Hello Friends,

I'm trying to get together a group to protest our country's over-consumptive habits on Buy Nothing Day. For those of you that don't know, Buy Nothing Day is held on the day after Thanksgiving- traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year.

I plan to get a group together to protest this unnecessary, greedy, and destructive practice. Really my goals are just to bring up awareness to others about the dangers and consequences of over-consumption to ourselves, our communities and to our planet. If people are at least aware of the consequences of their over-consumption habits, I will be happy.

So what's so bad about consuming? you ask. Isn't it good for our economy? you wonder. How could something be so wrong if it is generally encouraged by ads, the general media and our government? Besides its christmas, its the spirit of giving and if I need to shop , well what's the harm in that? you ask.

OK. Well first question. What's so bad about consuming?

We do it all the time first of all. Corporate commercialization is all around us all the time. The average person sees on average 40,000 ads PER DAY! Not to mention TV, radio, TV, movies, magazines, newspapers, ads, TV, videos, and general media that is constantly shouting the message to us - BUY! BUY! BUY! If you buy THIS you'll be happier smarter person. If you buy THIS you'll be more beautiful and more sexually attractive. If you buy THIS you'll be stronger. etc. etc.We've all heard it before.

It's time however to know the truth. These products contain false claims - they'll never make you the strongest, smartest or most beautiful. They're just hooks.

But I digress.

When you shop you are so totally supporting large corporations who's only concern is (guess what?) money! and power! and money=power in this society so they want yer bucks.

Labor wise these corporations exploit workers in third world countries who work for practically nothing under unfair conditions. These employees work in crowded, hot 'sweatshops.'

Environmentally these companies extract raw materials from the earth which deplete our natural resources. Then there's the pollution from processing and transportation. Not to mention all the waste created from imperfect goods.

On the consumer side of things, consumerism creates a lot of waste also. For example people buy things they don't really want or need and it all ends up in the landfill. Here's a fact- Americans throw out about 14.4 million TONS of plastic each year.

Also, many people are stressed and overworked simply to make money to buy stuff they don't need! It doesn't make sense, especially for lower middle class families, to waste money like this. Especially when you look at the facts.

For example:

- Consumers owed $541 BILLION on their credit cards in 1998.
- 1.35 Americans filed for bankruptcy in 1997- over five times more than in
1980.

Consumerism also: ignores human values for consumerist ones- shopping is usually selfish and self-indulgent, encourages homogeny and destroys individuality - you are not defined by what you buy, encourages self-deprication caused by glamour ads.

So while people are SHOPPING, large portions of the world's community is starving and living in utter poverty- even though there are enough resources to give everyone a healthy life. Not only is this true in 'third worlds' but this is also relevant in the U.S. where in 1985 the average person spent 6 hours shopping per week and spent only 40 minutes playing with children.

What are YOUR priorities??

As for people living in other countries, consider these fact -- The top 20% of the world's population consumes 86% of its resources.

"There is enough on earth for everybody's need, but not for everyone's
greed."
- Gandhi

SHARE THE WEALTH!!

- It would take FOUR EARTHS for everyone in the world to live the lifestyle of North Americans.

- The UN estimates that it would cost $50 billion to provide safe water, education, housing and basic medical requirements to the whole world. The world spends more than this yearly on golf.

Pretty scary eh? and golfers are a minority. Just think of all of those countless folks that "shop till they drop."

Had enough?

JOIN THE PARTY! On Friday November 24th, the biggest shopping day of the year, protest the consumerist frenzy by NOT CONSUMING! Vote for who/what you support with your checkbook.

Make non-profit charity donations in others names for xmas gifts! Support local sustainable bussinesses. Buy less, buy only what you really need!

In Charlottesville some of us will be meeting on Friday at 10am @Barracks Road. Bring signs, flyers, sandwich boards, banners and your energetic spirit and perhaps we'll change the minds of some potential buyers or at least raise awareness.

For more info come to our meeting about it on Wednesday (today!) at 4:30 @ the SARA space on Pantops. For directions call me (293-4854)

Thanks for listening, and have a happy COMMERCIAL FREE holiday!

-alex- (Alex Davis, electronic mail, November 22, 2000).