Chop Wood, Carry Apologies
Hi, all.
I want to address a comment I received after posting today’s newsletter. A subscriber wrote to say that my “Amazon-bashing” felt insensitive to her as a member of the mobility impaired community. In retrospect this is quite understandable, and for that I apologize. I know well that for a certain segment of the population—the other-abled included—Amazon has been a Godsend. So let me be clear: I am delighted that a service exists to bring affordable items to folks who struggle to get to the store. I love Amazon’s convenience as well; while I am able to go without it I recognize that many are not so lucky. That was important to mention, and I regret not doing so.
If you are a part of the mobility-impaired community and were offended by my comments please accept my regrets. The fact of an Amazon-like business, despite its flaws, is a miracle and improves countless lives. Few things are black or white, and this is an excellent example of something that exists in a grey area. I’ll try to be more careful in my language going forward, and I hope you’ll accept my apologies.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
This is lovely, Jessica. I hope your reader understands.
There are many companies that do what Amazon does, but far less now because Amazon's business model is to drive others out of business or make them advertise their products on their page for a fee. I can order groceries directly from the grocery store or order those same groceries from that store through Amazon and decrease the profit margin of the store owners so there are certainly options - same goes with clothing, home goods and a variety of accessories. So yes, Amazon is a wonderful service for folks that need things quick and easy but there are alternatives and they aren't hard to access.
Saying this as a mom of a disabled adult,
Anne