This is an article written by our friend Ramey Connelly in response to an article and an event that happened earlier this month in Richmond. There was a Sustainability Forum that was happening at First Fridays in Richmond at Gallery 5. Food Not Bombs and the Really Really Free Market were both going to table. However the event was not how we pictured it being. You can contact Ramey at rameysaurus@gmail.com and find out more about the Really Really Free Market at http://www.myspace.com/rvafreemarket
Here is what she has to say!
My response to this article: http://wrirnews.blogspot.com/2010/06/for-local-businesses-future-of-richmond.html
As a community member & Richmond enthusiast, I went to the forum to share information about the RVA Really Really Free Market, but came away sorely disappointed. Not only was there no space or table set aside, but my attempts to remedy the issue were thwarted by rudeness and standoffishness. So much for building community.
Luckily, some friendly neighborhood anarchists at the Food Not Bombs table were kind enough to share their space, and we spent the time co-promoting and discussing our confusion and dismay at what surrounded us.
The so-called “sustainability forum” ended up being a marketplace for people to sell their wares under the guise of being “green” and “eco-friendly”. But the majority of people buy over-processed agribusiness products because that’s what they can afford. Buying/going green is just another form of conspicuous consumption; a way of using money to feel morally superior- a luxury that is not afforded to most of the community.
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The Wingnut 