Great post from http://www.truth-out.org/attacks-unions-barking-up-wrong-money-tree68063
Hello America,
I am 69 and my wife is 68 years old. I've been steadily employed ever since the summer of 1953 when, as a kid, I sold the evening paper on a busy street corner and made about 30 cents per afternoon.
Never have I taken unemployment. Never have I been on the public dole because I was lucky enough to never need to be. Those times were good in America. Taxes were very high then for the wealthy and the country was solvent.
After two years in Vietnam I came home in '68 and got a union job where I worked until I retired four years ago. During all those years I paid into social security and viewed it as an investment for retirement, not free money after retirement on the dole. Now my wife and I are collecting that. We have a few thousand in the bank and some bonds. Our car and home are paid for.
I call myself a liberal.
That means I care about other people and will share what I have with others.
That means I want disadvantaged kids to have a good start in life and I do not object to helping through paying a bit more in taxes.
That means I recognize that not all parents are as capable as they perhaps should be but I not stand by and watch their kids suffer for it.
That means I will try not to judge others because of their failures. I have my own as well.
I have seen what happens to people when corporations gain too much power.
I trust my government much more than I will ever trust a multi-national corporation to be honest and fair and responsible and above board in their dealings with others. Large corporations have proven to the world that they are not deserving of trust.
I demand that my government be involved in the "common good" which we find mentioned in our Constitution. I demand the choice between public or private services in health care and finance. I demand that our representatives in DC be prohibited from accepting even so much as a stick of gum from a lobbyist. I demand equity through media in all federal level electioneering and campaigning so that the wealthy do not have an advantage over the poor. Democracy is not served when there is any inequality in political advertising.
Now, it seems, there are some libertarian, John Birch type, ultra right conservative republicans who think they can just waltz in and take what we earned away????
Talk about brass! Those guys, some politicians and some right wing radio/tv "personalities" who dodged military service because they "had other priorities" (quote: Dick Cheney who got at least 7 deferments and W who ran off and hid in DC so he wouldn't have to go put his miserable life on the line in 'Nam with the rest of us)????
These neocon guys are now hobnobbing with the idea of a little empire of their own wherein there are two levels in society? The working poor and the obscenely rich? I have nothing against being rich. That is unless other people get hurt in the acquisition of that wealth. That path is not right. When we hurt others because we lust for money and power we are wrong.
Now the unions are being targeted on a nationwide basis. A war of elimination. If the unions are defeated then the major source of funding for the democratic party is removed as well. This is exactly what the neo-cons want. They want a one party America so they can control everything.
I have nothing against real conservatives like the Eisenhower republicans of old. They are not the malignant force that threatens America. It is the "others" sponsored by those of no conscience, maturity or decency that perpetrate this unhappiness. Are we to allow a new aristocracy to take root in America with we working folk as the new serfs??? I think not.
I will not sit idly and watch America be given away like our manufacturing was. I was thinking the other day how nice it would be if I could buy a new pair of shoes that was "made in America" again. Shoes with thick leather and no cardboard layers glued together.
Take notice Koch Brothers. Listen up. With all your money you cannot cloud my vision. You will not prevail. America is going to remain the lamp to the poor of the world that it always has been. You will never succeed in changing that.
We the People are mad as hell now.... You've finally gone too far.
Thank you unions of America for being dependable advocates of equal opportunity.
James P. Simmons Retired CWA
I am 69 and my wife is 68 years old. I've been steadily employed ever since the summer of 1953 when, as a kid, I sold the evening paper on a busy street corner and made about 30 cents per afternoon.
Never have I taken unemployment. Never have I been on the public dole because I was lucky enough to never need to be. Those times were good in America. Taxes were very high then for the wealthy and the country was solvent.
After two years in Vietnam I came home in '68 and got a union job where I worked until I retired four years ago. During all those years I paid into social security and viewed it as an investment for retirement, not free money after retirement on the dole. Now my wife and I are collecting that. We have a few thousand in the bank and some bonds. Our car and home are paid for.
I call myself a liberal.
That means I care about other people and will share what I have with others.
That means I want disadvantaged kids to have a good start in life and I do not object to helping through paying a bit more in taxes.
That means I recognize that not all parents are as capable as they perhaps should be but I not stand by and watch their kids suffer for it.
That means I will try not to judge others because of their failures. I have my own as well.
I have seen what happens to people when corporations gain too much power.
I trust my government much more than I will ever trust a multi-national corporation to be honest and fair and responsible and above board in their dealings with others. Large corporations have proven to the world that they are not deserving of trust.
I demand that my government be involved in the "common good" which we find mentioned in our Constitution. I demand the choice between public or private services in health care and finance. I demand that our representatives in DC be prohibited from accepting even so much as a stick of gum from a lobbyist. I demand equity through media in all federal level electioneering and campaigning so that the wealthy do not have an advantage over the poor. Democracy is not served when there is any inequality in political advertising.
Now, it seems, there are some libertarian, John Birch type, ultra right conservative republicans who think they can just waltz in and take what we earned away????
Talk about brass! Those guys, some politicians and some right wing radio/tv "personalities" who dodged military service because they "had other priorities" (quote: Dick Cheney who got at least 7 deferments and W who ran off and hid in DC so he wouldn't have to go put his miserable life on the line in 'Nam with the rest of us)????
These neocon guys are now hobnobbing with the idea of a little empire of their own wherein there are two levels in society? The working poor and the obscenely rich? I have nothing against being rich. That is unless other people get hurt in the acquisition of that wealth. That path is not right. When we hurt others because we lust for money and power we are wrong.
Now the unions are being targeted on a nationwide basis. A war of elimination. If the unions are defeated then the major source of funding for the democratic party is removed as well. This is exactly what the neo-cons want. They want a one party America so they can control everything.
I have nothing against real conservatives like the Eisenhower republicans of old. They are not the malignant force that threatens America. It is the "others" sponsored by those of no conscience, maturity or decency that perpetrate this unhappiness. Are we to allow a new aristocracy to take root in America with we working folk as the new serfs??? I think not.
I will not sit idly and watch America be given away like our manufacturing was. I was thinking the other day how nice it would be if I could buy a new pair of shoes that was "made in America" again. Shoes with thick leather and no cardboard layers glued together.
Take notice Koch Brothers. Listen up. With all your money you cannot cloud my vision. You will not prevail. America is going to remain the lamp to the poor of the world that it always has been. You will never succeed in changing that.
We the People are mad as hell now.... You've finally gone too far.
Thank you unions of America for being dependable advocates of equal opportunity.
James P. Simmons Retired CWA
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