Many people have issues with unions and think poorly of the term "organized labor". They point to reported abuses of power (like Jimmy Hoffa, etc) or the influence of union money in politics. Or they are so "pro-business" that they think company management should be able to do whatever it wants and that people should just "be happy that they have a job". While there no organizations are perfect, why should that be a reason to oppose organization? I mean, businesses organize so why shouldn't workers?
The influence of organized labor has brought great and beneficial changes in the workplace. The 40 hr workweek (5 day week of 8 hr days), payment for overtime, paid sick leave, and workplace safety standards (OSHA) are just a few of the reasons we should be thankful to unions. And we need to remain vigilant because unions are under attack across the country - Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, all have governors strenuously opposed to workers organizing. I know from experience how not having a union can be detrimental to workers. Let's not forget to be thankful and continue to push for better workplaces through an organized workforce.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Goldilocks Politics
You know the story of Goldilocks. A little girl enters the house of three bears, examines their porridge, chairs, and beds before falling asleep in on bed, then gets discovered by the three bears and flees into the woods. The tale is very old, but I'd like to apply it to a very modern issue....political discussion.
On one level it illustrates finding the right fit : not too hot, not too cold; not too hard, not too soft;
not too big...oops, too small (chair breaks). And it is true that it is important to make sure we are not going to extremes and instead are finding the right fit that will work for us.
But as I pondered using this fable as an example of that I was struck by how there is something that is usually missed in this cute little tale. The girl entered someone else's house and was messing around with their furniture and food. She had no business there and at the end was chased out by those whose house it was.
What does this say? Sometimes we argue over details and miss the big picture. We argue over the details of law and policy and forget that there are real people affected by our actions. There is no human face to our discussions. We talk about immigration without considering immigrants and their situations. We talk about gun violence and forget the shooting victims (case in point: the NRA response to the Newtown shootings). We talk about healthcare without discussing the sick.
We often criticize younger people for doing something hazardous...saying that they think they are invincible, that bad consequences will never happen to them. This type of thinking is not limited to the young. We do it every day when we debate policy while thinking it is about some "other" group, not us. And even if we would never be affected by it, we still must think how it will affect others.
As the English poet John Donne once wrote, "no man is an island, entire of itself....we are all a part of the whole"
On one level it illustrates finding the right fit : not too hot, not too cold; not too hard, not too soft;
not too big...oops, too small (chair breaks). And it is true that it is important to make sure we are not going to extremes and instead are finding the right fit that will work for us.
But as I pondered using this fable as an example of that I was struck by how there is something that is usually missed in this cute little tale. The girl entered someone else's house and was messing around with their furniture and food. She had no business there and at the end was chased out by those whose house it was.
What does this say? Sometimes we argue over details and miss the big picture. We argue over the details of law and policy and forget that there are real people affected by our actions. There is no human face to our discussions. We talk about immigration without considering immigrants and their situations. We talk about gun violence and forget the shooting victims (case in point: the NRA response to the Newtown shootings). We talk about healthcare without discussing the sick.
We often criticize younger people for doing something hazardous...saying that they think they are invincible, that bad consequences will never happen to them. This type of thinking is not limited to the young. We do it every day when we debate policy while thinking it is about some "other" group, not us. And even if we would never be affected by it, we still must think how it will affect others.
As the English poet John Donne once wrote, "no man is an island, entire of itself....we are all a part of the whole"
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
celebrate May Day
Remember "job creators"? It's been the big buzzword the last couple years. The conservatives take on the economy is that the "job creators" (businesses) are the driving force and so we have to remove anything (like pesky regulations) that stand in their way. But I say it is the workers that drive the economy because they are the ones who do the work. We should be watching out for their welfare, and if they are happy and productive and motivated then business will thrive and everyone will benefit.
Today is May Day, a day recognized world wide as a time to celebrate workers and their contribution to our world. Many jobs go unseen and unappreciated and some of those are the most important. Please take time today to show appreciation for the hardworking staff wherever you go, whether you are shopping, going out to eat, or even interacting with a government agency. Treat your coworkers, companions, and loved ones with respect and honor them for the work they do, even if they aren't getting paid for it (like many mothers - thanks Mom!:)). And don't forget to respect yourself and honor the work you do.
Happy May Day!
For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."
Today is May Day, a day recognized world wide as a time to celebrate workers and their contribution to our world. Many jobs go unseen and unappreciated and some of those are the most important. Please take time today to show appreciation for the hardworking staff wherever you go, whether you are shopping, going out to eat, or even interacting with a government agency. Treat your coworkers, companions, and loved ones with respect and honor them for the work they do, even if they aren't getting paid for it (like many mothers - thanks Mom!:)). And don't forget to respect yourself and honor the work you do.
