12 Wairarapa Midweek Opinion Wednesday, March 2, 2022 EDITORIAL
MIDWEEK PHOTOS
Opinion
Activism a privilege One of my favourite Netflix shows is The Good Place: a quirky comedy series, set in the afterlife and starring Ted Danson as an archangel (of sorts). The titular “Good Place” is a Heaven-like realm, which admits the deceased on a points system. It’s a brutal methodology: you could earn points by buying your mother flowers but be docked several hundred more for funding a shady cut flower operation. As Danson’s character says: “just buying a tomato from [the supermarket] means you’re unwittingly supporting toxic pesticides and contributing to global warming”. I’ve no idea if there’s an afterlife. But Danson’s archangel isn’t wrong: our everyday purchases do have an impact on the planet. You hear it often: vote with your wallet. Spend money at businesses that align with your values – and eschew those with unethical practices. Grow your own vegetables to avoid legitimising environmental pollutants. Choose organic and free-range produce
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Erin Kavanagh-Hall instead of investing in factory farms. “Buy local” and steer clear of sweatshops and Amazon. We’d all prefer if our dollars went to companies who don’t benefit from exploitation. However, we can’t ignore that commercial activism is inaccessible for many. Whanau threatened with housing insecurity have fewer opportunities to plant a veggie garden. Minimum wage workers cannot justify organic options when they’re twice the price of their regular groceries. Solo parents will opt for cheaper “fast fashions” if it means they’ve still got enough for rent. If we’re going to insist people boycott untrustworthy industries, it may require community and government problemsolving to level the playing field. For example, community gardens. Local
bartering exchanges. Funding for community dressmaking workshops. Landlords supporting tenants to grow their own food. Government investment in Kiwi producers – so supply meets demand, creating a more affordable landscape. Meanwhile, more compassion wouldn’t go amiss. Voting with one’s wallet requires privilege – and some barely have the privilege to cover the basics. We cannot condemn people for funding “evil corporations” when they’re simply doing their best with the resources they have available. We can’t effect social change when our primary focus is survival. So, at this unprecedented time in history, let’s not condemn our friends and family to Hell (literally or figuratively!) for buying tomatoes at the supermarket.
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“Mama’s Sweetie” Te Hono-ki-Ihipa is all smiles at mealtime. Auntie Te Ataahia Hurihanganui, who supplied this photo, says: “He is such a joy. Always with a smile on his face! We love you – Aunty Taahia, Uncle Davide and cuzzies Mario and Mareikura.” PHOTO/SUPPLIED
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