It is, however, evolving. Political buttons from the '60s and '70s made their way onto it in preparation for doing some oral history seminars within South Bend's (Indiana) Clay High School: "It's never too late to have a happy childhood," "Impeach Nixxon," and "Ω." The first is self-explanatory. The second---ah how the more things remain the same---refers to Nixon's love affair with Exxon/Mobil; the "Ω" requires explanation: Ω is the Greek letter omega, and is the symbol, in the language of electricity, for resistance/impedance; the symbol was adapted by the military draft resistance movement in the '60s as a means of identity.
But that's not why I'm writing this posting . . .
Two other old buttons have won positions on the cap. "Wage Peace" has been in my collection for decades, and I lately felt it once again deserved a place. On May 1st I performed with many others at a May Day celebration at a local pub, so I revived my James Connolly pin by way of establishing that I am an international labor hero snot who knows his Irish Red labort history. Besides, it's enameled brass, and lends the hat some class.
But that's not why I'm writing this posting . . .
Three small buttons came from the Michiana Monologues 2009 night at I.U. South Bend. I.U. South Bend does it right: instead of booking a generic Vagina Monologue show, we have year-long workshops in which local women produce their own "Monologues," and I can assure you they're brilliant. So from that show came "Love the Skin You're In," "Radical Feminist," and "A Woman's Place is in the House . . . and in the Senate."
But that's not why I'm writing this posting . . .
Two union buttons joined the above this spring: "Teamsters Local 360" in South Bend is trying to unionize the maintenance workers at the South Bend Housing Authority. The Powers that Be are resisting mightily. The powers will lose, of course; this fight by the Teamsters is just. The Communication Workers ("CWA") have been working without a contract for AT&T for months. The company is trying to erode their health care benefits even though it made some $19 billion in profit last year. The outcome of that one is tough to predict but a coalition, also cooperating in the Housing Authority workers' struggle, is keeping the heat locally on the AT&T boyos wherever we can. Buttons number three and four in this corner of the cap are "Keep it made in America," and "Employee Free Choice Act." The first is obvious, "google" the second one to find out more, or go to the national Web site for Jobs with Justice to get the true scoop.
But that's not even why I write this.
I'm afraid it's drawing near time to give President Obama a clear call to reverse the course of the American Exceptionalism which has gotten us into re-makig the Middle East into our image and likeness. It won't work, it's imperialism and chauvanism of the worst kind. Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, but especially Bush II have carried forward these policies, and they squandered our national income, good will, moral high ground, and future in doing so. My beloved President Obama has shown no signs of reversing this course, and it's troubling me and hopefully you too. Time to show him what those who worked so hard to elect him--myself among them--feel about this imperialist crap.
#2 I'm sick to death of bailing out fat cats. Geitner and his ilk who are doing nothing for me but taking my money and giving it to rich people, need to go, go, go, and fast. We need to push a "People's Bailout."
#3 I have a cataract in my dominant eye that will not go away 'til I throw some serious money at it. I have carpal tunnel in both my wrists--the left one worse, my fiddle finger hand--and it requires some serious money I also don't have. I fear the whimpy health caare proposals coming out of the Obama Administration, and I want something with some real TEETH, such as a "single payer" plan, that get's the profit motive out of the health care provider industry.
It's time to march again. We gotta all show up in D.C. on some fine day, the sooner the better.
Schools are going downhill. We can't pay for adventures in Afghanipak and pay for good schools; let alone accessable college educations.
It's time to march again.
Racism and hate are on the rise. I received two enclosures this week which I was asked to read and pass on. From a priest, yet. They were hate mail, one ostensibly directed at "pedophiles," but really directed at gays; one "anti-terrorist," but really directed at "Obama is a terrorist Muslim Jew-hater." These babies are going down to the Southern Poverty Law Center. But . . .
With all the good things we have to accomplish through the vehicle of ending our involvement in Afghanipak, coupled with the now ferocious (What do you expect after eight years of Bush!) onslaught of the right to recapture the vocabulary of the discourse, we have to get tough. Show our collective muscle.
That means marching. In D.C.
- Marching to remind the Democratic Party of how strong we are and how sdick of whimpy "centrist" solutions, which are only centrist because the right wing has pulled the public discourse so far to the right that "right" is the new "center."
- Marching to remind the nation that racism is stronger than ever and gaining ground. Marching to hold President Obama's feet to the fire on all those campaign promises that are now dead leaves in the breeze; like peace; like the right to organize.
- Marching for the right of ALL to the legal benefits of marriage.
- Marching for an end to American exceptionalism.
- Marching for a universal declaration of human rights. Hey, come to think of it, we already have one--since 1984! Let's start paying attention to it.
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