Labor
Day.
Around Memorial Day this year I wrote the blog, “Where
are the Children,” then the next month I wrote “Cages.”
It became known that children were being taken from
their parents at our border, placed in detention centers and the littlest ones
in cages. It took awhile to find out the truth, to find people who were outraged,
and to find people with power to begin the process of reunification. It’s still
not done. Another month will begin with hundreds of children and parents still separated.
Reports of abuse are drifting out of these centers. Pictures of toddlers who don’t
recognize their parents are heartbreaking.
For anyone who says they are sick of this story, it’s not
going to go away. This is America today, and this will be part of our ugly American
history. This story will live forever in the destroyed lives of the trodden-down
and the powerless.
So, here we are this Labor Day weekend.
If you google Labor Day this is what you find:
"Labor
Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is
dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It
constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to
the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."
Whether we go to work in yoga pants and a tank top
covered in baby food peaches, a tailored dress, medical technician scrubs, a
police uniform, a suit and tie, or cargo shorts and a T-shirt, we are part of
the American workforce. Congratulations. Thank you. You’re welcome.
The strength we
give to the country is not merely the backbone of our society, it is the full
skeleton, muscle mass, and tough skin that supports one and all.
Almost all.
The prosperity we
contribute is through creating, building, teaching, selling, buying, and giving.
Prosperity for one and all.
Well, almost all.
Laws
have been formed to protect our hours of work. Our workplace environments. The
age when we can legally work. Safety and protection for one and all.
Mainly all.
We contribute
to the well-being of our land by finding a place to use our time to make
something out of nothing. Create a new strategy. Teach something to someone who
doesn’t know. Learn something new from someone wiser. Buy. Sell. Even working
for free. To help the well-being of those who need to be well.
So, here’s the thing. There are still places that
aren’t fair to their employees. There are still places that don’t pay a living
wage. There are still places where power is abused in terrible ways. There are
people who try to find a job but can’t. There are some people who don’t look
for a job because they’ve tried and been rejected. There are some people who
are incapable of working by no fault of their own. And some have retired from
long careers of working hard.
Do strength, prosperity, laws and well-being belong to
all?
It’s interesting to me that the President of the United
States decided that federal workers will NOT get a raise come January. A raise
they had been promised. Apparently, there’s not enough money in the budget. What
a shame. People who spend their days serving this country have to go without a
raise next year because we’re out of money.
It seems like the rich are getting richer. No, I’m
sorry, the rich ARE getting richer. But we’re a country all out of money. So,
for those who aren’t necessarily seeing mind-boggling prosperity…
I’d like to give a shout out to teachers. Hey! Since I
am related to some of you, and some of you are personal friends, I think if the
government can’t afford a promised raise to their own employees, they certainly
should not be purchasing deadly weapons, such as guns, for each of you. That
would be stupid. Maybe instead of guns, they could give YOU a raise. Or maybe some supplies. How are you doing with
supplies? Do you have everything you need for your classroom? Are you able to
teach our children without concern? Are you making a living wage? You should definitely
be paid more than you are being paid. I know that for a fact. We put our
children in your care every day. You are teaching the next generation. How
about no guns, more computers? Thank you for what you do for our kids and our
future.
Hi, nurses. Thank you for caring for us and our
physical well-being. Thank you for working a gazillion hours and never quite
being paid what you’re worth. Thank you especially to the ones who go the extra
mile by returning phone calls, spending longer than the allotted fifteen
minutes with a distressed or confused patient, and learning a new EMR that Satan
obviously designed. You care for everyone who walks into your workplace even if
we are rude and demanding. A pay raise for you is a no-brainer. Your incredible
care saves lives. Thank you.
For every worker who harvests fruits, vegetables, and
many other foods around this country, you deserve a raise. You deserve great
living conditions, not just good, but great. You do back-breaking work, so we
can eat. Right now, you are under fire because many of you have skin that isn’t
white. A bunch of old, white, men in Washington DC have decided you aren’t
worthy for them to defend or fight for. But they will fill their stomachs with
the food you have harvested every single day. Thank you for your labor. You
deserve to be part of the prosperity this land has to offer. This land with its’
strength and wealth is for all of us. Thank you.
Native Americans. We owe you everything. Absolutely
everything. And this is why: a lot of stupid, greedy, cruel white foreigners came
here and took absolutely everything away from you. You are the only people who
aren’t immigrants in America. There aren’t enough apologies to make up for what
we’ve done to you.
CEOs? There you are. What if you take less and give
more to your workforce? Just a thought. For those of you who already do this,
you are awesome. Thank you.
There are so many other people to recognize. People
who do what they do for the betterment of those around them. People who go the
extra mile to guide and guard the “least of these.” People who labor in love
and goodness, always thinking of others first. I can’t list you all here. But we
each know people who live their lives this way. I’m sure we can each thank
someone this weekend.
For anyone who works for ICE or HHS or Homeland
Security: If you happen to be someone with a heart doing this difficult work,
and if you are doing kind and caring things for the little ones who don’t know
who their parents are anymore; if you are showing gentleness to the babies and mercy
to the children, and don’t abuse or intimidate them; if you encourage, support,
and protect them in every way, then my tears of thanksgiving are for you. Many
of us wish we could labor and work for the innocent ones. But since this is
your work to do, do it well, and treat each child with respect, dignity and
love. For each one is made in the image of God. Thank you.
You absolutely deserve a raise.
