MERRY CHINAMAS EVERYONE!!!!

[nonya]

Now that the holidays are over and the hustle of holiday preparations are past, Im curious to see just
how many of you out there tried to make a difference in the world. This year I informed my family I will not be taking part in the holiday gift giving ordeal. For my entire life I have gone along with the usual family traditions, but as of the past couple of years I have wanted nothing more than to remove myself from the entire program.

The usual disputes between my family and myself broke out just as December rounded the corner. I have begged, pleaded, and at times shouted for them to stop buying items from China. I've supplied mountains of evidence as to why we need to start buying from other sources and cease this incessant addiction for cheap items. I reiiterate how people in China work in deplorable conditions and are paid a low wage for making these items. I show them videos, articles and bombard them with images that I would have thought by now, would have changed the way they shop. I also foolishly believed that my Roman Catholic family (im not catholic) would have the compassion for other people's sufferings. NOPE. It didnt happen. Even though I already knew how hypocritical religous people are in general, I held on to some ridiculous hope that my family is different. NOPE. I am greatful that I breezed through Xmas without exchanging gifts with anyone. I won one battle, albeit small.

 

Around mid December, in my daily search for news on the web, I came across a heart sickening documentary. Even though I  protest items from China, it was clear to me by the time I watched this documentary that I failed to see one shocking truth. All this time, I thought these people were getting paid low wages and had to deal with deplorable conditions......I had no idea that they were getting paid NOTHING and actually hunted down in their country to work for free in Chinese prisons. IF YOU DARE WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY AND CONTINUE TO BUY ITEMS FROM CHINA, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. I couldnt live with myself if I ever bought something from China, knowing that slavery never ended, it was just reformatted. We need to start making a difference and not compounding the problem. These are our brothers and sisters across the sea!!!! They are praying for the day our addictions come to an end.  Saviours of earth? Time to walk the walk and be part of the solution of earth......will you make a difference? Will you take 25 minutes to watch the video and educate yourself? Will you go out of your way to educate others? Will you stop buying from China?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqXAkE-54NU&list=FLj-zU1UwumBiP...

[Simmy]

The abuse is not just in prisons...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092277/Apple-Poor-working-...

[nonya]

SIMMY - Thank you for avoiding the "made in china stuff".....and thank you from the people who want us to stop buying it :-)

[Simmy]

Great idea PT!

I will definitely contribute when I come by some good info!! :)

[Simmy]

We also didn't exchange gifts this last Christmas. I didn't want anything, my husband didn't either. Even my 14 year old son didn't want anything!!! (He is the least materialistic teenager I know :) !). it was very liberating!!

Regarding the documentary...like you, I had no idea they were getting paid nothing and were hunted down to work for free in Chinese prisons. Especially because most of the prisoners should have never been in prison in the first place!!

More and more I've been buying less and less, so most of the time I tended to avoid the 'made in china' stuff. Anyway, I always look at the labels so I will make sure I choose a 'slavery free' alternative.

Thanks for posting this Nonya!

[CHRISTINA]

nonya, 'sharing is caring' as they say, hence my info sharing. however, we owe it to ourselves to keep doing our research. you're an example yourself. i like your telling-like-it-is and down-to-earth approach, which keeps us grounded.

keep up the good work, nonya :)

[nonya]

CHRISTINA - thank you for taking the time to look over this info. You are always a wealth of great information on this site and I cant thank you enough for all your contributions. Most of all, thank you for not being a participant in this ugly matrix by donating to the suffering of other people. You are the example many others should follow. Wonderful of you to spend Xmases in simplicity and teaching your kids by example what its truly about.......love and caring, not gifts for sharing.

[CHRISTINA]

excellent contribution to raising awareness. thank you, nonya!

 

i've just finished watching the video and sent my prayers to our chinese brothers and sisters. they are doubly enslaved in this matrix.

i never celebrate christmas with gifts. my 15-year old doesn't get any gifts, never has. his father and i told him that santa doesn't exist as soon as he was aware of what christmas is about to many people.

but we have spoilt him rotten with hugs, which is our gift, be it christmas or not.

besides, we don't want to uphold a lie (read: program the child into believing in such a character, not to mention where this programming can lead to....)

i spend christmas time with the rest of my family in the netherlands, without gifts, but with conversations, joy, laughter and of course hugs :)

when my mother was still around, her christmas present for everyone (her grandchildren included) was new socks!!!

and underwear :):):), being the practical person that she was.....

while my dad would do the prayer on christmas eve :)

 

[nonya]

PT - thanks for making the seperate area of consumer power, but Im not one that travels around this site much. Im on the videos and blogs and thats it. Feel free to take the info and post it over there. There is plenty more places that everyone can post and I dont care where its located as long as people make a difference.

[nonya]

TRUDY & PT - thank you for your time in looking into this. I'm begging you to please make a difference with this subject. EACH and EVERY penny you use to buy goods from China is your conscious go ahead to torture and imprison an innocent brother or sister in China.  WE ALL NEED TO STOP THIS INSANITY. I have not participated in buying anything from China for a couple of years, but I know many of you on this site have gone ahead. PT, I would bet that all those things you bought at Christmas time has China written all over it. Unfortunately someone on the other side of the planet can't tell you to stop but its never to late to change. They dont have a voice on this platform or anywhere for that matter, but I heard them loud and clear thru that video and I hope on a human and morality level, you do to.

[Trudy]

I tell you honestly, I didn't know.  I was aware of the bad labour circumstances, but this... prison slaves!!!

The vid I already forwarded ! great topic Nonya great awareness :-)