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Henry David Thoreau would be loving Market Basket

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The power and perfection of the working man and woman – which we celebrate this Labor Day weekend – resonated loudly this week as a work stoppage and customer boycott forced the majority owners of Market Basket to cave to demands that Artie T. be returned to the helm.

Henry David Thoreau must be smiling down from above.

Of course Market Basket is not the government, and I suppose there was no “Civil Disobedience” when shoppers went to Shaw’s or Hannaford’s. I mean it wasn’t like they weren’t  paying their taxes, or refusing to wear their seat belts (Maine) or a motorcycle helmet (Massachusetts).

It might be a good time – an appropriate time – to read, or reread, Thoreau’s essay.

Among other things, he said, "That government is best which governs least."

We wonder what would have happened if Market Basket were the government. Would they have sent in the Rochester Police or the National Guard to stock produce and tend the cash registers?

Which reminds me of the Blizzard of 78. I was living in Hull, Mass., and the town was basically cut into seven islands from tidal flooding. My house was in the “Village,” at the edge of the water. The National Guard made its way down where I lived and opened the only local convenience store so residents could get some food. Guardsmen, rifles slung at their sides, began selling food for whatever prices seemed reasonable to them or the customer. A six pack of beer? $1.50. A loaf of break? 25 cents. Guardsmen tossed the money into a tin cup. Picture that at Market Basket.

But back to “Civil Disobedience.”

Imagine if the American people were as sick and fed up with their government as Market Basket shoppers were of the new regime at corporate.

Would we stick our necks out like the Market Basket giraffe for something we believe is right.

Thoreau says what is right trumps what is law.

In a perfect world the two would be synonymous.

This is not a perfect world.

But thanks to the perseverance of several hundred Market Basket warehouse and headquarters workers, the solidarity of 25,000 employees and millions of customers who shopped elsewhere, it is a better world.

That Labor Day lesson of solidarity and self will should strike a cord among all of us this weekend as we might ponder if we can positively impact our government the way we did a corporation.

Remember, we brought them to their knees. In a world where more and more feel disenfranchised and powerless, that’s powerful stuff.

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