Several months ago I needed to purchase a replacement flag for our flag holder on the front of our office. I found what I was looking for at a local store but as I read the front and back to make sure it would fit our particular flag pole I ran across something I had not anticipated. Clearly printed, like there was no apprehension in doing so, were the words we see so often today; Made in China. Something about this did not seem quite right.
This was not a stereo system, a watch, or a small piece of furniture. It was the flag representing the United States of America. Surely, of all the items we purchase, this should be something made in the country where the flag originated. This flag should be something made by workers who are citizens of the USA. I returned to work where I was able to find a Flag made by
Annin Flagmakers online.
I know this kind of defeats the “Buy Local” philosophy, but I did not have time to run all over town searching for a retailer selling flags made in the USA. It did get me to thinking, other than flags, what else is still made here in the US? Turns out you just have to know where to look and for that the internet is very helpful. There are many sites devoted toward directing consumers to products still made in this country.
Annin makes a big deal out of the fact their flags are still made here in the good ole US of A, as well they should. They are proud of a heritage that goes back to 1865. While not every company can boast a history as elegant as Annin Flagmakers there are many companies producing goods in the U.S. Still
Made in USA, highlights manufacturers of US made goods. Check out
a section that offers reasons to buy local. It was an eye opening read. Some other sites offering information on products made in the USA are listed at the end of this Blog.
This is not to say that we should not conduct trade with other countries, after all we trade heavily overseas with US goods and many jobs in the US would be lost if we were to cease all foreign trade. Trade started centuries ago when one country had something another could not produce at that time. Spices, Teas, Tobacco and Spirits were all items that crossed international borders to meet demand. Trade can be positive, however, there are some items that have too much symbolic value to be made elsewhere. Too much trade can have a negative effect, costing jobs and reducing our ability to produce basic goods in times of war and national crisis.
I thought this subject rather topical due to the recent revelation that our Olympic athletes will be wearing uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies in London made in, you guessed it, China. It is great that someone recognized this and brought it to the public for debate. As a result of this exposure,
Ralph Lauren has announced it will have uniforms made in the USA ready in time for the 2014 Olympics. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev had this to say; "I am so upset. I think the Olympic Committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again."
It is a shame that we only get this passionate when it comes to our Olympic Team. There should be more interest in buying U.S. made goods every day. We all hear the same excuses, and use them too. The cost is more; no one makes anything here anymore. Both of these myths need to be exposed. We still make many things in this country and in many cases the cost is competitive. So the next time we find ourselves in the local Mega Mart store looking for that certain something we’ve been needing, let’s flip the package over, check it out. After that, the choice is yours.
- Jim
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