This essay was originally published in Dissent magazine (Winter 2006). Since it’s no longer easily available online, I’m reposting it here. It’s safe to say the issues raised in this investigative report about what it means to be a socially responsible business (or not) remain as timely as ever. You can also read below a follow-up debate on
It is the fall of 1967. My father’s new job with the Hoover Ball & Bearing Co. takes our family from the Chicago suburbs to Ann Arbor, Michigan. The move means moving to a university town as liberal and lively as suburban Elmhurst is sloth-like and conservative. My two years in Michigan will open my
Years ago I read a story in one of the personals columns of a Chicago newspaper about a young woman’s experience at a singles dance. The woman, who described herself as overweight, had gone to the dance with a positive attitude, hoping to meet some new people. Unfortunately, she was only there a short time
In 1989 I drove from San Francisco to visit the Napa Valley an hour and a half north. On my itinerary was a visit to the Glen Ellen Winery and the nearby Jack London State Park. I was also eager to visit the Jack London Bookstore located in the small town of Glen Ellen a
It didn’t take a Secret Service visit this past spring to know (off-his) rocker Ted Nugent wasn’t really threatening President Obama when he declared he’d “either be dead or in jail by this time next year” if the President was re-elected. Actually, it’s more likely next year Nugent will just be playing another gig at
MARK HARRIS 