mills blankets are still made in Pendleton, not the clothes though, the fabric is still made in the US, but they are sewn in Mexico now I believe. They still buy raw wool from local ranchers too.
Legos, from Denmark. Remember the Muhammad cartoonists!
Maglite flashlights are American made:
http://www.maglite.com/strengthen.asp
Mag Instrument is the only flashlight company with significant market share that still manufacturers its entire line of flashlights in the United States. Unlike its competitors, Mag Instrument has chosen not to outsource the manufacturing of its flashlights to foreign countries in order to take advantage of cheap labor and less stringent environmental standards, which may also result in inferior quality.
The outsourcing of manufacturing by other U.S. companies has caused hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs in the United States to be lost. Indeed, if Mag Instrument had chosen the path of other flashlight companies, the jobs of its approximately 800 employees in Ontario, California would have been lost.
This is not a complete list of American-made items, but there is certainly a diverse variety of choices to make just about any child in America happy that might otherwise go without this Christmas. By buying American-made toys, games and sports-equipment this year, you’ll be supporting American workers by ensuring they get pay checks instead of pink slips, which will enable them to be able to afford Christmas gifts for their own children. There is no better way to break the cycle of using one underprivileged child to provide for another underprivileged child.
Not so dumb, IMO.
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