Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: A Great Change in Washington

This past Monday something of great significance occurred.

Although most would find the earthquake as the major news citing this week, for many though, the real earthquake of significance was the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which opened Monday morning.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Memorial in Washington, DC

It’s a quiet shake in the arrangement of Washington’s National Mall where a person not of political agenda, but of a spiritual rising took a seat in-between the Nation’s two most historically prominent elite.

“From a geometrical standpoint it’s on a direct line between the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial. The brains and essence of our country (Thomas Jefferson), and Abe Lincoln, the greater uniter,” said Bill Line, spokesman for the National Park Service in an interview with Reuters.

I find it quite comforting that Dr. King sits nestled on the grounds of our memorialized fore fathers, whom outlined a new land that’s constantly sought reform from its vastly evolving people.

To bring a spiritual leader, one who fought for basic civil rights, with no party affiliation, corporate lobbyists in his ear, Martin Luther King Jr. continually shows the American people what to stand up for, whether it is race, or justice of another kind.

Our country still fights racism, but that battle seems surely won as the years pass, the greatest representation Dr. King shows today (and then), that having a dream and seeing it fulfilled has endless possibility with the power residing in the human spirit.

Today our fight in America remains one of justice, mainly between Washington politics and “the people” who work hard in its land trying to survive and wish for better days in domestic economic success.

It’s refreshing to know a man of such caliber and freedom sits at our Nation’s epicenter, and as he says in this video below, we must not worry, the promised land continues to become more present.

We thank you Dr. King, your lessons remain current, even as the times change.

What Our Customers Say About Us

At Manchester Wood, we blog much about the positive effects behind buying American made furniture and the high quality product that we as a brand deliver. This week, we decided we’d like to let our loyal customer base speak for us through their reviews online to the emails we’ve received.

We hope their kind and supportive words will help you in deciding to buy from Manchester Wood for an American made hand crafted solid wood furniture item.

Many thanks, and blessings to you, also.

—

“Our chair arrived yesterday – thanks for the quick shipping and quality workmanship – my husband put it together in about 15 minutes – no missing parts, everything fit perfectly, no frustration, no swearing, a surprisingly pleasant experience!!  And the chair is great!  Thanks again!”

“Arrived in 48 hrs, great service and high quality– would buy more!”

“This is a high quality piece of furniture. Assembly instructions were easy to follow. The wood is beautiful, and the desk is a great addition to the room where it’s placed. I’m using it for an extra large computer monitor, and there’s enough room to place the speakers on either side. The drawer opens and closes easily.”

“I had hoped that it would be sturdy and as attractive as it appears to be in the photo online. It’s both! If you’re on this fence, I’d strongly recommend that you buy it, and I expect you’ll be as pleased with it as I am.”

“Customer service was outstanding, and the delivery was prompt.”

“Thrilled with quality and shipped same day I ordered it.”

“Purchased this table unfinished so I could stain it to match my other furniture. Great quality and solid ash construction (no veneers). Came well packaged and fast shipping. Worth the price in my opinion for solid wood.very nice.”

“Just received the 2 that I purchased and are perfect for the area that we have. Craftsmanship is much more than I expected and looking forward to doing more business with this company. Thank you for the speedy order and the way it was packaged and delivered to our door.”

“We purchased this Chairside table for my Mom to put next to recliner. It is perfect it has all the storage she needs and it is level with her chair so it is perfect. We are very pleased with the quality and craftsmanship of the work on the table. I highly recommend this table.”

“I just bought this table for a night stand. It is perfect. Great quality. Thanks for a great piece of furniture.”

“Fantastic customer service and a great product.”

To view our online collection, click here.

Material Waste: The Age of Throwaway Furniture

Can you imagine a day where popular shows like Antique Roadshow and American Pickers have too few items to uncover for broadcast? We might not be far off.

It used to be poor and middle-class families that carried the most rugged heirloom items; passing from generation to generation, but today our low and middle-income houses buy cheap, throwaway items that last only a few years. The resolution is to then purchase another cheap throwaway to suffice for a couple more years.

America will find a day where “the people,” meaning the general populous– the box store shoppers, the corporate victims– will awaken to what they’ve become, a tool to enrich a select few percent with no moral bounds and profit margins gleaming in their eyes.

The price, the catch to my spiel, and a good point nonetheless.

The truth is the cost of most furniture at box stores is CHEAP compared to Manchester Wood, sometimes even a ¼ of the listed tag price – BUT, it isn’t solid wood. It’s particleboard, or another cheap concoction that’s not only poor quality for you, but for the environment as well with endless amounts ending up in landfills across the country.

Manchester Wood has sold this tray table set since it's inception back in 1976. It continues to be a customer favorite, and an early product that's initial sets are currently entering a proven generational longevity.

At Manchester Wood we make products that are still holding in great condition from the beginning years of our inception. A loyal customer base that expresses their excitement on our heirloom quality, furniture that one day we hope arrives on an antique show.

We produce all our furniture with solid wood, cut from trees not far from our homes. Providing longevity and diversity—you can even paint and re-work our furniture, a cheap particleboard item gives you little to work with.

There are a million reasons why you should buy American made, and why you should buy furniture from Manchester Wood. We’ll end it on the price discussion, as we understand that weighs heavy on decisions, especially in a tough economy…

If you buy a product a ¼ the price of a Manchester Wood product, not only will you not get solid wood, but you’ll also get an item that you’ll easily have to replace several times over. We believe if you buy our product, in the long run it saves you a substantial amount of money, and a commitment to quality, responsibility for environment, and socially, as we enter an era of unmasking those placing much of America in unrest.

To view our honest, handcrafted, American made furniture, please visit: www.manchesterwood.com

The “American Working Man”

Johnny, a true American, cleans paint gun parts as we wrap up a day of finishing at Manchester Wood.

When one thing slows, another begins to flow, and with a continual slowing economy and Washington politics at a revolutionary stage, the people in “power” are to blame for much of the everyday man’s economic distress. With loose trade agreements, lobbyists with executive deals in mind, and politicians following Wall Street’s bottom line, it’s left the “American Working Man” out of a job — funny even to say “American Working Man” these days; the phrase becomes more ancient as they steadily pass.

This has left much of American small business, especially blue collar jobs, to fend for themselves; a faction that although can immediately be drowned out in a room, becomes the most important factor during the hard times.

Manchester Wood would like to take this blog post to thank ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, Today in America with Terry Bradshaw, AmericansWorking.com, MadeinUSA.org, StillMadeinUSA.com, and the others who have spoken in support and/or have showcased our products. Thanks to these folks American business has a voice and a potential awakening factor to the mainstream American consumer.