Readers Write: We should not be fighting change

The Island Now

The message this year, we perhaps hear far to often is “Make America Great Again”.
I realize that this message can have many different meanings and applications.
As a long time resident of North Hempstead, I remember when shopping downtown in Great Neck, Manhasset or other communities meant thriving shops, with all kinds of businesses, from hardware, five and dime to four star restaurants.
Then there was change; not necessarily progress, but change never the less. We, as a society changed; we became more mobile; more accessibility to areas beyond our immediate shopping neighborhoods.
Changes to our shopping neighborhoods and habits began as the downtowns started to change, first, the types of stores and services available and now to many closed stores.
Many now shop on line, for various reasons; perhaps for economic benefit, as well as for convenience.
Remember, we shopped within blocks of our neighborhood and now as result of the internet, no more parking problems, no more use of a car and related costs; just go on line and shop.
Shopping can be as simple as shopping from your desk, for a variety of goods and services.
Does one wonder why a Macy’s is closing stores, why Best Buy is closing stores and why the downtown areas have so many vacancies, why stores like Saks has just one store on Long Island for almost three million people.
Even with Wal-Mart and Target, Amazon and other on line stores have proven shopping downtown and in Malls have changed.
Can revitalizing our downtown, shopping really make America great again.
Will more manufacturing in the United States and the possible related pollution of our waterways and air (remember manufacturing along the Hudson was common as was pollution) and selling more costly goods and services, make “Make America Great Again”?  
Is burning dirty fuel going to Make America Great Again?
The auto industry has changed, they are more designers, assemblers, and marketing companies rather than manufacturing companies, it has been more cost efficient to outsource manufacturing of many of the components that make up a finished automobile.
Our economy is based on spending and shopping at businesses like Wal-Mart and Amazon, not everyone can shop at Saks or Bloomingdales, how do we change to buy “only” Made in America goods and services.
Will pensions and social security and other fixed income need to be increased substantially, will salaries increase across the board to cover the higher cost of labor, utilities and other costs related to Made in America or will paying our domestic labor force less to be competitive and therefore making Made in America not affordable to the very people who manufacture and live in the United States?
Evolution of our resources to change will make America greater, as there is no Greater Country then ours and we shouldn’t let anyone fool us into thinking differently.
“United we stand, divided we fall.”
The cry to make America great again fails on ALL accounts to consider the domino effect of altering our current economy and way of life.
The world is changing and it’s changing rapidly and we must understand and accept these advancements.
Charles Schneider
North Hempstead

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