Happy May Day!
For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
guest post - the cake and the couple
Here is an example of two people who are doing their part to make our world better. A couple in Oregon wanted to get married and went to a shop to get their wedding cake made. The "Christian" owners refused because the couple was lesbian. In response to the coverage, a nationally known Baltimore cake maker Duff Goldman, known as the "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network, decided he would offer to make them a cake for free and drive it out to Oregon for them. My hat is off to both Duff for doing the cake, and to my dear wife for the following email she sent to the owners gently but firmly calling them out on their un-Christian behavior. Rosa Parks and my mom (my previous post) would be proud.
Dear Aaron and Melissa,
You look like a lovely Christian couple and your cakes look absolutely scrumptious!
Therefore, I was extremely disappointed to learn that you refused to make a cake for a lesbian couple’s wedding. As a Christian myself, I think this is just the wrong way to go about things. In everything we do, Christians should be sharing and demonstrating the love of God by our words and behavior. How does it show God’s love to this couple to deny your services to bake them a cake for their special day? They are not asking you to officiate their wedding. They apparently have been previous customers so they liked your cakes and baked items enough to want *you* to make their cake, and not someone else. Denying them your services was like slapping them in the face.
Instead, the “Ace of Cakes”, Duff Goldman, has stepped up to the plate with an offer to do the cake for this couple at no cost. He is showing love, where you only showed rejection.
As Christians, we need to be bringing people *into* the circle of God’s love, not shutting them out. My husband and I have a gay nephew who resides in Gresham. When his time comes to marry, I seriously doubt he will be patronizing your shop. If nothing else, this is costing you business. But more than that, every time you turn a customer away because they are gay or lesbian, you are missing the opportunity to share a little bit of God’s love with them, and to help make their day special.
I would ask that you would seriously consider what Jesus would do in your situation. He embraced the tax collectors and other outcasts of society; I certainly believe that He would make wedding cakes for gay couples.
Sincerely,
Debbie King
Dear Aaron and Melissa,
You look like a lovely Christian couple and your cakes look absolutely scrumptious!
Therefore, I was extremely disappointed to learn that you refused to make a cake for a lesbian couple’s wedding. As a Christian myself, I think this is just the wrong way to go about things. In everything we do, Christians should be sharing and demonstrating the love of God by our words and behavior. How does it show God’s love to this couple to deny your services to bake them a cake for their special day? They are not asking you to officiate their wedding. They apparently have been previous customers so they liked your cakes and baked items enough to want *you* to make their cake, and not someone else. Denying them your services was like slapping them in the face.
Instead, the “Ace of Cakes”, Duff Goldman, has stepped up to the plate with an offer to do the cake for this couple at no cost. He is showing love, where you only showed rejection.
As Christians, we need to be bringing people *into* the circle of God’s love, not shutting them out. My husband and I have a gay nephew who resides in Gresham. When his time comes to marry, I seriously doubt he will be patronizing your shop. If nothing else, this is costing you business. But more than that, every time you turn a customer away because they are gay or lesbian, you are missing the opportunity to share a little bit of God’s love with them, and to help make their day special.
I would ask that you would seriously consider what Jesus would do in your situation. He embraced the tax collectors and other outcasts of society; I certainly believe that He would make wedding cakes for gay couples.
Sincerely,
Debbie King
doing the little things
Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Rosa Parks' birth. She died in 2005 but her legacy lives on. She is remembered for doing a small thing with a big impact, and it is important that we remember that. We often feel that nothing we do really matters, or that we can only do small things, but we must remember that all we do really does matter even though we may never know exactly how it will.
Rosa Parks lived in Montgomery Alabama in a time of segregation. People of color like her were supposed to sit in the back of the bus and even give up their seat in the "colored" section to a white person when the "white" section was filled . One day in 1955 she refused and was arrested. She and others like her became the inspiration for a citywide bus boycott which lasted 381 days and resulted ultimately in a Supreme Court decision overturning the bus segregation. It also helped launch the career of Martin Luther King Jr, and that led to a host of changes for people of color as well as the enriching of America.
I am continually amazed, and ashamed, of what my country allowed and promoted in terms of racial segregation and discrimination during those years. It was about the time when I was born (1956) and I guess being in Oregon and young I was not aware during my childhood of the climate in the South. But over the years I have become much more aware and try to do my part to combat similar things from happening today. As a country we have come far, but there is still so much to do to combat prejudice.
I learned two big lessons from my mother. One was that you treat everybody with the same kindness and respect, no matter who they are, where they are from, what their "status" is. It is basic human decency. She really believed that we were all created equal, not just saying it, but living it out every day. And she believed that every day you should do what you can to make this world better. She didn't have a "high" position in the eyes of most, just a mom raising my four sisters and I. But she delighted in doing the many small things that she could. My sisters and I grew up to do as she did and that is her legacy.
