OPINION

THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 12, 2021

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Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@timespublications.com

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Worst state? Hardly, when you look at the facts

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ

Tribune Columnist

You live in Arizona for a few decades, you get used to our state’s inferiority complex: Reporters and residents here love to bash the place. I’ve never lived anywhere that so reveled in national studies and stories calling out its glaring shortcomings.

Some headlines ripped from the pages of real life:

“Arizona Ranked One of the Worst States to Raise a Family, According to New Study.” And: “Arizona Ranked Worst State in the Country for Teachers.” And: “Arizona Ranks Worst in the Country for Food Waste.”

The coup de grace, as determined by CNBC in July: “Desert in Distress? New Study Ranks Arizona as Worst Place to Live in 2021.”

Memo to CNBC: I checked the primetime ratings for all TV networks. Don’t feel bad about finishing 62nd, one spot ahead of the Motor Trend channel. You did pull 249,000 viewers at peak viewing time. In a country of 330 million people, that’s a whole lot of upside.

Anyway, rather than celebrate Arizona’s perpetual worstness, I’m here today with some uplifting news.

It’s likely you’ve been hearing that our country is in the midst of a national homicide epidemic, with the murder rate spiking about 30 percent in 2020. In the last few days, a dozen major American cities have set new annual records for killings – with three weeks remaining in 2021. In Philly, Indianapolis, Portland, and Louisville, folks are murdering one another like crazy. Even Tucson – which I’ve always considered merely boring – set a new record for homicides in the year, with 80 murders as of Dec. 7. Given Arizona’s affinity for guns, you’re probably thinking, well, we must be atop the state list? Nope.

The homicide rate in Arizona jumped 30 percent between 2019 and last year. But – and it’s a big but – that’s merely average. In South Dakota, the murder literally tripled over the same time span. It spiked 66 percent in Wisconsin and 54 percent in both Georgia and Delaware. Pennsylvania saw murders jump by 49 percent.

At the end of the day, Arizona’s murder rate of 6.9 intentional killings per 100,000 residents ranks a mere 22nd out of the 50 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

That’s right about the middle of the pack. A solid C. Ordinary. Who would’ve thought?

How do I explain this ranking? In two ways.

First, as one of the fastest-growing states in the country, Arizona has added about 800,000 new residents over the past decade. Our homicidal maniacs and gun loons can’t keep up with all the moving vans and California transplants.

My second explanation is slightly more complicated. In big cities around the U.S., there has been a push to demonize police officers and defund police departments, an absurd movement that has attracted support in Tucson (see earlier paragraph), Phoenix (where homicides jumped 44 percent between 2019 and last year) and Tempe (which logged eight murders in both 2019 and 2020. The rest of Arizona has mostly rejected such nonsense, perhaps because most Arizonans have some common sense: We understand law enforcement is not perfect and should be both supported for the good it does and held accountable for its flaws and bad actors.

But communities – or a nation – that spend years screeching about evil cops should not be surprised when actual murderous evil takes root in place of the many quality officers who have found themselves under attack.

The moral to the story? Arizona is actually a fine place to live. Comparatively low taxes, solid economy, rising home values, incomparable weather. The Copper State is killing it. Just not like they’ve been killing it lately in South Dakota and Wisconsin. ■

Age is just a number – except to the ‘woke’

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

Age. Encounter that word in any crossword puzzle, and its letters only fill three spaces.

Talk about its effects in real life and it becomes a “four letter word.”

George Bernard Shaw famously observed that “youth is wasted on the young.”

He recognized the enormous amount of untapped potential still present in those living “past their prime.”

History offers some examples worth remembering.

Winston Churchill did not become Prime Minister of Great Britain until he was 65, leading his nation through World War II and forging a grand alliance with the United States that led to a remarkable victory. Sixty-five was also the age of a one-time motel owner who used his monthly Social Security check of $105 to buy a white suit, wear it with a string tie, lay claim to an honorific from his home state, and start franchising what is now a fast food favorite.

Along the way, Colonel Harland Sanders concocted a “secret recipe” with 11 herbs and spices, but the real recipe for his success with Kentucky Fried Chicken was his own considerable life experience.

Far from the cliffs of Dover and the hills of Kentucky, a woman was further advanced in years than either Churchill or Sanders when her country called her back into government service. Golda Meir was 70 when she became Israel’s prime minister.

And back in this country, it’s worth noting that the two most recent occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue were both septuagenarians when they took up residency in the White House.

A newly-minted senior’s aspirations may not include high political office or a fast food fortune; instead they may simply be seeking work in their chosen profession past age 50.

If so, they could very well confront a professional paradox. Several jobs may remain unfilled, yet an application is turned down by a Human Resources functionary with an email that calls the applicant “overqualified.” “Overqualified” really means “over the hill.”

