Labor Day

By Hank Silverberg

I purchased my current home three years ago. It included something none of the other three houses had: there is a flag pole next to the driveway.

The previous owner flew the flag all the time. In fact, he left it up for so long that when I bought the house it was faded and frayed. I took it down and gave it to the local Boy Scout troop for proper disposal.

 

I have my own flag and I fly it on the pole on important patriotic national holidays like July 4^th, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and yes, Labor Day.

Some people might not think of Labor Day is in the same category as the fourth of July, but it is.

Labor Day is a tribute to achievement of the American worker who built this country from the bottom up, from the ditch digger on the Erie Canal in 1807 to the engineer constructing the Mars 2020 Rover.

This year is the 125^th anniversary of Labor Day, which was first recognized in New York City in 1882, and became a federal holiday in 1894. So, this week as we celebrate Labor Day, it’s a good opportunity to look at what it stands for. 

Unions have been good to the working man, though in the 21^st Century their fairness and political impact are questionable.

The Labor movement in America produced the 40-hour work week, safer working conditions, sick leave, vacation pay and pensions. Without unions there would be no minimum wage, no maternity leave, no severance pay, and probably no unemployment insurance, either.

  

Unions, though, are not perfect. They were slow to accept minorities into their ranks and then slow to accept them in leadership roles once they became members. The unions negotiated and fought hard for employer-sponsored health care that remains popular. But those same unions have been slow to adapt to changing conditions and technology in many workplaces, from the coal mine to Silicon Valley.

Corruption in the leadership of some of the larger unions has removed them from the favor of many in the rank-and-file, and sparked anti-union "right to work" laws in many states. So, although labor unions are certainly part of the celebration of Labor Day, they are not really the substance anymore.

The focus should be on the people who make this country move forward. We should be looking at the aging worker over 55 who is being pushed out of their good paying job by corporate greed in favor of a younger, cheaper, and often less skilled workforce.

We should be looking at the fast food worker who is barely making it on the minimum wage, and most likely has a second or third low paying job just to survive.

We should be thinking about the worker in rust belt industries facing layoffs on a daily basis, with no retraining possibilities, and a pension subject to the volatile ups and downs of Wall Street. The focus should be on women facing a glass ceiling or doing the same job as men, but getting paid 79 cents for every dollar a man earns.

https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap

We should be thinking about the millions of young people who get out of college and get a good paying job, only to be strapped with huge student loan debt. They are unable to purchase new cars, homes or furniture, threatening the jobs of thousands of workers who make those products.

And we should be thinking about farmers, among the hardest working of them all, who are being assaulted by tariffs and an unnecessary international trade war that devalues their product.  

The American worker has been as productive as any worker in the world, yet we are losing ground because the current leadership cares more about the income and well-being of our richest citizens than it does about the working man and woman who built this country. Think about that this Labor Day.  

Then there is this:

We have heard members of the GOP and right-wing pundits use the word “Socialism” a lot over the past few months. They use it to criticize anything suggested by Democrats. So I thought I would post the definition of the word, since those who use it constantly can’t seem to get it right.  I spent a week or two back in Political Science 101 learning about this, but Merriam Webster’s Dictionary has an accurate definition.

 socialism

noun

so·​cial·​ism | \ ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm \

Definition of socialism

1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

2a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property

b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

 (Source, Merriam Webster)

I see nothing close to “socialism” in any proposals by the Democrats running for President. Even “Medicare for All” would not put the “means of production” in government hands. 

Here’s a quote from Harry Truman which best describes what the Republicans and their puppet pundits are trying to do to you, the voter.

Of note:

There was another mass shooting in Texas this week. It's the second in a month. It began with a "routine" traffic stop by state troopers. The driver had an assault-style rifle.  I won't go into the gory details, but I will note this.   

In Texas there is:

No permit required to purchase a gun. 
No firearm registration
No owners license required 
No assault weapons ban
No license required for open carry of a rifle
No background checks required for private sales

  

News Briefs:

 Finally, this week, a reflection on my trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If you haven’t heard, you will need a “Real ID” to board a domestic flight or enter a secure federal building starting October 1, 2020.

My wife and I wanted to beat the last minute rush and get one now. She flies more than I do, but you never know when you will need to go somewhere on a plane.   

You need four types of identification to get the “Real ID” certification. We got it all together.

Our U.S. passports have expired, so we collected other things on the Real ID list.  

Valid Virginia Drivers License: check.

Social Security  Card: check.

Birth certificate (original or certified copy, not just a copy): check.

A utility bill or some other bill from our current address: check.

We placed it all in a nice envelope and off we went. We stood on the long line in front of  the “Information” booth for just over an hour. We laid it all out on the counter, and the very nice lady on the other side looked at the documents. She turned to my wife.

 “Are you a married lady?”

“Yes,” said my wife, smiling, “37 years.”

“Congratulations! Did you bring your marriage license?"

Stunned, since we haven’t needed it since our wedding day, we said, “Why do we need that?”

The patient woman pointed out that my wife’s birth certificate had her maiden name on it and all the other documents had her married name. My wife had to prove she was indeed the same person listed on the birth certificate.

I pointed out that she could not have gotten her Social Security Card with her married name on it without that marriage license, but it didn’t matter.

“Arghhhhhgh!”

So, if you are going to get your Real ID, be ready. 

We will have to make a second trip to the DMV.

Such is life in 21^st Century America.

        (Your comments and suggestions are welcome)     



(Copies of my book are available on Amazon.com, BN.com or you can order a signed version for a reduced price by e-mailing me at  hanksilverberg@gmail.com for instructions. 

     Book synopsis: The Vice-President of the United States is conflicted. She has risen to her current job by jumping on the bandwagon with President Andrew Freeman who is now, waging war against America’s biggest enemy—Iran.   Amy Roosevelt must make a decision whether to stay with Freeman or challenge him for the nomination.  Through back channels she learns that the President’s health is declining.  All this plays out as the man known only as Ishmael, continues his campaign of violence.