When you are writing about the Economy, take a look at a poem called "It used to be made in America"

SAN MATEO, Calif. - April 25, 2014 - PRLog -- This is about a poem called “It used to be Made in America.”

Every businessperson should read it. Every politician should read it and every American should read it. You can see it online at www.itusedtobemadeinamerica.com and you can see it at the end of this article.

 Is manufacturing increasing or is it declining where you live? Is the glass half-empty or half-full? How many manufacturing jobs have been lost where you live? How many factories have closed down? How many schools have been closed? How many school programs have been cancelled? How many jobs have been outsourced to other countries? What are the human and economic consequences of all that outsourcing? What can be done about it? How can America bring those jobs back?

 These are the themes that run through a poem called “It Used to be Made in America” according to Robert Barrows, the author of the poem.

     “The poem is about the loss of jobs and the consequences of the outsourcing of manufacturing to other countries."

  Barrows hopes to be able to develop the poem into a variety of entertainment and business projects that could help bring more attention to the need for manufacturers and retailers to start making more of their manufacturing and purchasing decisions to offer more products that are made in America.

 He also hopes to be able to develop the poem into some country and hip-hop songs and some television and documentary film type projects about the state of manufacturing in America and the efforts to revive manufacturing in America.

  Barrows hopes that the poem can help bring a lot more attention to the situation, and he hopes that his poem “It used to be Made in America” can be used to help improve our economy by influencing marketing and manufacturing decisions, political decisions and consumer and industrial purchasing decisions to “Buy American” and to “Make it in America.”

HERE IS A COPY OF THE POEM:

"It used to be Made in America"

Copyright © 2007 by Robert M. Barrows

It used to be made in America

It used to be made in my town

It used to be made just down the street

Now they've shut that factory down

It used to be made in America

It used to be made by my friends

Now it's made for twelve cents an hour

How are you going to compete with them?

It once had a union label

It said AFL-CIO

Now it's made someplace, who knows where?

And we watched all those good jobs go.

It used to be made in America

It used to be made right here

Now you can buy it for half the price

If you've got any income to spend

It used to be paid in America

The billing was done by my friends

Now they bill it over the internet

In rupees and yuan and yen

It used to be made in America

By hard working women and men

Now we've outsourced it to who knows where

So what if it's made by children and kids again

There used to be great schools in America

There used to be schools in this town

There used to be music and sports and art

Now they've shut all those programs down

They once had good jobs in America

The land of opportunity so they said

Now you'd better start looking elsewhere

The big firms are just cutting their overhead

They used to make flags in America

Hooray for the red white and blue

Now the flags come from China,

And our dog food and toothpaste comes

From there, too

There used to be jobs in the cities

Now they're done overseas

It doesn't matter how good you are

It only matters how cheap

They used to make goods in America

Things like Cameras, TVs and Jeans

Those industries are long since gone

So now all we make are rockets

And planes and bombs

We still grow good food in America

Potatoes and grain and corn

But don't look for the local farmer

Those jobs are long since gone

We still raise beef in America

At least for a while we still do

But the drive for profits will drive those jobs overseas

And our cowboys will go there, too

There used to be jobs in America

On Wall Street and Main Street

And in all of the cities and towns

Now those opportunities are dwindling away

As we outsource our future around

One day we'll realize there ain't much left

We outsourced it all overseas

Is that what society needs?

It used to be made in America

Someday it will be made here again

The world goes in cycles of up and down

And maybe we'll make it here again

The solution to all this economy

Usually ends in a war

Tariffs and trade and protectionism

Is that what we're working for?

It used to be made in America

Don't worry, we'll still find you something

to do

For now, you'd better study real hard

Because you may have to create something new

There'll always be jobs in America

It takes work to farm it out overseas

We're in the global economy now

I hope you've got what you need!

You're on your own in America

It's always been that way

It's nothing new to worry about

And complaining won't send it away

But if you've got any voice in the matter

If you've got a choice when you can

Try to keep it made in America

You'll hold your head a lot higher if you can

It used to be made in America

It used to be made with care

Now they make it wherever they can

Try to compete if you dare

The deals overseas are way too tempting

The savings are way too dear

But the real cost we pay is far greater

It's a cost we pay for in fear

It used to be made in America

In the good old U.S. of A

But when it takes so many jobs away

It's a price I'm not willing to pay

So before I buy things I look at the label

Let's find a way to bring those jobs back

We really don't need all that junk they make overseas

Let's build our economy on the things we need

It used to be made in America

We can bring those jobs back if we try

But we can't just do it by talking

The important question is Why

The answer is really quite simple

Where there's work there's honor and pride!

It used to be made in America

We can bring it back if we try

We can bring those jobs back if we want to

We can create a new world based on hope

But the people have to want to

And the government has to act

It's time to create new programs

To develop new jobs and careers

It's time we sat down with labor

It's time we sat down with our peers

It's time to get the government going

To create new incentives for making it here

It's time for us to look at the label and

Smile because we know they're making it here!

It used to be made in America

It used to be made by my friends

Now it's time to plan for the future

And build our economy strong once again

We can do it by keeping the workforce right here

We can do it right here if we want to

But it starts with a reason to do it

And the reason to do it is clear

We live here we work here we die here

We have friends and family who care

We need the jobs here to achieve our goals

Without it, we give up our souls

So here's to the future we know how to build

We can do it if we desire

The way to compete is to find ways to

build it better

So we can say it's made right here

in America, Amen!


For more information, contact Robert Barrows at R.M. Barrows, Inc. Advertising & Public Relations at 650-344-4405.