Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, was in an uproar over the USA Olympic Team Opening Ceremony uniforms. Apparently, clothing designer, Ralph Lauren who was awarded the design contract had opted to have the Olympiads’ uniforms made in China (as are most of his other apparel offerings).
While we Americans turn the other cheek to most of our clothing being made in China (and other parts of Asia), this is where the insanity needs to stop!
I am a modern woman, who does business globally. In fact, I embrace globalization in all of its cultural and commercial forms. But there is something very askew with our Olympic athletes wearing “made in China” on their backs while representing the United States.
Since we Americans seem to worship the almighty buck over almost everything else in life, we tend to bypass the spiritual and ethical reasons for much of what we do, giving away our much-needed jobs to countries overseas so that our mega corporations can have a better bottom line. We do this like sheep, rather than thinking in intelligent thoughtful terms of the larger picture.
The housing construction industry has been in the process of proving that “made in America” home building products can cost less and last way longer than the same products made in China.
I say it’s high time we revisited making our clothing in America…especially for important things like our national pride.
It’s the intention we put behind everything we do that makes all the difference. It’s the energy and the “sponsoring thought” that determines the result. In this case, did Ralph Lauren think about how he was making our athletes feel or was he more interested in his own aggrandizement?
Ralph Lauren is an American Fashion Icon. As such, he needs to stand for something greater than his bottom line. If the Olympic Athletes’ clothes cost more to make in the USA, then so be it. It’s the right thing to do.
It’s time for us to care about bringing jobs home to the USA. We need to start caring about old-fashioned values like dressing with pride, eating natural foods, and having manners, all great things that will enhance our lives.
I love all cultures and ethnicities, I love speaking and teaching globally, but I am proud to be an American and it feels wonderful to see things made in the USA.
By Eve Michaels, a made-in-America woman.
