Charlie Hunter: The writer should relax a bit. The “shop local” edict is - pretty obviously - an admonition to those with discretionary income. Only an insane person would advocate that people should starve their kids in order to shop locally.
Sarah Hudock: The writer doesn't need to “relax” at all. She is bringing up an important point that clearly needs to be articulated: that there are many, many families in our area in the same boat as she is, or even in worse shape - and their children, their rents, their mortgages, their grocery bills necessarily come first.
Do you think they don't also read these sanctimonious “buy-local” missives? Do you think they don't read the editorials and the Facebook pages too?
When you exhort people who are already living on the edge to “just buy local,” you might as well say to them, “just put aside your children for now and think about the rest of us instead.”
The author of this article has made her point in more polite terms than I would have if I had written it. I am all for buying local - if you can afford it. But there are larger community problems that need addressing in order for our downtown businesses to thrive, and this constant barrage of admonitions to “shop local” begins to border on insult to those people working hard just to survive.
Dot Lenhart: Right on target, Bethany. I am also on a shoestring budget, and I do shop locally whenever I can.
I do shop around. My family gets wool socks every Christmas from me. I checked online, and it turned out Sam's sale price was the best, so I bought them there. I will admit: if I found them much cheaper elsewhere, my budget would dictate I pay the best price. Sometimes I change my planned purchase if I see something equivalent or better downtown.
One more thing: Do you know about the local buying club through Food Connects? I have been getting really great fresh, local foods, many of them organic, through this club, at prices much lower than anywhere else in town.
Bethany Thies: Charlie, I appreciate your feedback. I would argue that it's not obvious to many working-class locals. I can say this with certainty because I've had these conversations with many, many folks about town.
What I think happens is that the “shop-local” edict becomes something that stops the conversation instead of starting it. I'm just wanting to provide an alternate food for thought and increase discussion and dialogue.
Success - it's happening. Thanks for reading.
Hunter: Bethany, I hear you, and I basically agree with you.
I guess I should have stated it more along these lines: If people are being sanctimonious twits, the problem lies with them, not you.
I'm all for buying local, but if the choice is feeding your family or buying local, the answer is pretty clear and no apologia or justification is needed.