I BUY LOCAL: Why?

December 26, 2004

Why?

I have often lamented what I refer to as the commoditization of my home town in Michigan. For years almost all of the businesses there were strictly local, save for the Kroger's, Meijer, Wal-Mart, and a few fast food joints.

But in the last 5 years or so, the "big boys" have noticed the population and economic growth of the area, all of which was built on the backs of local business owners, and they're now moving in to take over. They've nearly killed all of the local restaurants and boutiques that gave the town it's unique identity. Every time I go back there it seems there's some new national restaurant or retail chain moving in -- Target, Pier 1 Imports, Chili's, Friday's -- and two or three more local establishments have closed.

It's sad, really. My home town, like many other towns in the U.S., is starting to look generic. It's happening all over. Local flavor is being displaced by pre-chewed corporate blandness and cutesy themed living, and it's the folks that spent their lives serving these towns that are being left behind. "Thanks for building an economy here, now get out so we can milk it for all it's worth."

The face of America is changing, seemingly out of control. I can remember as a child traveling New England with my parents, and everywhere we went we found communities brimming with unique qualities and colors. Each town was different, beautiful in its own way, and when you went from one place to the next you knew you'd gone somewhere. But more and more, traveling in America is merely a matter of hopping from one Wal-Mart or Outback Steakhouse to the next. Every town is beginning to look like every other town. Diversity under fire.

It's happening in my home town. It's probably happening in yours. That's why I'm here. That's why I care.

Note: Most of this post originally appeared as a comment over at lawver.net.

Posted by Bill Kocik at December 26, 2004 9:32 AM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://lawver.net/mt/track.fpl/1392