Just Do It…With Books: An egregiously stupid thing to say out loud: Nike Uses Sweatshops.
Most people don’t know (or refuse to know) if that’s still true. Or how it’s evolved.
Worse…they fail to recognize advocacy; the individuals who’ve battled to make conditions better.
Nike Uses Sweatshops is a sound bite of The Stupid. Who states a pressing problem with no follow up?
This is just a permanent unsolvable problem?! Nothing’s changed since the ’70s and ’80s when this first talking point became hard coded for as acceptable water cooler talk?
And is this a Nike issue or a fashion issue? Are you being ignorant and lazy singling out Nike?
This unfettered ignorance is why I ain’t siding with Israel or a a number of other hashtag trending causes. I’m not willing to be on the dumb side of history.
If we do this, we do it right.
There should be clear metrics that define progress and failure.
There should an ongoing evolution of thinking so nothing is hard coded and become a shorthand for The Stupid. Provide a wealth of books and documentaries recommendations. (If you don’t consistently recommend books I cannot trust you. I won’t trust you.)
Don’t just give me a bland emotional appeal for a boycott. Any protest that is isn’t organized and rooted in books is not worth joining. There should always be homework. There’s no need to read the room if the room ain’t well-read.
There should be abundant amounts of patience because everything takes longer than we expect.
There should be ongoing vigilance: forest fires are not one time experiences that can be easily neutralized: there’s a whole wildfire season. How much commitment is this going to require?
There should be aggressive transparency, with money and progress and all of it…it should all be as clear as Crystal Pepsi. (But way more tasty.)
Yes, this is a lot of work. It’s supposed to be a lot of work.
Doctors go to medical school for years because their job involves easing suffering. Protesting, taking a stand is no different: it’s vital to ease suffering. But it’s like being a doctor…it’s a lot of work.
There’s no value in taking a stand when you first haven’t sat down to read. And if Nike still bothers you, well New Balance is Made In America.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
