To the Editor:

Fayette, Missouri—a thriving community that’s somewhat isolated from many of the stressors and challenges of urban America. With an appreciation for our rich and colorful history of the past 200 years, community leaders and regular citizens alike understand the importance of building toward the future—uncertain as it might seem.

With Fayette’s strong educational base, growing local businesses, one-of-a-kind newspaper, area churches, beautiful courthouse square, and university campus, there is so much here to embrace and defend. These things all make up the fabric of our community, and must be safeguarded if we are to protect a free and meaningful way of life for ourselves and our posterity.

But safeguarding and preservation of these values doesn’t just happen, it takes forethought, effort, and diligence on the part of every citizen.

The problems facing our nation, and hence our way of life, are not without tentacles in every community. They are numerous and overwhelming, and many folks feel powerless to even begin to identify and address them.

There is one issue, however, that can and must be addressed by every citizen, and that is the issue of the health and welfare of small businesses in America. The life or death of our small businesses affects every one of us.

Recent studies suggest that the concentration of business power among huge corporations has contributed to a decline in competition, a lack of business investment, and a plunge in the number of start-up firms. The presence of these corporate giants seemingly has caused depressed productivity and weaker economic growth in the U. S. In short, the ease and comfort of “armchair shopping” online, with an over-abundance of free shipping to boot, has an almost irresistible draw to shoppers who feel over-worked, overwhelmed, and just plain exhausted. When it comes to holiday shopping, they just want to “get ‘er done,” with little energy to think of their nearest local business.

As we enter into the Holiday shopping season this year, let’s breathe life-giving hope into our community by shopping locally and supporting our own Fayette business community! Let’s realize that even a few purchases won’t make a difference to the world of corporations and big box businesses, but it will mean everything to a local merchant who has invested their heart and soul into building a local brick and mortar business.

With rumors of a threatening recession on the horizon, the businesses in our community need our vote of confidence in our way of life. Granted, we may not find everything our hearts desire in the shops and boutiques of small town America, but by shopping locally, we not only encourage neighborhood businesses and young entrepreneurs (and all those in between), but we help preserve a way of life this Holiday season—and that IS well worth the effort.

Name withheld by request