Comments on: Freeganism: What’s Up With That? http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:46:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on Freeganism: What’s Up With That? by: Barbara http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-113693 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:02:20 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-113693 Actually, Cynthia, if you read my essay thoughtfully, you would see that I agree that much of what many freegans do is a good idea. I think that using post consumer waste is a good idea--I never said it wasn't. What I have a problem with is the philosophies put forth on the website and mailing list of freegan.org. Decrying capitalism while living off the waste of it is rather silly. How about they just dumpster dive and not make up illogical or immoral reasons for doing it? And I NEVER said I didn't have a problem with homeless people being homeless--how dare you make such a judgment of my beliefs without any basis? Every criticism I made of freegan philosophy came from their own websites and their own writings and their own words as quoted in the media. I never said I thought anything about it being okay for there to be homeless people--you came up with that on your own. So, who is being judgmental here, cynthia? Someone who makes her critiques based on what freegans themselves say about their beliefs or someone who just makes crap up without any basis and slings it at someone. You can disagree with me all you like, but don't slander me. I have worked in homeless shelters and helped feed the poor for more years than you likely have been alive, so don't tell me I don't care about homeless people. Actually, Cynthia, if you read my essay thoughtfully, you would see that I agree that much of what many freegans do is a good idea. I think that using post consumer waste is a good idea–I never said it wasn’t.

What I have a problem with is the philosophies put forth on the website and mailing list of freegan.org. Decrying capitalism while living off the waste of it is rather silly. How about they just dumpster dive and not make up illogical or immoral reasons for doing it?

And I NEVER said I didn’t have a problem with homeless people being homeless–how dare you make such a judgment of my beliefs without any basis? Every criticism I made of freegan philosophy came from their own websites and their own writings and their own words as quoted in the media.

I never said I thought anything about it being okay for there to be homeless people–you came up with that on your own.

So, who is being judgmental here, cynthia? Someone who makes her critiques based on what freegans themselves say about their beliefs or someone who just makes crap up without any basis and slings it at someone.

You can disagree with me all you like, but don’t slander me. I have worked in homeless shelters and helped feed the poor for more years than you likely have been alive, so don’t tell me I don’t care about homeless people.

]]> Comment on Freeganism: What’s Up With That? by: cynthia http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-113628 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:18:23 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-113628 While some points that you have made are valid, you yourself prove that are also a hypocrite, you are judgmental and you are prejudiced. I agree that returning something to a store for money that you didn’t pay for in the first place and shoplifting are not even slightly moral activities. But neither is judging an entire group by a few “bad apples”. Pun most definitely intended. And any so called journalist should know better than to take a definition from a source like Wikipedia seriously. You complain that fregans are not working and are taking food away from the homeless people who need it. Yet you have no problem with homeless people being homeless and jobless or with your grandmother and others like her doing the same things. Why is it ok for some to benefit off of post consumer waste and not ok for fregans to do the same. And have you even asked the question of what many of the intentionally jobless freegans are doing with their time? Many (I conceded, not all) of them contribute time and effort to help their communities and our planet in other ways. Ways they would not be able to if they had to work longer hours to pay for the material items the rest of us buy. And while you say that they are not contributing to the solution of over-consumerism, I disagree. Freegans are the reason why so many Americans are now more enlightened about the amount of consumer waste we have. They are bringing the issues into the limelight and that in itself insights change. They are stopping things from going straight into landfills which would mean that all the materials and energy used to create those items have not gone to waste by something that was never even really used. Another way that freegans help is that when fewer items get sold, the manufacturers keep track of all of that data. If the freegans didn’t get the things for free, many of them wouldn’t get them at all. This helps manufacturers to make wiser production decisions. And hopefully, to try to make sure that supply does not exceed demand. Many items do have harmful beginnings, but isn’t it worse if all that harm, the sweat, toil, and materials gets used for something that goes straight to the waste system? Maybe before you judge this entire community so harshly you should wonder why you feel the need to judge at all. Can’t you just live and let live? If you do not want to help with a solution why beat down on the people who are at least putting in some effort? It may not be the best solution out there, but it is better than nothing. It is better than apathy and it is better than the greed that so many Americans are guilty of. While some points that you have made are valid, you yourself prove that are also a hypocrite, you are judgmental and you are prejudiced. I agree that returning something to a store for money that you didn’t pay for in the first place and shoplifting are not even slightly moral activities. But neither is judging an entire group by a few “bad apples”. Pun most definitely intended. And any so called journalist should know better than to take a definition from a source like Wikipedia seriously.
You complain that fregans are not working and are taking food away from the homeless people who need it. Yet you have no problem with homeless people being homeless and jobless or with your grandmother and others like her doing the same things. Why is it ok for some to benefit off of post consumer waste and not ok for fregans to do the same. And have you even asked the question of what many of the intentionally jobless freegans are doing with their time? Many (I conceded, not all) of them contribute time and effort to help their communities and our planet in other ways. Ways they would not be able to if they had to work longer hours to pay for the material items the rest of us buy. And while you say that they are not contributing to the solution of over-consumerism, I disagree. Freegans are the reason why so many Americans are now more enlightened about the amount of consumer waste we have. They are bringing the issues into the limelight and that in itself insights change. They are stopping things from going straight into landfills which would mean that all the materials and energy used to create those items have not gone to waste by something that was never even really used.
Another way that freegans help is that when fewer items get sold, the manufacturers keep track of all of that data. If the freegans didn’t get the things for free, many of them wouldn’t get them at all. This helps manufacturers to make wiser production decisions. And hopefully, to try to make sure that supply does not exceed demand. Many items do have harmful beginnings, but isn’t it worse if all that harm, the sweat, toil, and materials gets used for something that goes straight to the waste system?
Maybe before you judge this entire community so harshly you should wonder why you feel the need to judge at all. Can’t you just live and let live? If you do not want to help with a solution why beat down on the people who are at least putting in some effort? It may not be the best solution out there, but it is better than nothing. It is better than apathy and it is better than the greed that so many Americans are guilty of.

