Last week I received an interesting piece of "junk" mail. On the outside of the envelope, in the top left corner where the return address is usually located, a question was printed: "You mean, I don't have to settle for clothing made in sweatshops?"
On the back of the envelope is where I found information on the sender - Co-op America (www.coopamerica.org). Inside was a four-page letter.
"Today, 'business as usual' at too many corporations still means polluting our 
air and water - and exploiting women, minorities and children. But you don't have to settle for that. You can create a healthier economy - by the way you use your purchasing and investing power," the letter began.
The words on the page were intriguing. "You can put your money where your values are. Through Co-op America, you can buy socially responsible products from 'green businesses'...invest in healthy community development...boycott corporate criminals...and change the way America does business," the letter continued.
This is subversive stuff, I thought, considering how "free-market" dogma is used to rationalize the dominant ethos of our Darwinian political culture: I've-got-mine-and-shame-on-you-if-you-don't-got-yours - an attitude some say is evidence of "moral decay."
It does seem that over the years there has been a decline in traditional morality (a development that isn't all bad). But what has emerged in its place is a "market morality" - exemplified by Enron, the underbelly of American-style corporate capitalism; a system where profit is privatized, concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, while economic risks and costs are socialized. I'm talking about a welfare state for the rich and "market discipline" for the poor.
Some would argue: "That's just the way it is. Life isn't fair." But, of course, the way things are, are not the way things have to be. Call me an idealist. I can think of worse things to be.
Because I often write about systemic social ills, I get a small but steady stream of e-mail responses from readers who apparently think collective responsibility and individual initiative are mutually exclusive, especially when it comes to matters of race and poverty.
Yes, ultimately, individuals are responsible for their own lives. But that, in no way, undermines or contradicts the notion that individuals have a responsibility to help those Jesus called "the least of these." I like how Rabbi Heschel put it: "We are not all guilty but we are all responsible."
I don't focus my writing on the importance of individual initiative because, not only is it a truism, it is equally (if not more) important to remember that individual initiative and collective action go hand in hand - if you're talking about making society better.
In fact, as developmentally significant as pulling up your own bootstraps is on a personal, existential level, the only way societies have ever improved (and there is always room for improvement) is through the vehicle of collective action; organized movement.
So I got in touch with Co-op America and it turns out the D.C.-based nonprofit organization has been around for 18 years, linking "conscientious consumers...with socially and environmentally responsible businesses in a nationwide green marketplace."
Co-op America not only tracks corporate behavior in the global marketplace, it helps people to stop investing in "toxic stocks" - companies that produce pesticides, tobacco, toxic waste and other carcinogens.
"We'll show you how to divest from these companies...and give you alternatives you can feel good about," the letter continued. "If you want to vote with your dollars to solve today's pressing problems - join us!...You can become a member of Co-op America (for $20) and receive a free copy of the National Green Pages" - Co-op America's comprehensive guide to socially responsible products and services.
The directory lists 2,000 socially responsible businesses in more than 150 categories - from body care products to bed and breakfasts; from books and financial services to food, health care and travel. Co-op America has 50,000 individual members and 2,000 business members.
Evidently, there's a growing number of people who are not only concerned about how consuming a particular product might affect their body, but also how it might affect their soul.
What if consumption were a function of our values and not mostly a reaction to an advertising-induced desire? Product labels might then include some basic information on the human ingredients it took to manufacture the "good" - perhaps informing buyers how much the company's white-collar execs make in comparison to the company's blue-collar workers.
In a post-Sept. 11 America, people want to know what they can do to make the world safer and more peaceful. Co-op America seems like a step in the right direction. I think I'll join. What about you?
Sean Gonsalves is a Cape Cod Times staff writer and syndicated columinist. He can be reached via email: sgonsalves@capecodonline.com
Copyright © 2002 Cape Cod Times
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