It’s rare these days to even receive the courtesy of a response; instead, most HR Departments simply acknowledge receipt of the resume and a promise to get back in touch if they have any interest.

Think of it as the internet version of “don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

Occasionally, empowered HR executives will call attention to their new approach for screening job candidates.

At an area Chamber of Commerce social gathering not so long ago, a female human resources chief bragged that “when we get a resume from a white man over 50, it goes straight in the trash.”

Sure, that HR Director may have had one wine spritzer too many—but in this instance it served as a type of truth serum.

And the truth is that “wokeness” now prevails in the workplace.

“Equity” has replaced “equality.”

And “equity” demands vengeance.

THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 12, 2021

OPINION Fashion is distorting our perceptions of sustainability

BY EMILY LADEWIG Tribune Guest Writer

As we expand our collective knowledge of sustainability and how our daily practices are detrimental to the planet’s health, we might focus on the more outright or intense environmental problems: CO2 emissions, agriculture, single-use plastic, etc. If these issues are of concern to you, congrats- you’re in the majority: 77 percent of US adults consider themselves “particularly concerned” about protecting the environment.

Let me pose another question. Have you ever purchased an item of clothing from a store, say, in a mall, such as Nike, Zara, or H&M? If yes, you are part of the majority, again. Just 20 fashion brands make up 97 percent of the global economic profit in the garment sector, most of which dominate commercial and digital retail outlets worldwide- and many of which are some of the cheapest options available. Most of these brands have something in common: volume-based, price-based, speedbased clothing: AKA, fast fashion.

If you haven’t heard this term before, it’s time to get to know it well. Fast fashion makes up the vast majority of our wardrobes, with 88 percent of US consumers now preferring it as their main clothing source.

This term refers to a business model that prioritizes cheap production and sourcing, rapid trend replication, and shortened renewal cycles- in simpler terms, putting trendy, cheap clothes in the hands of literally any consumer. At this point, you might be able to guess why its popularity has skyrocketed. Companies like Forever 21 and Shein can replicate designer trends in the blink of an eye and at a fraction of the price. And who doesn’t want to pay next to nothing for the most popular styles?

But don’t stop reading yet if you’re thinking, this doesn’t apply to me, though. I don’t shop at Forever 21. Here’s why it does: fast fashion doesn’t just include those brands recognized to have the cheapest clothing known to mankind, and non-fast-fashion isn’t just “$100 organic natural cotton designer recycled” t-shirts, either. The fashion industry entirely has changed.

Many brands that employ some of the same detrimental practices as the more well-known fast fashion companies don’t reflect this on their price tags. Urban Outfitters, Lululemon, Aritzia, and Gymshark all charge substantially higher prices for their garments than Uniqlo or Forever 21- but receive environmental ratings that are just as low.

These brands might boast sustainability, yet continue producing prodigious amounts of waste, using hazardous chemicals, harming animals, and/or underpaying workers. These high prices despite low environmental standards can make it nearly impossible for the everyday consumer to distinguish fast fashion from others, as markets expand now to affluent demographics as well as lower-budget ones.

This doesn’t just pose problems for the environment, it’s a serious social and ethical dilemma.

This complicated consumer-producer dynamic goes to show how deeply integrated and virtually inescapable the fast fashion system is in our consumerist world. Every demographic can be taken advantage of, and the power of these companies grows every second – especially with the increased prevalence of “greenwashing.”

But the worst part about all of this? Buying sustainably isn’t easy, nor desirable, for the majority of people. The low prices of most fast fashion brands makes sustainable options pale in comparison, which are also few and far between.

This doesn’t mean there isn’t anything we can do, though. Conservatively buying second-hand, from thrift shops or online retailers like The Real Real or Depop, can steer us away from constantly buying new clothing (while still spending less). Spreading the word and making informed choices can be made easier by websites like Good On You and The Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

But most importantly, resisting the urge to follow constant trends or repurchase new clothes as often as most people do may be our best bet. Invest in high-quality, versatile pieces- and you may just end up more satisfied.

HAYWORTH from page 20

Today’s 50-year old male was an entry level employee when the “Old Boys Club” of company executives obstructed or perhaps even harassed young female workers. Maybe that happened to the aforementioned female HR director.

Whatever the case, one prominent business website features entry after entry from female executives bemoaning the old days and emphasizing that they’ve “paid their dues.”

But many of their former male colleagues now find themselves paying dues for a “club” to which they never belonged. Reparations are not paid in cash; instead the cost comes in unrealized income for these now-unemployed senior professionals. These men may eventually find work in a service industry – maybe retail or fast food. (Kentucky Fried Chicken, anyone?)

It’s either that – or stay home and try to solve crossword puzzles. ■

Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@ timespublications.com

Ahwatukee native Emily Ladewig is studying sustainability, fashion and business at Arizona State University. ■

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