- This article would not be possible without the many Goddess Sisters, Foremothers, Wisdom-Bearers who have carried traveled this path far longer than I have. Thank you for continuing to share your wisdom.
This past month in the United States has been a chaotic, ungrounding, tsunami of assaults on human rights, privacy, common sense, truth and dignity. What the FUCK do we do?!?!?
We are collectively in a process of finding where we each fit into this new equation. How we can keep ourselves and each other healthy and safe as we watch American democracy be replaced with an authoritarian, christian nationalist oligarchy?
In a time when it feels like we are more powerless than ever, what action makes any kind of sense?
Kali screams to us through time-space, “Why are you giving your money to your oppressors?
It is so normalized and feels so unavoidable to do this. It is part of the American way of life. At least, that is how it has felt in the past… But divesting is feeling more and more unavoidable. We are, not quite quickly enough, waking up to the power we’ve always had: the power to choose how we spend our money.
Many of you are here already, have been here long before me. For those of you who aren’t, there’s no time for shame, we are figuring this out together, each at our own pace. So let’s take a harm reduction approach.
The concept of harm reduction is primarily associated with substance use and is an alternative to abstinence-only approaches to address substance use disorders. A harm reduction framework meets people where they are rather than demanding they make changes they are unable or unprepared to make. This philosophy focuses instead on reducing the risks of substance use and increasing the physical, mental and social well-being of those who are engaging in substance use. Now let’s expand that concept to apply it to our current situation. Our intention is to meet ourselves and one another where we are and support each other in divesting from our oppressors.
May we infuse our purchasing power with our values and center the physical, mental and social well-being not only of ourselves but of our whole human family, our Earth and all Her creatures.
Not everyone has equal access to this form of resistance, which is why those of us who do have a responsibility to do it. Are willing to sacrifice comfort and convenience to support this resistance while others have no choice and are just trying to survive? Those among us living paycheck to paycheck should not be the ones carrying the bulk of this burden. Those of us who enjoy ample material well-being can make the choice, over and over ago, to forego convenience and some degree of comfort to do what we are calling and writing our elected officials to do. Stop. Funding. The Oppressors. Can we really ask this of them if we continue to funnel our resources into these same greedy, morally bankrupt hands?
At this time of reckoning, it will become more and more intolerable to continue buying things from them. As their control of our government and our lives becomes more and more grotesque and extreme, it will naturally revolt us more, any of us who are even peripherally paying attention. Billion dollar corporations can’t survive if we don’t buy from them. It will take a critical mass of middle to upper class people willing to channel their resources into local businesses, ethical companies and organizations that provide basic necessities to our neighbors in need. We need to decide together to do it. We can be angry at everyone else who we think caused this (those who didn’t vote, those who voted differently than me, etc) or we can critically examine how we are continue to cause this and commit ourselves to consistent action. Putting our money where our mouth is.
It just might be the most powerful tool we have. Collectively, we have the power and resources to divest from them.
How can we support each other in doing this?
Here are a few resources to get started. Please share more resources, thoughts and questions in the comments.
Goods Unite Us is a quick, easy to use resource to check up on a companies donations and political contributions. Just type the name of a company in the search and it will tell you what politicians and PACs you are supporting when you buy from them. It also offers alternative companies for each entry.
Conscious Life and Style offers a wealth of information on sustainable home, beauty and fashion products. I’ve found their list of Sustainable Alternatives to Amazon extremely helpful.
Imperfect Foods and Thrive Market are ethical and sustainable grocery delivery services.
Earth Hero and Mightynest are resources for eco-friendly everyday items like cleaning and laundry supplies.
Grassroots Co-op is a co-op of farmers in rural America practicing regenerative farming that’s better for the animals, the soil, the environment, and everyone’s health. Now more than ever, we can’t trust the safety of factory farm meat as regulatory agencies designed to prevent unsafe products from reaching our tables are being dismantled. Beyond that, Goddess calls us to respect and care for the lives that sustain us. For those of us who eat meat, this is a convenient, highly ethical resource and a practical way to divest from corporations that exist off of the torturing of animals.
Anti-Genocide Boycott lists and delineates how companies have contributed to the oppression, ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians through their investment in Israeli companies operating on stolen lands.
Ecosia my FAVORITE Alternative to using Google Search Engine… they use renewable energy, plant trees with their profits and are committed to a negative carbon footprint. You get all of the same results you would from google and more AND your privacy is protected.
Protonmail and Zohomail are what I switched to recently from my personal and professional gmail accounts.
Online Search Tip from hive mind- Include the name of product you want to buy (even as listed on Amazon) and then add -amazon (as in minus amazon) so that the manufacturers and other retailers come up first in the results.
*****Buying directly from manufacturers is often MORE expensive than Amazon because Amazon pays companies less for their products in exchange for offering them a wider market. It is tempting to go the cheap route and I’ve been doing this for awhile. Enough is enough.
Join us February 28th for the buy-nothing economic blackout!