April Self Portrait: Good Morning

The second of my self-portrait project I’ve taken on.

April’s title is “Good morning”

[some of the] companies that suck

 

Apple

Victoria’s Secret

Forever 21

Aeropostale

Urban Outfitters

Hershey

Faded Glory

Abercrombie and Fitch

Hollister

Skechers

Carter’s

Fruit of the Loom

Lacoste

Quiksilver

 

That is a list of companies that suck. Also a list of companies I will not be buying from in the future.

Why?

They use either child labor, slave labor, or something similar.

I’ve known about forced labor for a while. Passively known about it I guess.

I’ve seen the article titles that claim they will expose bad companies.

I’ve chosen not to read them, until today.

Why?

Because once you know, you’re responsible.

Responsibility isn’t always fun.

It’s harder to eat a Hershey bar knowing a child was probably forced to work to provide the cocoa Hershey uses.

I’m not saying I’ve never owned anything from any of those places. Because I have, and I do. I’m not going to destroy my ipad or burn any clothes I have from the listed companies. But I won’t be buying from them in the future.

Do you still want to buy that Mac knowing that someone was forced to assemble it?

hm.

And the companies I’ve listed aren’t just ones that might just seem a little sketchy. They’re ones that are definitely mistreating workers.

Not mistreating like we think of in the US like, “ughh, my stupid boss won’t let me take 3 weeks off to go to Malibu right after my maternity leave. Ughh.”

No. Like actual oppression.

But that’s okay, as long as our products are cheap, we still like them!

And then I think of all the American church programs, like VBS or something, that hand out products made by child slaves.

“We are so glad that we got our vbs program going and that we got all of our regular church attenders’ kids here by luring them with products made by children their age in 3rd world countries. That’s okay if a kid is being beaten, we got little Timmy here for his 4th year in a row. I mean really, let’s think about this…support slave labor and get Timmy here…or maybe make the kids miss chocolate this year..hmm”

GIHRQEWND

AGH

AGH AGH AGH

And maybe they don’t know the truth.

But it is our responsibility to seek the truth.

I’m not saying that I’ve been doing great, because I haven’t.

I have known, cared for a few minutes, and then moved on.

But it’s time to quit being indifferent.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” –Desmond Tutu

 

We like to pretend we care about the real issues, but we don’t. We care more about what idiotic thing Lindsey Lohan has done now or what hideous outfit/hairstyle Miley Cyrus is wearing now.

We are choosing to be blind idiots.

And you can say, yeah, but what difference is one angry teenage girl who refuses to shop at Hollister going to make?

Touché.

If I never buy a product made by slave labor ever again, the chances are no, no major changes will happen. But I still can’t wear jeans from Aeropostale and pretend that everything is okay I can’t pretend, “No humans were harmed in the making of these jeans”

But if I stop.

But if you stop.

And your neighbor.

And my neighbor.

And people are made aware.

Change can happen.

 

Oh and a little baby high-five to Nestle for making some effort

“Nestlé agrees to hire a third-party monitor to examine child labor in its supply chain.For a decade now, the world has known that cocoa in West Africa is often harvested by children under difficult and dangerous conditions. That cocoa is purchased by the world’s leading chocolate companies and eventually becomes the chocolate treats that we all love to eat. For years, the advocacy community has pushed the chocolate industry to do more to combat this intractable problem. This year, Nestlé agreed to hire the Fair Labor Association, a nonprofit monitoring group, to look for child labor and other problems in the Côte d’Ivoire.”

 

Sources:

http://www.free2work.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/DOL-Tainted-Goods-2010.pdf

http://stopchildlabor.org/?p=2528

http://www.care2.com/causes/do-your-clothes-come-from-slave-labor.html

http://www.free2work.org/trends/apparel/Apparel-Industry-Trends-2012.pdf

Caught in the Middle.

 

So since my senior banquet last Saturday, I’ve been thinking, a dangerous pastime, I know.

I was always like…let’s do this. Let’s grow up. Let’s do it.

Wah.

I mean, I’m ready to graduate, don’t get me wrong.

but, um, yeah, I don’t know if I want to grow up. I still feel like I am a little girl. I mean, I am a little girl.

Like that is still me, I make that face seriously every day.

One minute, I think I’m like, “mhm. look at me all being a grown up.” and the next I’m like, “ohhh myy gosh. WHAT IS THIS MADNESS! I am a child.”

It’s kind of frighteningly exciting.

I don’t know.

I want to run around and tell every child to quit wishing they could grow up because I’m almost there and from what I can see, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

And then I want to dance. and sing. because it’s the start of something new.

But I’m still a little girl in many ways.

