I saw a very sad news report last night. It wasn't directly related to the recent terrorist attacks on the United States, but closer to the subsequent upping of security at our nation's borders.

Workers at a Ford assembly plant in Detroit couldn't work and had to go home because the parts of the vehicles that they assemble were stuck at the border in customs. See, the parts are made in Mexico now, part of that whole NAFTA thing a few year back. We don't build the cars in the US, we just put them together. NAFTA is once again screwing our American workforce.

In a time of already high unemployment, and with the stock market becoming a mess, times are tough in the United States. But in the past week people and companies have made great donations to the Red Cross and other funds for the terrorist attack victims and their families. This is great. Americans looking out for Americans.

And right now more people are flying the American flag than at any Fourth of July or Memorial Day which I remember in my lifetime (although, to be fair I was alive during the 1976 Bicentennial - but I was only three months old, so I don't remember it. Seen photos, though!) Also great, Americans taking pride in America.

Now I don't want to get all Ross Perot on you here, but wouldn't it be nice if, in this Nation's sudden upswing of patriotism and charity, we could make some lasting changes?

How about in lieu of further donations, people in the United States could be more conscious of the brands that they purchase. To be honest with you, most of the time I buy the cheapest household products at the store. Instead of a product "Made in the USA" I'm buying something made overseas or in Mexico. This is, indirectly, hurting the United States. What if each time we went shopping we spent a little bit more and bought "Made in the USA" products? A mop or broom, backpack or notebook - we'd be expressing our patriotism in a much more useful manner than just flying a flag out of our car window. We'd be helping other Americans and our economy, and I think it'd feel good.

- Josh Edwards