China producing for America

The following articles, written by me, for our local newspaper, detail two different battles regarding China’s production of America’s goods. I have added several paragraphs at the end of the second article to tie it all together for this blog.

Flags Produced Where?

By: Jeff Fuller

Recently I posted pictures of the American flag on my Facebook Wall. As my profile picture I used a picture of the American flag waving in a gentle breeze, several thoughts were placed on artwork I designed using the American flag, and a few random statements as we celebrated our independence as a nation. And I posted a picture I snapped with my mobile phone of an American flag.

This picture was taken while we were shopping at Dollar Tree in Alexander City. As Tina was collecting things she would need for an upcoming Garage Sale, Savannah and I roamed around another part of the store, when we encountered a small flag hanging from an end counter.

I stopped and took a picture, then carefully reached up for it and handed it to Savannah.

I said, “I bet I can tell you where this flag is made?” I had not looked at it, so I was about 98% sure I could tell her.

“Okay, daddy,” Savannah said after looking at the tag hanging from the plastic stick, “where was this flag made?”

I said, without any doubt, “China, Savannah, that flag was made in China.”

She was wild-eyed and amazed when she looked up and said, “Yes sir, China. How did you know that?”

Well, I could have come up with a variety of answers, but truth be told I had watched a news story earlier in the week about this very thing. It seems that during the Independence Day celebration recently, several news sources tackled this issue.

A television station in Alabama conducted a brief story related to this issue. In the story, they researched the production of flags in China and then proceeded to see where flags are made in the United States.

This prompted me to do a little research of my own. I was able to unearth a startling fact, which takes my breathe away. There are only four companies in America which produces American flags made in the USA. These are American Flags, Annin and Company, Elder Flag, and Valley Forge Flag. Of these four Annin and Company is the oldest, dating back 200 years in business.

Last year, in remembrance of the celebration of the 95^th Anniversary of Flag Day, one television station (WSAZ) out of West Virginia reviewed the signing of the declaration, by President Woodrow Wilson declaring June 14 would be set aside to honor the red, white and blue. But they said, “Many of the flags flown today are a lot different from those flown way back in the day. Not only are there more stars, but many of the flags are now made in China.”

In a blog, entitled Yahoo Voices, by Matthew Thompson, I found this interesting note:

“When Betsy Ross sat down with George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross in 1776, the four discussed Betsy sewing together the first American flag, and shortly thereafter the Star Spangled Banner was born. Today the ghost of Betsy is restless as the American flag is being sewn overseas and then imported to the United States. China is the last Communist giant, and was once a sworn enemy of America yet they lead the world in exporting the Stars and Stripes.”

In 2003 the US imported six million dollars worth of flags from the rest of the world. From that figure, China contributed 4.5 million dollars to the imports. Interestingly, in 2001 imports topped 51.7 million dollars with 29.7 million dollars coming-better yet, our hard earned American dollars going to, not-from the Chinese. In the four weeks following the tragedy of September 11, 2001 the United States imported 34.8 million dollars worth of American flags.

For the last seventeen years, someone in Congress has held a bill prohibiting the import of American flags, waiting for it to be considered. As a whole the Congressional body, floundering as usual, has yet to consider any of these bills and no committees in the House of Representatives have allowed a bill of this type to even be heard.

While China makes the big dollars off of the American people, who hold as sacred the flag which reminds us of the freedoms we have, America is allowing someone else to produce this symbol of patriotism. As Americans lean on the government for help to clothe, feed and care for their families, we are giving away millions of dollars to a country that cares so little for us. We need jobs, and right in our back door, even in the town from which I write this article, we have sewing plants that are standing idle, with many who know how to run those machines. We have people who want to work and we have a product which needs to stay here to be produced; it does not take a Rocket Scientist to put this together.

Let us never forget that the scripture says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I would dare say we are perishing in America and for the last several years have given in to other countries to produce what we should be producing. If Congress and those in leadership want to put America back on track, then they need to bring jobs back to America.

Uniforms for Team Made Where?