Princess Diaries is still my favorite movie. I lick the spatula when no one is looking. Swinging is still fun. I got a tiny bit competitive playing hungry hungry hippos while I was recently playing with a 5 year old. I pick all of my nail polish off. I like to catch fireflies. I think blanket forts are fun.

But in some ways, I’m starting to be an adult.

I’ve got college credits under my belt. I can drive. I’ve had a “real” job.

But I’m not ready.

I wish I could go back to 10 years old. I miss playing with Barbies.

I don’t like to think about the future.

But sometimes I do.

I like to think about having a degree, and all the new opportunities I’ll have. Being a career girl and all.

But that is absolutely terrifying. Thinking about bills, responsibility, and pantsuits. (I really hope I never have a job which requires me to wear a pantsuit, ever.)

I had to answer some “life-planning” questions for school and one of them was:

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Um, yeah, honestly I have no idea. I mean on one hand I see myself living in a cute little apartment with a cat and working as a caseworker. On the other hand I see myself married, wearing sweatpants everyday, and living in a house with a little white picket fence. On another hand, I see myself getting my 5th degree or something weird like that. On the other hand I see myself living in Central America playing with babies, picking avocados, and walking around with unkempt hair and a baby monkey on my shoulder.

Apparently I need more hands. I mean right now the last option would definitely be the preferred. But I can’t say that’s the definite future. Or that I wouldn’t be happy in any of the other roles.

Because it’s weird.

I mean.

I don’t know.

I’m a child.

My brain isn’t even fully developed yet.

And here I am charting my life’s course.

Oh. goody.

So here I am, stuck in between little girl and…big girl?

Caught in the middle.

“Couldn’t wait to get going, but wasn’t quite ready to leave.”

I mostly just put that song here for that^ one line.

Also I want to know how she is laying in a field and not being bombed with grasshoppers?

One second I’m ready to move out and get on with life as soon as I am capable. A few minutes later I have decided to become a “career-child” and live in my parents’ basement forever.

I don’t want to be a little girl.

But I don’t want to grow up, not now, I wish I had a few more years of being a kid. I’m where 5-6-7-12-15 year old me was looking forward to, but um, I’ll take 8 year old me back, please.

I wish I had enjoyed knowing nothing and literally having no cares or not having to make any decisions. I wasn’t even thinking past…um lunchtime? And oh, now here I am, not even a decade later, having to buckle down and make things happen…

I want to grow up someday.

But I don’t know if I want to yet.

“ If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” –Lemony Snicket.

respect, just a little bit.

 

Ah, facebook. I get so many blog posts from you and your insanity.

Today I  bring to you, respect.

Not like anti-cyberbullying but just regular old respect.

Specifically for one certain family. The Obamas.

Sorry all of you conservatives, but it’s true.

Can you hate every decision the President has ever made in his life, ever? Suuuure. Fine by me.

But you cannot, absolutely cannot hate the president, as a human being. .

I saw a photo of Michelle on facebook in which she was being compared to a prostitute. That’s real classy, you’re getting your point across, real well.

Oh my gosh. Wow. That really is deep and convicting.

If you really can’t think of a better argument against someone than to compare his wife to a streetwalker, then you need to get a grip. (Okay, and seriously, I think it’s an ugly outfit, but it’s not trashy. I mean..)

 You can argue against the President’s policies or beliefs, or be unhappy with the amount he vacations or what-not. But when you start making fun of his or his family’s appearance, you’ve crossed the line.

What’s that saying, it goes something like, “We choose our president based on their appearance, and Miss America on her stance on politics.”

People. Seriously.

There are much better ways to defend your beliefs. Debate what you believe. Hate Obamacare? Then give some reasons why you hate it. Give some facts. Don’t share stupid pictures on the internet.

Defend your opinion, stand up for what you believe is right, but don’t attack the other person. What ever happened to attacking someone’s view or opinion and NOT the person.

It goes both ways though. Conservatives, liberals, independents, whatever.

Can we just show an ounce of respect?

And if we’re going to be sharing photos of politicians with captions, this is the kind I appreciate.

THIS IS THE STAAAAAAART OF SOMETHING NEEW

and this kid basically knows everything.

“when you were a kid did you say, ‘I wanna be boring and mean when I grow up.’? What?!”

DIDN’T THINK SO.

 

disclaimer: blah-dee-blah, this is in no way about any one person, so if you shared/liked the above photos, I don’t hate your guts or anything, I just think you’re being ridiculous. Sorry.

 

 

Oh and in other news, I’m writing over here a bit now…of course, what I say there is a bit less sarcastic and annoyed sounding, but you know.