Liberals Don't Like Football?

Minnie Bee's Rant:

     Today being "Super Bowl Sunday," I thought I would address the idea that "liberals" don't like football.  Does this even make sense?  Football plays many important roles.  First and foremost,  for the many kids who play football, it builds character, leadership, cooperation, responsibility, and focus.  Second, football is entertaining.  Third, and most important for this blog, football is good for the economy.  Football games, and the sports stadiums where they are played, create and maintain local jobs.  Football broadcasts, reporting, advertising, and a few products, create and maintain American jobs.  Finally, football is a uniquely American sport.   So what's not to like about football, and why don't liberals like it?  Or is this claim even true?

     To be sure, there are some negatives about football.  Relative to some other sports, it is a violent game.  Players get hurt - sometimes, permanently injured or even killed.  Players are often overpaid and overly celebrated, and being human, some players start to think that the laws of society don't apply to them.  As we have recently seen, coaches are human, too, and some of them make serious mistakes.  But why would "liberals," more than other groups of people, dislike football?    And on what do  Republican politicians base this belief? 

     Perhaps Republican politicians associate liberalism with being anti-war and pro-gun control, and therefore, anti-gun and anti-war, and therefore, anti-violence, and therefore, anti-football.  Liberals, in general, are not necessarily anti-gun or anti-war, they are just more...well, conservative, when it comes to thinking that everyone should be able to run out and buy automatic assault weapons, or that we should jump into a war without trying like hell to settle our differences peacefully first.  These beliefs, however, do not translate into being anti-football.

     Perhaps Republican politicians associate liberalism with being anti-business and pro-environment, and therefore, pro-regulation and pro-tax, and anti-job creation, and therefore, anti-football.  Liberals love business, and love to make money as well as the next person.  They are just a little more...well, conservative, when it comes to believing that it's alright to conduct business without thinking about the consequences of business practices on the health and welfare of employees, the American economy, and the American people.  These beliefs, however, do not translate into being anti-football.

     Perhaps Republican politicians associate liberalism with being anti-U.S. Constitution and pro-social programs, and therefore, pro-Socialist and anti-American, and therefore, anti-football.  Liberals love their country as much as any American.  They are just a little more...well, conservative, when it comes to believing that as a nation, we should leave the poorest among us to survive or die without any help from their country, or believing that, depending on a person's race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, not everyone deserves to be treated with equal dignity, equal rights, and equal opportunity in the United States.  These beliefs, however, do not translate into being anti-football.

    In truth, I have been unable to find a verifiable, credible study or survey about the attitudes of liberals toward football versus the attitudes of conservatives toward football - leading me to believe that the idea that liberals don't like football is a politicized myth.  This seems even more true to me because I am a liberal woman, I like football, and my husband is a liberal and a football coach.  On this 46th Super Bowl, no matter who you're rooting for,  enjoy the game, remember that we're all Americans, and root for the U.S.A.

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We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy Made in USA goods and products.  Check out our shopping list below and replace one, two, or three of the foreign-made products you usually buy with one, two, or three of these products.  As always, check labels before buying, and feel free to post your own research to this blog. Remember, "distributed by" or "manufactured by" does not mean that it was made here, regardless of the company address. It must state that it was made in or a product of the USA!  

NOTE:  NEW POST DATE (REALLY!): TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21st.  Enjoy President's Day and create jobs with your shopping cart if you're taking advantage of those sales! (I know, hard to do when it comes to clothes and shoes.)

Our "Made in USA" Shopping List:

Beverages

·         Inko's 100% Natural White Iced Tea - Made in USA by Inko's White Iced Tea, New York, NY

Candy

·         Necco Wafers, Clark Bars, Mighty Malt Malted Milk Balls, Mary Janes, Canada Mints, Valentine Conversation Hearts and other candy products - Made in USA by New England Confectionery Co. (NECCO), Revere, MA

·         AmeriCandy - Made in USA by AmeriCandy Co., Inc., Louisville, KY

·         Bissinger's Candy - Made in USA by Bissinger's, St. Louis, MO

·         Hammond's Candies - Made in USA by Hammond's Candy Factory, Denver, CO

·         See's Candies - Made in USA by See's Candy Shops, Inc., Carson, CA

·         Stewart Candy - Made in USA by Stewart Candy Co., Waycross, GA

·         Sweet's Candy - Made in USA by Sweet Candy Co., Salt Lake City, UT

·         Wolfgang Candy - Made in USA by Wolfgang Candy Co., Inc., York, PA

·         Red Vines - Product of USA by American Licorice Co., Union City, CA

·         Mike & Ike, Hot Tamales - Made in USA by Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA

Canned Vegetables

·         Margaret Holmes canned vegetables - Product of USA by McCall Farms, Effingham, SC

·         Del Monte canned vegetables (check labels, not all cans bear the "packed in USA" statement!) - Packed in USA by Del Monte Foods, San Francisco, CA

Cereal (Hot)

·         Safeway Instant Oatmeal - Made in USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Maypo Maple Oatmeal and Wheatena hot cereal - Made in USA by Homestat Farm, Ltd., Dublin, CA

·         Old Wessex Creamy Oat Bran, Irish-Style Oatmeal, and 5-Grain Cereal - Made in USA by Old Wessex, Inc., Providence, RI

