Bet you didn't know

[Kelly J]

http://www.possumliving.com/2011/05/blue-jeans.html

POSSUM LIVING

Blue Jeans May 4, 2011

Like probably most of you, I have worn blue jeans all my life. The first pair of jeans I ever had would probably fit in the pocket of the pair I am wearing right now.

In the news today, in an article about the ongoing plight of the folks who were impacted by the tornadoes here in north Alabama, mention is made of a Wrangler Jeans distribution center in Alabama that was destroyed.

The company is continuing to pay the employees even while it has no work available for them, and is looking into setting up operations nearby so these employees will not lose their jobs. Note that the company is doing this of its own free will.

I probably started out wearing Wranglers. I seem to remember them from when I was very young. But once I was 8 or 9 years old, I wanted Levi's because that was the "cool" brand that most of the kids wore.

So I wore Levi's from then, through my teen years, and into adulthood. I wore them even when they got to be $30-$35 a pair, which I certainly couldn't afford. That was 25 or so years ago. A quick search tells me they range from $40-$65 now; not much change since then.

But Rustlers (a product of Wrangler) are around $10 a pair at Walmart, and Wranglers are around $15. When I was paying $30-$35 for a pair of Levi's, Wranglers were probably $10-$12. Basically, I could have bought three pairs of Wranglers for the price of one pair of Levi's. What was I buying with the extra money I was spending on Levi's?

I opened the Sunday paper one day and found out. There was a full-page spread, a "public service" ad taken out by Levi Strauss and Co. announcing that it was time to ban all guns in America, and that everybody who is worth anything should get on board with Levi's in demanding total gun prohibition immediately. So that is what they were doing with all that extra money!

I was visiting my parents at the time. I may have even been wearing a pair of Levi's. I stopped somewhere on the way home and bought three pairs of Wranglers. When I got home, I burned all of my Levi's. I had some Dockers, too. They went, as well.

Since then, I have diligently avoided buying or using any of their products. And since then I have seen a few news stories about how Levi Strauss spends money to support causes that are detrimental to pro-freedom and pro-family values.

When I saw the story about Wrangler jeans today, I was glad that I still wear their product.

I would never try to persuade you to use this product or not use that product for political reasons.

I don't have the right to do that. My intent here is just to pass on information of which you may not have been aware.

http://www.possumliving.com/2011/05/blue-jeans.html

[versifier]

I, too refused to have anything to do with Levi, Straus, & Co. when I found out about the behind-the-scenes bull they were spreading. I have no idea how long ago that was, but certainly more than twenty years, maybe much longer. I have always found Wranglers fit better, not to mention they havew always been a better value. I am due for some new jeans as I have put my knees through two well-worn pairs working in the garden over the last two weeks. This is a good time to buy some and help support a company that is loyal to its workers. When iconic American companies either turn around and undermine American values (Levis) or close down US operations and ship the jobs to other countries (Hershey's, and way too many others to list here), it only makes sense to me to support those with a social conscience whenever I can.