Published: September 16, 2009 08:08 am      

It matters where you shop

Have you had the pleasure of watching “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?” You know the one, black and white, starring Jimmy Stewart.

In the movie Jefferson Smith is an idealistic young man, appointed to replace a Senator who has unexpectedly died. Within one week of life in Washington, Mr. Smith is confronted with graft and corruption the likes of which he never even imagined, being perpetuated by people he had previously revered.

Mr. Smith wages war against the corruption going on around him. He is repeatedly told it is a lost cause. “Lost causes are the only causes worth fighting for” he replies. He goes on to explain that lost causes are all wrapped up in “Love thy neighbor”. Ain’t it the truth, friends, ain’t it the truth?

Would you permit me to introduce you to a cause that officially identified itself to me as “lost” in January of 2009.

After saving my Christmas gift cards and money, I found to my delight that an expensive purse (expensive to me, anyway) was on sale at Dillard’s. After a few phone calls, I found the bag I had been ogling for months was available at the mall in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I asked them hold the bag for me. “I’m on the way” I was delighted to tell the clerk.

We arrived in Fort Smith, purchased the prized bag (with my husband shaking his head in bewilderment) and proceeded to our favorite restaurant in Fort Smith. We also stopped at several other stores in the area for our post holiday shopping, and returned home.

A few days later I was visiting with a friend when one of the most respected members of our town entered the room. He saw the purse and asked if it was a Christmas gift. I proudly told the story of saving my money, calling the store, driving for 90 minutes in the rain, and buying the purse on sale.

His reply astounded me. He said “You could have gotten it cheaper online. That’s where “insert name of wife” and I do all of our shopping.”

Here’s one of the richest men in town, depriving area businesses of his retail money, simply to be able to say he saved a dollar or two. And who’s to say after paying taxes, shipping and handling fees, if he’s really saving any money at all?

I know I’m blonde, but I just don’t get it. You live in a community. You derive your income from said community. Your family (whose money you are sitting squarely upon) derived its’ enormous wealth from said community, and yet you spend your retail dollars online allowing your money to go into God only knows what communities and countries. All for the thrill of saving a few dollars?

I might even think about it differently if the man were struggling financially. But this man has more money than - well- you know.

To his credit he probably thinks he is being a good steward of his money. I know he and his family donate heavily to area charities. But wouldn’t it be better to keep local business owners out of charity lines by buying their competitively priced products, rather than to give them handouts after you’ve thrown them under the bus?

Privately owned businesses in our small towns are breaking their backs trying to complete with the products made with out of country slave labor coming into our country and made available through giant retailers both online and in mega-stores.

Take a look at any small town America downtown area. They are usually a wasteland. I know, I know, like I said, a lost cause.

My weekly magazines, Time and Newsweek, tell me our country is changing. Just last week one of them featured a cover story promoting the idea that the internet and global competition will keep our unemployment rate at 10 percent into the foreseeable future. Wow.

There is a solution. I am happy to say public service and personal responsibility for our communities, and indeed our earth, is fashionable again. I am old enough to remember being inspired by the line “Ask not what your country can do for you…” and a new generation of young Americans has evidently been equally inspired by our new President.

If we each, to the degree that we are capable, buy locally, buy American, support our schools, churches and charities with our time and our money, if that happened all across this great land, just imagine the prosperity it would bring.

I personally get a much bigger thrill out of knowing my money help clerks at Dillard’s, or waitresses at IHOP, or checkers at the local grocery stores, keep their jobs and put food in their bellies than I get out of saving money in any amount online.

Online business and mega-stores are here to stay. There’s no denying this. But out of reverence to your home town, to your county, to your area communities, your state, and to your country (in that order) can you find it in your hearts to give the local guy a break? Can you look at labels and buy American? Would you be willing to pay a fair price, not necessarily the cheapest price, to the local business owner whose tax money support your schools, build your roads, keep your water and sewer flowing, and whose business employs your other neighbors and friends?

Love thy neighbor as thyself. It’s been great advice for quite some time. I know you’ll do your very best to join me in fighting for this lost cause, and on behalf of small business owners across America, I thank you.

Joy Gawf Crutchfield is a travel agent in Eufaula. She is the author of “The Joy of Travel,” a weekly column which appears Sunday in the McAlester News-Capital.