I don't know about you, but I often feel dwarfed by the scale of the problems and by the power arrayed against the "little guy." In amongst all of the (justifiable) noise and hubbub of the debt deal disaster, I'd like to ask you to do something small, something easy, to make life a little better for all the people of this country who work for a living.
More below the fold...
If you have read my diaries before, you know that I care about what goes in my mouth. And how what we eat affects our lives, our health, and the planet.
I also care how it affects the working person.
Yes, I get my summer veg from a CSA. Yes, I belong to two co-ops. Yes, (and this is news to the group) I am a type II diabetic and now must eat the way I always knew I should eat.
My weakness has always been baking. With the diabetes diagnosis, I do a lot less of that than I used to. Still, I will tell you that I would, from time to time, use plain old grocery store refined sugar. I used to use sugar from American Crystal Sugar because it is a Minnesota company, and I liked the idea of giving money to a Minnesota company and to Minnesota workers. Sure, it is beet sugar (which means no molasses one can eat -- but horses can!), but I favored the local source and the local jobs.
But today I learned that the American Crystal Sugar company locked out all of its union workers when they tuned down the last contract offer last night.
So the next time I buy plain old grocery store white sugar, it will NOT be Crystal Sugar. I don't know enough to know if I'm supporting worse practices if I buy C&H or the store generic (and isn't that sad? Shouldn't I know?), but I would love to see Crystal Sugar hurt tomorrow. And hurt because of this union lockout.
I would urge you all to read the story and perhaps, if you grocery shop this week, consider doing the same by voting with your dollars. And visit their website and drop them a note to tell them why.
It is small. It is easy. Please consider not buying Crystal Sugar next time you shop.