AGING AGITATORS
There’s an old cliché that smug right-wingers like to fling at us: “If you’re not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. But if you’re not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”
Even if that’s true, there’s a third phrase in life that should be added to this aphorism: If you’re not a radical at 60, you haven’t been paying attention.
Ours is a culture that celebrates youth – which is not a bad thing at all, since there is a freshness and idealism in the young that gives our society spark. Yet oldsters, too, bring something special to the cause, for they are in a unique position to question authority, defy the corporate order, and stand up for progressive values. Also – let’s face it – the clock is ticking, so it’s definitely time to break loose, make a difference … and have some fun being disobedient!
I was reminded of this enormous possibility for seniors to buck the system when I attended an event in Los Angeles recently with a group of old folks who proudly call themselves “aging agitators.” They work through an organization called Sunset Hall, and its members range from blue-collar retirees to people from the entertainment world.
Sunset Hall is not a place for the sedentary – it is an activist organization. Many of its members came through labor battles, challenged Joe McCarthy, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., protested the Vietnam War, helped found the modern women’s movement, and pushed environmental issues to the fore. They are not about to sit back now – instead, they continue to put their gray heads on the line, both for local and international issues, and they reach out to younger activists who might need a little support, guidance, and old-time oomph.
Being an agitator is all about attitude – not age. Connect with these freethinking elders at www.sunsethall.org.
THE PRICE OF IMPORTED SHRIMP
“Giant shrimp” is said to be an oxymoron, but it’s also moronic that we’ve let shrimp become a giant problem in our world.
Welcome to the costly consequences of a globalized food supply: Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the U.S., and we have both top-quality shrimp and excellent shrimpers in America’s coastal waters. Yet, unbeknownst to average consumers, 80% of the shrimp we buy is imported, mostly from Asian nations.
The rationale of the import industry (including such big marketers as Wal-Mart) is that it is much cheaper to get the product from Asia. Of course, as shoppers know, shrimp is not cheap at the retail level. Middlemen are skimming off the savings.
But there are other costs that the industry doesn’t mention. Start with the excessive carbon footprint created by shipping these crustaceans in refrigerated containers 8,000 miles or more to our shores. Add in the devastating losses suffered by local fishing communities when the Wal-Marts abandon American producers.
Nor is our surge in imports a boon to Asian people. A recent report on workers in Southeast Asian shrimp processing factories uncovers child labor, sexual abuse, debt bondage, forced overtime, and nonpayment of wages, describing some of the factories as “little short of medieval.”
Then there’s what we consumers get in the way of quality. As seafood imports have soared, Washington has refused to update and adequately fund the government’s antiquated inspection system. Less than 1% of the tons of shrimp entering our ports are even looked at, and only about a fifth of those are inspected. When a batch is tested, one of the common findings is that it’s contaminated with veterinary drugs, including cancer-causing nitrofurans.
Globalized food, you see, is a long way from being “cheap.” In fact, it’s quite costly.
This article appears in June 6 • 2008.