© Opinions

the other press

Kali thurber

opinionsubmit@hotmail.com

November 26, 2003

 

 

    
  
  

  

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A Day of Buying Nothing

Kali Thurber
Opinions Editor

I find Buy Nothing Day too obviously
depressing to enjoy. Not because I can’t
deal with the discouragement of con-
sumerism on that day, but because it is vir-
tually the only day in the year that anyone
over the age of ten would even consider not
spending money. Consumerism seems to
have replaced imagination. Nobody knows
what they could possibly do without
spending at least a little bit.

In fact, Western culture seems to be
practically defined by our overconsump-
tion. So much, that the day before Buy
Nothing Day has almost become a holiday
of its own. Everybody rushes out to buy
what they're going to need for the day of
no spending. Liquor stores are packed, you
have to fight for your place in line at the
grocery store—it’s like bloody Christmas
out there!

Yet, our one-day-a-year of self-realization
seems to be enough for us. We feel good

about ourselves for being conscious of our
bad habits. But isn’t this a little too singu-
lar for anyone else? That we understand
what we are doing wrong not only isn’t
helping the problem, but also launches
humanity into a level of absurdity that I’m
not sure we're ready for. The very fact that
Buy Nothing Day is a one-day affair
offends me. It lets people off the hook for
the other 364 days in the year.

We have reached such a point in our
consumerism where it should be renamed
“consumeritis” and be declared yet another
epidemic. I’m actually surprised that the
pharmaceutical companies haven't already
leapt into the marketing of some nice,
sedating medication for the consumer-
crazy. I can just see the advertisements
now, “Do you feel guilty for your over con-
sumption in the Christmas season? Well,
don’t worry, ConsumersRUS can help!
With our brand-new, full-feature, pharma-

ceutical package deal, you can get all the
Valium you need, for what would have
been an exhausting spending spree.”

And then there is the actual epidemic of
obesity—in which Canada has one of the
highest percentages of in the world. What
this problem really comes down to is a
question of hunger. What is it that we
Canadians, are so hungry for? Is it really
the grease-ball fries, and sawdust burgers
that we suffocate ourselves in, or is it some-
thing else? Perhaps we are confused about
the type of hunger that we feel. Maybe
what we are really hungry for is some damn
culture.

So I encourage all readers of the Other
Press to support this all-too-rare day of not
spending. Stretch your minds, and think of
something fun to do that doesn’t revolve
around consumption. It'll be difficult, but
I have faith in you.

http://www.otherpress.ca

 

 

Tom Mellish
OP Contributor

I just want to scream. I write to you
in horror, shock, and anger at the
possibility that the national sex
offender registry won't be passed. Just
the mere possibility wounds me: I
can feel my heart bleeding. Who in
their right mind opposes stopping
such vile human rights violations?

There are children being murdered
right now. Where are all the mothers
marching in the street? Where are the
conversations in the halls and homes?
Where is the adamant agreement to
stop these sexual predators?

We've all been kids, haven't we?
How is it then that “we” would even
consider “not” protecting our chil-
dren to the fullest extent? They are
the future. They are the expression of
our own selves. To even allow for
soul-murdering perverts offends all
human decency. How is it that we
can just turn away from putting a
stop to this, once and for all?

It downright appalls me. There is
no measure of protection for children
in this country. These deviants are
somehow better, and worth more
than our own children. A child’s safe-
ty takes a back seat. Why?

How many girls, murdered and
dismembered, does it take? How
many molestations ending in suicide?
How many victims, O Canada, do
you want of us? Dare I venture that
this is symptomatic? Dare I suggest
that it is somehow culturally okay to
let the innocent suffer?

The fact that these safeguards do
not exist speaks to the sickness of
complicity that infects us. Our coun-
try is not safe...our homes are not
safe...our children are not safe. Why
arent we talking about this?

Who wouldn't care enough to stop
this evil, to choose to protect the
innocent? You—who were once a
child, who dreamed in wonder—
must stop this.

As the national sex offender reg-
istry is being decided upon, I urge
you to take stock. Call your Member
of Parliament right now. Give a
damn. Don't look away, thinking that
ignorance and denial will make the
world a happier place. If you do, then
you are part of the crime. You don’t

have to be complicit.

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