As Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Your men did this, they gave it all for others. I know I speak for many by saying THANK YOU.
Thank you to the heroes who have given their lives for others and our country and to the men and women who serve us everyday, these sacrifices are what makes this a truly special place to live . America the Beautiful, indeed! So in honor of our great country and the wonderful men and women who make it great, we are going to have a serious of posts on products that are made in the good ol' U.S.A!! To kick of the series, I'll start by answering the basic question -WHY BUY "MADE in AMERICA'?
The answer could be quite long and detailed, but I am going to answer as succinctly as possible. So, here we go, Bought.Beautifully's top 4 reasons to buy made in the U.S.A.
1. Support Local Economies - When we buy local we put money directly back into our economy. Estimates show that for every $1 billion in goods exported, the economy creates 5,000 jobs. This statistic goes both ways, data from the Economic Policy Institute shows that for every $1 billion in goods imported, the economy loses 9,000 jobs. 2. Support Environmental Protection - Many of the countries that produce the products we import have little or no environmental regulations. Although there is still room for the United States to improve when it comes to Environmental policies, we are far ahead of many countries and the companies that are manufacturing products here are subject to EPA regulations. 3. Support Fair Working Conditions - The United States has done a great job of setting and enforcing labor standards. The U.S. Department of Labor enforces over 180 laws that help make the U.S. a safe and more fair place to work. They enforce laws that regulate health and safety standards, minimum wages and overtime compensation, worker exploitation and child protection, and provide additional benefits like workmen's comp, disability, and some retirement. Again, the system isn't perfect but does offer many protections that are lacking in other countries. 4. Support Local Artisans and Creativity - This is my personal favorite because I love unique products, products that are created not manufactured, products that are made with a little heart and a little soul. I would much rather have 1 hand crafted item, than 3 mass produced ones (which is often the choice I have to make as they tend to be more expensive but it always seems worth it). The sum of these reasons is really why I want to buy made in the U.S.A whenever possible. I love to imagine and support a world where more work can be a creative process, producing less but producing quality, and doing so in safe, positive, enjoyable working conditions, while keeping the health of the environment in mind. I may be being a little utopistic here but that is ok - it is almost the 4th of July - I can't think of a better time to talk about and work toward the type of world that we want to live in. For your Made in America shopping inspiration and 4th of July festivities, here are a few of my favorite Made in America outdoor finds:
USA-Made South Beach Poly-Wood Outdoor Chaise / Outdoor Café String Lights | Commercial String Lights, Market Lighting / Italia Pizza Oven with Ceramic Pizza Stone - Plow & Hearth / USA-Made Americana Welcome Stoneware Crock - Plow & Hearth / USA-Made Waterhog™ Americana Doormat - Plow & Hearth / Recycled Wood Bird Feeder with Suet Plugs by andrewsreclaimed
Photo credit woodleywonderworks / Foter.com / CC BY