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

I recently tackled the flag issue here in this column and while I was preparing to send it off, another issue hit the news which follows the same logic.

With the Olympics opening ceremony, Team USA will sport a classic red, white and blue uniform to commemorate the freedom we as Americans hold so dear and sacred. While the uniforms do that, there is one problem, a big problem that has caused a major battle on Capitol Hill. At the heart of the issue is the uniforms were not made in America, by American workers; but were made in China, by poor, underpaid and overworked employees.

Ralph Lauren designed the uniforms, but it was a Chinese company which produced the uniforms. With this issue at hand, London as the venue, and American unemployment hovering at eight percent there seems to be some embarrassment among the political leaders. Really? They are embarrassed? Oh, I almost forgot, it is an election year.

Now, in light of this issue, a bill will be presented to Congress called “Team USA Made in America Act of 2012.” Well, is that not cleaver? It seems that over the past many years, someone has been attempting to do the same thing relating to the manufacturing of the American Flag, and it has yet even received a hearing from either body. But there may be hope for this one; it seems both parties are in on this one. Democratic and Republicans are up in arms over this problem.

Friends, do not get too excited yet. It is said this bill will only deal with uniforms for ceremonial purposes. It seems that special uniforms for specific competition cannot be produced in America, because those are not developed here. In the closest of the well dressed Olympian we will find ceremonial outfits made in America, and then everything else made overseas.

Does anyone see the problem yet?

The problem started several years ago when the trade agreements were put into place to allow companies in America to send manufacturing overseas. When this happened the value of the production of the product was reduced, as the labor cost was cut, but the final product returned to American markets at a higher price. As a result many American companies shut down sewing plants in America, opening plants on foreign soil, thus putting Americans out of work, but expecting them to buy the products.

It was a president and Congress who allowed this to happen. And by doing so, we have been hurting ever since. Twenty two miles from where I sit at this moment there are sewing plants and warehouses sitting empty because of the trade agreements with foreign governments. Less than a mile from my office is an empty plant which at one time was fully operational and employing a large number of local people, yet stands idle because of that agreement. Please tell me why all of the sudden Congress is embarrassed about the uniforms made in China?

We are buying American flags made in China; where is the uproar over that one? From recent research, I found only four companies in America which produce the American flag on American soil, by American workers, for the American people. After the events of September 11, 2001 we imported-from China-just shy of $40 million worth of flags as we mourned the huge loss of American lives and icons to a savage plot by foreign zealots. No wonder we have companies and cities going bankrupt.

When a nation loses its products to foreign workers, allowing them to produce the product at a cheaper rate, so that companies might profit from that cheap labor; we have a major problem that needs to be fixed. America needs jobs and American people need to be put to work; that would truly be a boost to the American economy.

This is what we the people of America need to do:

1) We need to get informed and stay informed about what is going on with American industry and employment;

2) We need to get involved locally with the boards and committees which would help us secure jobs in our own area;

3) We need to go to the polls and vote for people who will make good decisions based on godly wisdom and sound financial advise;

Lastly, we need to pray as we have never prayed before. The nation that seeks God is a nation that will be blessed by God; a nation that turns its back on God, thumbing its nose at the Creator will be a nation that will suffer oppression, abuse and at some point will be a byword to other nations.

We are reminded in God’s Word that we are to seek Him while He may be found. God’s Word tell us that, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV) We are a notion that needs to hear and heed these words as never before.

May God Bless America Again!

We are in a hard place as Americans right now, are we not? All of our industry has gone to foreign soil, the unemployment rate has soared, we have more people than ever before on federal assistance, and we do not see it making an impact on the economy. If these jobs were returned to America what would be the result? A nightmare of course. Headaches? You better well believe it!

I do not know what the answer is overall, but I do know there are two examples above which by right should be produced in America, by American workers, for American industry. Our flags and our uniforms should have a tag that says, “MADE IN THE USA.” We should be ashamed that these two things are happening and there are several people, I will leave nameless, which should be sent to a deserted island for allowing this very thing to happen, right under the American people’s noses.