Buy Nothing Day Research Paper

Amanda Sandoval
Period 3rd
December 5th, 2013
Buy Nothing Day
A hard-working, single mother receives her pay-check that to her horror reads a measly $225.30. She doesn't use the money for her, instead she uses that money to care for her two children, she needs to pay the rent, and the electricity but her kids need food to grow. As she heads to the bank to cash the check she passes the neighborhood local store and no cars are outside and the light are dim. Nothing comes to her mind as to what seems different, she proceeds to head over to the bank, and notices that there is no clerks and no long lines? So many things run through her mind so she parks her beat-down car, that clanks and rattles. As she becomes even more worried there is a
bright white paper that reads," Due to the over-consumption rates, the government has issued a National Buy Nothing Day, we are sorry for any inconviences." Her world is instantly shut down and she becomes scared as to how she is going to feed her children. This is exactly what I fear will happen if a National Buy Nothing Day is issued, so in my opinion, a National Buy Nothing Day would be a bad idea.
A National Buy Nothing Day would become a huge inconvenience to many people over the world.
Many people in the United States work minimum wage jobs and have a family to care for. 75% of the population works pay check to pay check just to give the basics to their family, and majority of the money is spent on food that they hope will last them the whole month until they are paid again. Sadly, more times than you would like to see parents unhealthy and always tired because they put their children before themselves, and what if the National Buy Nothing Day just so happened to fall on pay day. The heartbreak that would radiate from the couple, and the worry that rushes through their mind as to how they are going to feed their kids tonight and when t hey are going to be able to come back and cash that paycheck? Now that the parents view is shown, imagine the reaction of the kids that come home and see that there is no food on the table and the have to be told from their parents that they have to go to sleep hungry tonight. That's heartbreaking for anybody, and
everybody.
Along with an inconvenience to many Americans, a National Buy Nothing Day would hurt the life of a teenager, very significantly. Teenagers are the main percentage of individuals that add to the rate of over-consumption. Even though they are the big spenders in this era, they often rely on the "quick stops" to help them proceed with their school day. 8 out of 10 teenagers have a car in high school and with having a car comes a huge cash flow. Many teens can barely wake up in time to go to school and this often leads to them not eating, and scientists have proven that this can greatly affect their performance with anything they do in the day. So they make a quick stop at either McDonalds, or in New Mexico Blakes Lotaburger for a quick burrito, so they can eat something to fuel their bodies for the day. High school athletes rely on eating more than anyone, because they need that fuel to burn off, either at their zero-hour basketball practices or their afternoon football practice. So, the Buy Nothing Day would send these athletes hungry to school and the only thing they will eat is their lunch, and with starting school at 7:00 and not even eating until 12:00, that's a 5 hour long span of lacking concentration in class.
Medication is more times than others bought on a daily for many individuals with medical problems and the vast majority of this is children.
30% of individuals die annually because of lack to medications that can save them, and 10% of them are children. Thats almost half the percentage! Children are more venerable to illnesses and harsh sickness than adults due to the fact that their bodies are still developing. What if on the National Buy Nothing Day that one child that has for instance, epilepsy, runs out his precious medication that prevents seizures. At any moment in the day he could experience pain in their head and in a blink of an eye, they are having a seizure. On the daily, 2/3 children die a day from seizures and helpful medication prevents this from ever happening. How must it feel for a mother to know that you can't go and buy your child medication because the government just shut down all stores for a day that may open the eyes to consumers? Anxiety that passes through mother knowing their child is at any time vulnerable to a life-taking
illness.
Of course, many feel differently. One argument cited by many others is that a National Buy Nothing Day would open the over spending ways of many Americans. Yes, maybe this all we need to open our eyes but would just like other events that were supposed to "help" us, more times than others we just go back to our old ways. Like for instance, in the time of The Great Dust Bowl, Farmers were plowing heir fields non-stop and destroying the once fertile land. Then once the Dust Bowl came wiping out anything that was in it's way, Farmers soon realized that their ways were in desperate need of reform, but what happened again? Farmers were back to their old ways and doing what they just did before. It's the mind of the American people that determine everything we do. Now should it be the government's job to show us our wrongs? Why no! We can say were going to change but do we ever really do? For a national objective to work, everyone has to consent to it.
Although a National Buy Nothing would open the eyes of many consumers everywhere, it can greatly impact others in different ways. Like the mother who can't find a way to feed her beautiful, small bundles of joy, or the teenager that can't buy his breakfast for the day, more negatives aspects come out of this than the good.