Editorial
Editorial
The Power to Choose
Burlington’s
Unitarian church, which sits just across from our offices, posts a sign
out front with messages that are changed from time to time. The latest
one, pictured here, got me to thinking about the decisions we make every
day, how we go about making them, and who is affected by them.
There are some decisions we make that
can potentially affect many others. As the majority of Fortune 500 companies
now include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies, it’s
easy to want to support them. Yet, many of those corporations, such as
Wal-Mart and DuPont, have a heavy downside to them in terms of low worker’s
pay, exploitation of communities, and pollution of the environment.
What is one to do? Do we support the
corporations for their willingness to help our unique community? Or refuse
to support them for the damage they are doing to the environment and to
social progress on other fronts?
Or, is there a middle ground where
stockholders, consumers and employees can both appreciate the progressive
measures while working to change the destructive ones?
A little closer to home, the tobacco
issue has bumped up against OITM. Would the paper like to advertise tobacco
products? a salesman asked recently. We do not have tobacco ads in OITM
to date, although with our sluggish financial situation, it might seem
tempting to want to accept such ads. But even if that industry could provide
us with some much-needed cash, on another level I believe we would lose
by giving them space. Our community struggles with high rates of tobacco
use, especially among youth. If we are going to continue to encourage
healthy choices, and invite young people to be involved in OITM, then
we would be sending a double message to them if we advertised a toxic
substance, and that would not be in line with our stated purpose.
Of course, most of the decisions we
all make are of a more personal nature. We make decisions for ourselves
that affect the rest of our day, or sometimes, the rest of our lives.
We can choose to act politically when we see the need to. We get to choose
what habits we want to have, or habits we want to give up. We can choose
whether and in what circumstances to be out about our sexual orientation
or gender identification. We can choose to have safe sex, and hang out
with people who respect us and care about us.
Poet Mary Oliver really said it best:
What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
A big Thank You! to everyone who has
volunteered, come to meetings, helped at stuffing night, sent money, contributed
content, read the paper, purchased ads and supported OITM in a variety
of other ways.
A few months ago, we weren’t
sure if we would even have a Pride issue. With your ongoing help and support,
we’re able to continue, at least for now.
Happy Pride Day!
Lynn McNicol, Editor