Norman — The only thing worse than being wrong is admitting when you are.
I was wrong in a big way earlier this way, as a typographic error I repeated several times in an article caused a big headache and a lot of misunderstanding for the supporters of Fair Trade.
Here’s my public apology for an inadvertent, accidental but completely unacceptable error.
Now here’s some information you need to know.
Groups like Norman Fair Trade and the Fair Trade Group at Norman North High School, are pushing to increase awareness of the plight of the people worldwide who are forced into slavery, producing many of the goods and services we use on a daily basis.
So how do you define Fair Trade? Read the words of Norman Fair Trade member Stephanie Bates.
“Fair Trade refers to an organized social movement as well as a market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries and to promote sustainability. Fair Trade Certification refers to an independent, third-party certification process that empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, by protecting the environment and by developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.”
This is a real issue. Take a minute and visit the Web site www.freetheslaves.net. Read a little bit under the “Success Story” section.
Last weekend’s forum on Fair Trade, human slavery and human trafficking produced some stories like those on the Web site that were frankly startling. Young children snatched from their homes, taken to work as sex slaves, or in fields harvesting cocoa beans. It’s happening around the world and even here in Oklahoma.
I admire the people locally, especially the group of high school students, who are stepping up for an important cause. And whether you wind up supporting them or not, their message is important to hear.
Norman Fair Trade meets 7:30 p.m. Monday’s at Native Roots Market, one of the local vendors who back Fair Trade goods.
Being free is important, but so is being fair. And I know I’m compelled to pay attention to the cause, even if my fingers didn’t keep up with my brain last week.
n n n
On an unrelated note, it’s spring break, and I’m still waiting for spring. We did have a nice enough day last week to get out my golf clubs for the first time … only to get blown away by 30-plus mph winds that almost took me out of my shoes.
My internal clock tells me I’ve complained about the weather too much lately. Perhaps it’s old age. The cold seems colder and the hot seems hotter and the wind seems … windier.
On a good note, spring starts in a week and summer starts three months after this, and it has to warm up sometime in there.
n n n
Distracted drivers beware. The authorities are one stop closer to making your nasty texting while driving habit illegal.
In fact, the Oklahoma Senate’s 30 to 14 vote Wednesday would make the use of any personal communication device, including a cell phone, illegal. That would appear to include talking on the phone also, although I’m not sure anyone actually uses their BlackBerry or iPhone to talk these days.
The distracted driving bill also would make reading, writing, personal grooming or interacting with pets or unsecured cargo a violation of the law.
Christian Potts 366-3544 cpotts@normantranscript.com
