Taking a stand.

It's Remembrance Day weekend. There are stories on the telly about various battles and wars and fights for the independence of various countries. We remember these things, the cost that was involved and all those who took a stand against tyranny and injustice and continue to do so.

Canada, within her boundaries, has been free of war for a very long time. We are blessed people. We hear of struggles and fights for freedom in other parts of the world. Our school children these days are taught about the more subtle forms of oppression, those of the hidden agendas of large corporations to use the innocents and the desperate and starving ones for their own gain. Cheap labor makes big bucks. And, as innocent as we may appear and as oblivious as we may be to that fact, we are all, to varying degrees, a part of the scheme.

Today, I went shopping with my granddaughter. We went to one particular store, a new store that has opened up here in P.A. the last week or so. She gathered her items of clothing that to her, seemed appealing and headed for the dressing room. Out of the several items that were tried on, one stood out. I would buy it for her. It looked very lovely on her too. I held the item as we browsed through the shoes. We happened to notice that the little black dress was made in a deprived and down-trodden country, where, no doubt to both of us, the labor had been very cheap to have made this particular little affair. She said she had just done a project in school about sweat shops in "third world" countries and that was one of the countries that was mentioned in her project.

Here was a fashion-conscious 13 year old girl, making a decision. We talked about it. She wasn't sure what to do at first. This WAS a terrific looking dress, after all. She really liked it. Money was no object, as it wasn't too terribly expensive to begin with. But the nagging thought kept resurfacing about what was right and what was wrong. We talked about making a decision that would leave her conscience in good standing with.............................. herself.

The dress was put back on the rack.

Would it all really make a difference? What could possibly change by her decision? Would her not buying the dress change the lives for the good, of the millions who are taken advantage of in these difficult situations throughout the world? Probably not.

What would change..........would be her. She would change. She would take a stand against injustice in that one small way. I told her, that is how the world changes........one person taking a stand at a time........and it just goes on from there.

Her parents should be proud of the way they have raised her in the decision she made. I certainly was.

Good for you, my dear Brittney! The world needs people just like you.