I have learned that so many people are timid in speaking out against Sunday shopping. I can't understand why? It does not matter if you are a cashier, a cart pusher, if you dig ditches or flip hamburgers. There is nothing wrong with speaking out! Sunday shopping may seem normal to a good many of people. So was smoking and now that's naughty.
If Sunday shopping was about choice, I'd except it. But I know it's not and the public should be well aware of what this free choice is actually about. This is one example , I have substituted names to protect those who do not want to be mentioned. Brian- "Sir, I'd like a dept managers job. How do I go about it? Can I still refuse to work on Sunday?''
Manager- "Brian you can train to become a dept manager, but we do require you to work on Sundays."
Brian- "Wasn't being able to work on Sunday a choice?"
Manager- "That's correct, however if you refuse to work on Sunday, how can you expect your employee's to work on Sunday?"
In this scenario the worker has very little choice, but do as the company wishes to get the job. All companies have a way around the laws in our province. There are positions in most retail jobs, but most of them are requiring you to work on Sunday or lose out on that position. Hardly a choice is it?
Now that I have focused on the negative part, lets focus on the positive! Why don't we all in 2009 start communicating with our friends, family and government officials? Communication is a key factor to solving problems. We need to focus on getting a ban on Sunday shopping by contacting government and letting our feelings on the issue be known. Don't let others make you feel like a out cast because you come out against Sunday shopping. There isn't anything wrong with speaking out. People fought in wars to give us that freedom. Another important approach we can all take right now, besides pushing for government legislation is to stop shopping on Sunday, and focus on our families. Let's start thinking about our environment and what we are doing by supporting another day of shopping. It's no good to stop buying plastic bags to save the environment, yet destroy it in another way. I mean seriously..the box stores have convinced most of you to save the environment by buying their bags. When are these companies going to reduce hours to save the environment? We have more traffic on our roads, and business' have lights burning on another day of the week. Our hope for 2009 is that the public will wake up and see the light. So in 2009...lets stop shopping on Sunday. Don't think it will make a difference? Who ever thought gas prices would decrease? I can remember gas prices at $1.40 a litre and now it's 70 cents a litre. Everyone stopped buying gas. It's all about supply and demand.
Can we force stores to close on Sunday. Of course we can. Stop shopping on Sunday ( Supply and demand) . Make a list and shop through the week. Don't think it's possible? Here is another situation, a snow storm is coming on Sunday. The stores suddenly are packed on Saturday. The consumer manages to do all his or her shopping on Saturday to avoid the storm on Sunday. So if consumers can do that, why not stop shopping every Sunday?
We all must take a positive step towards our future of today and tomorrow. This will be a important step forward. To make another important point, we are getting 400- 900 hits a day on the Save Our Sundays web site. It's no problem to see that this is still a issue locally and abroad.
I feel we have a important message to spread to others. If you want change, pass this web site on to five people and ask them to pass it on to five people. Just remember, we have the power to make a difference, whether it be through government legislation or just by not shopping on Sundays.
Related story -
http://www.saveoursundays.ca/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=72
