Charity Begins at Home
With our economy resembling the aftermath of that brutal fight between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns for the Middleweight Championship (Sports Illustrated, 2020), great concern is being given to rejuvenating the American economy by making a conscious effort to buy American. There are advertisements everywhere illustrating how one can identify American made products vs. others by examination of the sku numbers. The following is a sample of just a few of the main sku prefixes you will find on products in stores:
690-692 MADE IN CHINA
00 – 09 … USA & CANADA
30 – 37 FRANCE
40 – 44 GERMANY
471 … Taiwan
49 … JAPAN
50 … UK
(NationwideBarcode, 2020)
The following chart illustrates the change in unemployment rates by state between the months of February and March 2020
States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from February 2020 to March 2020, seasonally adjusted
————————————————————————-
| Rate |
|———–|———–| Over-the-month
State | February | March | change(p)
| 2020 | 2020(p) |
————————————————————————-
Alabama ……………………| 2.7 | 3.5 | 0.8
Alaska …………………….| 5.8 | 5.6 | -.2
Arizona ……………………| 4.5 | 5.5 | 1.0
Arkansas …………………..| 3.5 | 4.8 | 1.3
California …………………| 3.9 | 5.3 | 1.4
Colorado …………………..| 2.5 | 4.5 | 2.0
Delaware …………………..| 3.9 | 5.1 | 1.2
District of Columbia ………..| 5.1 | 6.0 | .9
Florida ……………………| 2.8 | 4.3 | 1.5
Georgia ……………………| 3.1 | 4.2 | 1.1
| | |
Idaho ……………………..| 2.7 | 2.6 | -.1
Illinois …………………..| 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.2
Iowa ………………………| 2.8 | 3.7 | .9
Kentucky …………………..| 4.2 | 5.8 | 1.6
Louisiana ………………….| 5.2 | 6.9 | 1.7
Michigan …………………..| 3.6 | 4.1 | .5
Missouri …………………..| 3.5 | 4.5 | 1.0
Nebraska …………………..| 2.9 | 4.2 | 1.3
Nevada …………………….| 3.6 | 6.3 | 2.7
New Mexico …………………| 4.8 | 5.9 | 1.1
| | |
New York …………………..| 3.7 | 4.5 | .8
North Carolina ……………..| 3.6 | 4.4 | .8
Ohio ………………………| 4.1 | 5.5 | 1.4
Oklahoma …………………..| 3.2 | 3.1 | -.1
Pennsylvania ……………….| 4.7 | 6.0 | 1.3
Rhode Island ……………….| 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.2
South Carolina ……………..| 2.5 | 2.6 | .1
Texas ……………………..| 3.5 | 4.7 | 1.2
Utah ………………………| 2.5 | 3.6 | 1.1
Vermont ……………………| 2.4 | 3.2 | .8
| | |
Virginia …………………..| 2.6 | 3.3 | .7
Washington …………………| 3.8 | 5.1 | 1.3
West Virginia ………………| 4.9 | 6.1 | 1.2
————————————————————————-
(p) = preliminary.
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020)
As you can well imagine, the numbers (although not yet posted) for April will be even more significant.
I now bring your attention to the many advertisements you find on Facebook. I have been a frequent shopper on Facebook, finding one cute thing after another; something I didn’t have that I thought I needed. Something I wanted for a gift – or convinced myself I couldn’t live without. I have shopped frequently only to learn upon reading my PayPal statement that the seller was in China. I then would realize that the item I purchased would be (at a minimum) 3 weeks away in shipping. In a most recent instance, I ordered what I thought would be a wonderful gift for my expected grandchild, a pop-up play pen with netting. Looked convenient to carry and set up in one move. This would be perfect. Yes, it would – if it arrives while the child still fits in it. This item ordered in January has yet to arrive. When posting an inquiry on PayPal (who are excellent about following up on such matters), my date of reconciliation has been pushed from April 21st (today) to May 20th because the seller on their last possible date (April 20th) provided a tracking number.
My point is this: I have been purchasing items via advertisements I have seen on Facebook not giving one thought to where it came from. Some items take weeks – others months. And now my neighbors, friends and fellow Americans are out of work. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
From now on, I am going to make a conscious effort to not only buy American – but buy local. That is not to say I will never again buy something from outside my region of residence, but I am going to make every effort to find what I am looking for right here. Charity begins at home ❤. Let’s put our friends and neighbors back to work!!!
R-O-A-R!!!!!
References:
NationwideBarcode.com, retrieved on April 21, 2020 from https://www.nationwidebarcode.com/barcodes-where-products-come-from/
Sports Illustrated retrieved from the world wide web on April 19, 2020 from https://www.si.com/longform/2015/boxing-fights/index.html#box6
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, retrieved from the world wide web on April 21, 2020 from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
Amen