Did you know there are ways to make positive change in this world each time you go to the store? I’ve recently learned about a website and app called Goods Unite Us (goodsuniteus.com), which takes a look at campaign donations from major corporations and their executives. It has started to change the way I look at my own consumerism and how my dollars, while not as plentiful as those of international corporations, can make a difference.
I’ve learned that some of the money I spend on products I enjoy is in turn donated to politicians whose political views don’t align with mine. The hours and hours of research that contributors poured into this database have resulted in a few easy-to-understand statistics:
1) The breakdown of Republican vs. Democratic politicians a specific company supports (as a percentage of the whole);
2) The top five politicians they support;
3) On a scale of low-medium-high, how much this company supports campaign finance reform by not getting involved in politics;
4) What percentage of donations comes from the corporation itself compared to the corporation’s senior employees.
Like any quality database, you can sort the information in a myriad of ways. Are you interested in how local companies like Hallmark, AMC Theaters or Sprint use their “free speech” (aka dollars)? Looking to find out which companies donate to Sharice Davids, Pat Roberts or Jerry Moran? What about the plethora of candidates in the Democratic primary? You can look by company, politician or sector. The sector feature is helpful when trying to find alternatives should you decide to change your shopping habits.
I’m working on it, but it’s not easy. It’s hard to break a Diet Coke habit, even though I see that Coca Cola and its executives spend a lot of money influencing politics. But I can also feel good when I see that my Green Bay Packers do not contribute to politicians or PACs with significant funds. It’s a difficult goal to strive for 100% political agreement when shopping, but I am trying to be more methodical about where my money goes.
In the Reform movement, we often say that we make choices through knowledge — this typically means understanding halachah (Jewish law) and deciding for ourselves how to incorporate it into our lives. Here is another way we can take advantage of the immense amount of knowledge available to us today and use it in ways that support an America we can believe in.
Rabbi Kleinman is director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Beth Torah.
