To the Editor:
This is in response to the article by Lindsey Bachman in the November 13 edition of The Poly, “Buy nothing this season.” Corporations are good things. They provide us with all the goods and services that we have begun to depend on. You concluded the article with “... take a stand ...,” because you’re “tired of being sold to Corporate America,” and “buy nothing.” Let’s get one thing straight: Corporate America is not bad. It provides about 70 percent of jobs in America directly and another 7 percent in jobs that cater to corporations. Chances are one of your family members is employed by Corporate America.
Furthermore, Lindsey, corporations improve our quality of life constantly. Pharmaceutical companies, computer corporations, and food industries are all mostly made up by corporations. What would we do without them? Corporations develop new drugs and tools that make all of our lives more comfortable, so why target them for abuse?
Sure, I agree with you that the theme of the holidays should not be “spend, spend, spend,” and I don’t do it myself, but do not blame the holidays. And besides that, this year might be one of those years when extra spending during the holiday does bring more holiday cheer. Confidence in the economy is down even though holiday spending projections are up. This kind of attitude by the general public is what will lead to layoffs and stock market losses. Not the makings of a merry Christmas.
Yes, keep the holidays special, they are not all about gifts, but in expressing that do not attack the corporations that create for us everything we ever wanted.
Gabe Williams
AERO/MECL ’04
