Monday, January 26, 2015

Stop Supporting Systems That Oppress and Degrade You

A tiny ant can move a mountain one particle at a time.

Registered Citizens and their loved ones are far from powerless. We need to THINK about how we are supporting the systems that oppress and degrade us.

There are small things each of us can do (and encourage our family and friends to do) that -- added up over time -- will make a difference. For instance:

  • I minimize the amount of sales taxes I pay in Nebraska, primarily by making most of my purchases in a neighboring state. I know that most of us do not live on borders, and the one state probably is no better than the other on this issue. What's important is I no longer feel powerless. THINK about it and your own spending habits -- there are creative ways to make this work. For instance, if you live in one community that has a stupid residency restriction ordinance and you're not far from another community that has no such ordinance, why not shop in the smart community instead of the restricted one? For instance, Omaha and Bellevue have residency restrictions. Many smaller surrounding towns do not. Avoid shopping in Omaha and Bellevue if you can. Even if all you accomplish is keeping 10 cents out of the coffers of the community that rejects you, then you've done something. And that always is better than whining.
  • Where it is practical, do not patronize businesses that refuse to hire Registered Citizens. I know this is hard. Again, you have to THINK about it. Target, for instance, is making progress -- removing the "have you ever been convicted" box from employment applications. That doesn't go far enough, I know. But I try to reward the good step forward by shopping at Target.
  • When you are asked to donate to a non-profit or to a cause, ask where the organization stands on issues surrounding Registered Citizens. If you do not get a satisfactory answer, do not donate. OK. I know that sounds awkward to some of you. It's always awkward to change your outlook or to challenge popular belief. But consider:
I walk past the Salvation Army's red buckets joyfully, without giving and without guilt every holiday season. Because I believe in giving generously, I used to give to this campaign all the time. Now I do not because the Salvation Army's Kroc Center in Omaha bars Registered Citizens (scientifically proven to be one of the safest populations around). The YMCA has a similar policy. So tell your friends and family: Stop giving to the Salvation Army and discourage people from joining the Y.
These are just a few examples. You can come up with other ideas. Just think through what you're doing. If you find a legal and practical way to withdraw your support of the system that exposes you to state-sanctioned hatred, then do it. And tell the rest of us about it.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Healthy debate and the exchange of ideas are encouraged. Keep your comments clean and respectful. No personal attacks will be allowed.