·         Nature's Path Hot Oatmeal - Made in USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

Cereal Bars

·         Eating Right Oats & Peanut Butter Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

·         Safeway Variety Pack Chewy Granola Bars, Safeway Chewy Pretzel Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

·         Eviro Kidz Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

·         Annie's Organic Granola Bars - Product of USA by Annie's, Berkeley, CA

·         Nature's Path Granola Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

Cheese

·         Sargento's cheese - Product of USA by Sargento Foods, Inc., Plymouth, WI

Coffee

·         New England Coffee - Made in USA by New England Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., Malden, MA

Coffee Creamer

·         Silk Creamer - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, salsa, BBQ sauces & marinades)

·         Original Juan Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce, Salsa – Made in USA by Original Juan Specialty Foods, Kansas City, KS

·         French's Mustard - Made in USA by French's Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Inc., Parsippany, NJ

·         Heinz Tomato Ketchup ((check labels, not all bottles bear the "Mfd. in USA" statement!) - Manufactured in USA by H.J. Heinz Co., L.P., Pittsburgh, PA

Cooking Oil

·         California Olive Ranch Olive Oil - Product of California, USA by California Olive Ranch, Inc., Oroville, CA

Cookies

·         *Safeway Chocolate Teddy Bear Cookies, Grin & Bear It! - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         *Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baked Graham Snacks (all flavors) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

Crackers

·         Pepperidge Farm (all crackers, Goldfish crackers, and crisps) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

·         Westminster Crackers - Made in USA by Westminster Cracker Co., Rutland, VT 

·         Ry-Krisp Crackers - Made in USA by Bremner Food Group, Princeton, KY

·         Breton crackers (all except Vinta and Breton Minis) - Made in USA by Dare Foods USA, Spartanburg, SC

·         Streit's matzo -  Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

Dips, Hummus

·         Sabra Hummus -Product of USA by Sabra Dipping Co., LLC, White Plains, NY

Dried Fruit

·         Craisins - Made in the USA by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville-Middleboro, MA

Fruits and Vegetables

·         Fruits and vegetables that are "Product of USA," including "locally grown" fruits and vegetables (as they come into season.)

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

·         All Natural Veggie Wash Fruit and Vegetable Wash - Made in USA by Beaumont Products, Inc., Kennesaw, GA

Mac n' Cheese

·         Annie's Macaroni and Cheese - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa CA

Meals/Frozen Dinners

·         Annie's Skillet Meals - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

Milk and Milk Products

·         Silk Soymilk - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

Paper Products

·         Vanity Fair Premium Napkins -  Made in USA by Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, LP, Atlanta, GA

·         up & up paper plates, bowls - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Pizza, Frozen

·         Freschetta Pizza, Red Baron Pizza - Made in USA by Schwan Food Co., Marshall, MN

Power Bars

·         Eating Right Nutrition Bar - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Kind and Kind Plus Fruit and Nut Bars - Product of Kind Healthy Snacks, New York, NY

Salad Dressing

·         Annie's Salad Dressing - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

·         Bragg Healthy Vinaigrette - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

Snacks

·         popchips - Made in USA by popchips, San Francisco, CA

·         Pretzel Crisps - Made in USA by Snack Factory, Princeton, NJ

·         Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, Baked Naturals, cracker chips - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farm, Inc., Norwalk, CN

·         Stacy's Pita Chips - Made in USA by Stacy's Pita Chips, Dallas, TX

Soups, canned and packets

·         Nature's Promise "Naturals" soup - Product of USA by Foodhold USA, LLC, Landover, MD

·         Campbell's Chunky, Select Harvest, and Condensed soups (canned and microwaveable) - Cooked in USA by Campbell's Soup Co., Camden, NJ

·         Shore Lunch soup mix - Made in USA by Sportsman Recipes, Inc., Rome, GA

·         Streit's Matzo Ball and Soup mix, and Egg Drop soup mix - Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

·         Manischewitz Ball Soup, and Matzo Balls in Broth (canned in glass jars), and Matzo Ball and Soup mix - Product of USA by The Manischewitz Co., Secaucus, NJ

·         Safeway soup mix - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA 

Soup Bowls and Cups

·         Maruchan Ramen, Instant Lunch, and Yakisoba soups - Made in USA by Maruchan, Inc., Irvine, CA

·         Annie Chun's soup bowls - Product of USA by Annie Chun, Inc., San Rafael, CA

·         Eating Right soup cups - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Dr. McDougall's soup cups - Product of USA by Dr. McDougall's Right Foods, San Francisco, CA

Soup Stocks

·         Kitchen Basics Vegetable, Chicken, Seafood, and Beef cooking stock - Product of USA by Kitchen Basics, Brecksville, OH

Storage Bags and Wraps

·         Glad Press'n Seal - Made in USA by The Glad Products Co., Oakland, CA

·         up & up storage bags - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

·         up & up aluminum foil - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Syrup

·         locally-made syrups - Made in USA by farms in VT, NY and PA

·         Archer Farms Pure Maple Syrup - Product of USA and Canada by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

·         Wegman's Organic Maple Syrup - Product of USA and Canada by Wegman's Food Markets, Inc., Rochester, NY

Toaster Pastries

·         Nature's Path Toaster Pastries - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

·         Pantry Essentials Toaster Pastries - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Vinegar

·         Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

* = new recommendation