Michael Dean Brockway

Recent Activity

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  Michael Dean signed the petition | almost 3 years ago

  Stop Ringling Bros.' Expansion on Coney Island!
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  Michael Dean signed the petition | about 3 years ago

  Take Action to Prevent Child Marriage
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  Michael Dean commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  The Ethic of Assimilation

  True assimilation in the United States is not just an onus of immigrants, but also of all groups who have not have achieved equality. The assimilation police hold up an ideal of American culture that all people need to strive for to succeed in our country: white, young, married, American-born, heterosexual, middle-class, management, Christian, English-speaking, males without disabilities. And this group that epitomizes the American ideal is possibly the smallest minority in the United States.
  

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  Michael Dean commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Why Wal-Mart Schools are a Frightening Idea

  Discount prices mean discount wages and fewer local merchants. Local merchants mean local produce and even some locally manufactured merchandise. Fortunately, I live in an area with a local dairy shop, farmers market, and local ethnic bakeries. You can't totally avoid corporate retail and sweatshop merchandise, but you can buy that merchandise from a local retailer and keep that money in the community.
  
  I was fired from both Target and Wal-mart for reasons that I believe were discriminatory and for my support of workers' rights. Since then I have stopped shopping in large corporate retailers as much as possible. I do shop at Walgreen's because it is near my house and open 24 hours. However, Walgreen's has a good record as an employer of minorities, people of age, the LGBT community, and people with disabilities. They are even building their distribution centers to accommodate employees with disabilities not just with access, but with work areas designed especially for employees with disabilities.
  
  Here is something I have learned since I stopped shopping at Wal-mart and Target: I spend less money. I shop in my local neighborhood. Smaller stores mean less impulse buying. Because I think I am paying more for the item I am buying than if I bought it at Wal-mart, psychologically I tell myself I can't afford to buy other items. When a person shops at Wal-mart they are led to believe that the prices are so low that they can grab crap they don't really need and throw it their shopping cart. What they don't realize is that not everything at Wal-mart is the lowest price. When you know that paper towels, shampoo, etc is lower priced at Wal-mart, it leads you to believe that everything in the store is lower priced. Not true. Wal-mart sells certain items below cost because they know that customers will buy other items with high markups.
  
  It's close to impossible to shop in today's world and not get your hands "dirty". But we can make informed choices that benefit people and not corporations.

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  Michael Dean signed the petition | about 3 years ago

  awareness to parents-is it because of Poverty?
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  Michael Dean commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Why Wal-Mart Schools are a Frightening Idea

  I couldn't pass by Derek's post without commenting. He said:
  
  "I drive an extra 15 minutes out of my way to go to Target when there is a Wal-Mart literally down the road.  Can't stand their politics."
  
  I have worked for both Target and Wal-mart. Both are equally evil. Target just doesn't get the negative publicity that Wal-mart does because of its smaller size and well oiled image machine. For years the NAACP has rated Target the worst retailer in the country. Many hourly workers at Target stores cannot get enough hours scheduled so that they can be eligible for health benefits. At the local Target in my community, hourly workers receive their yearly pay increases in May. This year most hourly workers received a pay increase of less than 10 cents an hour. This was attributed to the current economic crisis.
  
  Also, do you think that Target's merchandise is made in higher quality sweatshops than Wal-mart's? And having worked for both companies, I witnessed a much higher level of union paranoia among Target management than Wal-mart. Just because Target has a mass media created hip image doesn't make them any less of an evil corporation.
  

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  Michael Dean signed the petition | about 3 years ago

  Join Hyperlocavore, Find or Start a Yardshare
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  Michael Dean signed the petition | about 3 years ago

  Help Ban the Use of Genetically Engineered Animals for Food
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  Michael Dean signed the petition | about 3 years ago

  Vote in JusticeMakers 2008: the Competition for Innovations that Combat Torture and Legal Abuse
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  Michael Dean signed the petition | about 3 years ago

  Support the Integration Agenda