]]> Comment on Freeganism: What’s Up With That? by: Nicole http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-92954 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:26:13 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-92954 I'm a reporter and am looking for Ohio freegans, specifically in Toledo, Ohio. This is great subject. If you have any info send an e-mail to charris@independentcollegian.com I’m a reporter and am looking for Ohio freegans, specifically in Toledo, Ohio. This is great subject. If you have any info send an e-mail to charris@independentcollegian.com

]]> Comment on Freeganism: What’s Up With That? by: Ivan http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-59334 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:06:41 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-59334 Another person at the <a href="http://123communityspace.org" rel="nofollow">123 community space</a> in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn was conducting an interview with NYU students, she was asked "what would you tell people about freegans?" "most importantly, do your own thing. this is what we're doing, and it might work for some, but look around your community and see what can be improved and how, all of us should seek more fulfilling, socially and environmentally conscious activities to enrich our own lives. This might not be the best solution for you, but it is what we have, right /now/." I assure you the world does not operate in strict categories. The inspiring thing about the community in New York is it doesn't attempt to institute such an abstraction, despite what your website review "discovers." Another person at the 123 community space in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn was conducting an interview with NYU students, she was asked “what would you tell people about freegans?” “most importantly, do your own thing. this is what we’re doing, and it might work for some, but look around your community and see what can be improved and how, all of us should seek more fulfilling, socially and environmentally conscious activities to enrich our own lives. This might not be the best solution for you, but it is what we have, right /now/.”

I assure you the world does not operate in strict categories. The inspiring thing about the community in New York is it doesn’t attempt to institute such an abstraction, despite what your website review “discovers.”

]]> Comment on Freeganism: What’s Up With That? by: Ivan http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-59332 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:53:11 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/02/09/freeganism-whats-up-with-that/#comment-59332 I am somewhat disappointed with your analysis, simply because it's quite clear that you've done little or no work speaking with the freegans in New York mentioned above. I have, and one thing I think you'll notice is that "freegan" is a broad umbrella with differing levels of engagement and intersects an anarchist community that has accomplished some inspiring things. You'll also find that the media arm of "freeganism" articulated through freegan.info is quite small, and is no particular authority. And I think that's the real problem here, both in your analysis, also the freegan.info and media framing of the community and its voices of authority. What you'll find is an array of differing strategies and necessity. Freeganism abstains from consumerism within the confines of the urban setting in New York City, but I've gained friends who have moved out of the city on sustainable farms, I wonder if you have disdain for these strategies. Like the media, you seem fascinated with dumpster diving, but (and you can take his authority for whatever you wish) Adam said to me recently "I'm sick of dumpsters, I really hope no freegan ever has to dig through a dumpster again, it's not a solution, we need sustainable solutions." I am somewhat disappointed with your analysis, simply because it’s quite clear that you’ve done little or no work speaking with the freegans in New York mentioned above.

I have, and one thing I think you’ll notice is that “freegan” is a broad umbrella with differing levels of engagement and intersects an anarchist community that has accomplished some inspiring things. You’ll also find that the media arm of “freeganism” articulated through freegan.info is quite small, and is no particular authority.

And I think that’s the real problem here, both in your analysis, also the freegan.info and media framing of the community and its voices of authority. What you’ll find is an array of differing strategies and necessity.

Freeganism abstains from consumerism within the confines of the urban setting in New York City, but I’ve gained friends who have moved out of the city on sustainable farms, I wonder if you have disdain for these strategies. Like the media, you seem fascinated with dumpster diving, but (and you can take his authority for whatever you wish) Adam said to me recently “I’m sick of dumpsters, I really hope no freegan ever has to dig through a dumpster again, it’s not a solution, we need sustainable solutions.”

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