You may not be a Rosa Parks, or a mom with a family to raise, but you can make a difference even though you may see your efforts as small. Do whatever you can to make this world better, to make someone's life better today, and I will do the same.
Rosa Parks lived in Montgomery Alabama in a time of segregation. People of color like her were supposed to sit in the back of the bus and even give up their seat in the "colored" section to a white person when the "white" section was filled . One day in 1955 she refused and was arrested. She and others like her became the inspiration for a citywide bus boycott which lasted 381 days and resulted ultimately in a Supreme Court decision overturning the bus segregation. It also helped launch the career of Martin Luther King Jr, and that led to a host of changes for people of color as well as the enriching of America.
I am continually amazed, and ashamed, of what my country allowed and promoted in terms of racial segregation and discrimination during those years. It was about the time when I was born (1956) and I guess being in Oregon and young I was not aware during my childhood of the climate in the South. But over the years I have become much more aware and try to do my part to combat similar things from happening today. As a country we have come far, but there is still so much to do to combat prejudice.
I learned two big lessons from my mother. One was that you treat everybody with the same kindness and respect, no matter who they are, where they are from, what their "status" is. It is basic human decency. She really believed that we were all created equal, not just saying it, but living it out every day. And she believed that every day you should do what you can to make this world better. She didn't have a "high" position in the eyes of most, just a mom raising my four sisters and I. But she delighted in doing the many small things that she could. My sisters and I grew up to do as she did and that is her legacy.
You may not be a Rosa Parks, or a mom with a family to raise, but you can make a difference even though you may see your efforts as small. Do whatever you can to make this world better, to make someone's life better today, and I will do the same.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Abraham, Martin, and John
Abraham, Martin, and John...what do these three names have in common and why should we be thinking about them today? If you are a baby boomer like me you probably remember the 1968 song by Dion whose title was simply these three names. If you aren't a baby boomer you may not have a clue. Regardless we all need to understand the stories behind the names in the song. Especially on Inauguration Day... since two of the names refer to US Presidents.
The Abraham is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, who in 1865 gave one of the most memorable Inaugural Addresses in our history. The country was nearing the end of the Civil War and many were calling for harsh measures against the South even after victory was assured. After fighting to keep the Union together physically Lincoln wanted to restore the unity of our country and so urged "with malice toward none and charity for all, let us bind up the nation's wounds".
Martin is Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights activist whose birthday we celebrate today. In 1963, the same year as the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, he gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He called for action to "make real the promises of democracy"so as to "live out the true meaning of the creed ...we hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal" He appealed to faith and hope, and dreamed of a day when his "four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"
And John is John Fitzgerald Kennedy who, having survived combat in WWII and religious prejudice (Catholics were still viewed with suspicion in his day), became our 35th President. He came into office in a time of transition and in his Inaugural Address he stated "the torch has been passed to a new generation" committed to "explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us". He encouraged public service as a duty to the nation and to the world and through his efforts created the Peace Corps which to this day does just that.
All three of these were guided by faith and hope, unity and compassion, service and sacrifice for the common good. All three were gunned down in their prime by other men guided only by hatred and a violent opposition to their ideals. But their ideals live on. They have a legacy greater than their killers and their words are etched in our hearts as well as in stone. We have made progress on their dreams but there is much more work to be done.
I urge all to re-read their words today and take them to heart. If you can I would also encourage you to visit their memorials. Lincoln's and MLK's are close together on the National Mall and JFK's is in Arlington National Cemetery just across the Potomac River. I have stood on the spot where Martin gave his "Dream" speech (his memorial was not yet built then) and have read the words etched in stone for Abraham and John....my eyes were not dry long that day.
And there is one more name in that Dion song--Bobby. Bobby is Robert F Kennedy, brother of John, who served his country as US Attorney General and Senator. His words live on long after him as well, at least for me. He once said "there are those that look at things the way they are and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?" It's time to work, to pray, to debate ....and yes, to dream... along with Abraham, Martin, and John.
(p.s. - I have included the links to lyrics and texts below so that you may read the full version of each)
Abraham, Martin, and John lyrics
Lincoln Second Inaugural Address text
JFK Inaugural Address text
MLK I Have a Dream speech text
The Abraham is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, who in 1865 gave one of the most memorable Inaugural Addresses in our history. The country was nearing the end of the Civil War and many were calling for harsh measures against the South even after victory was assured. After fighting to keep the Union together physically Lincoln wanted to restore the unity of our country and so urged "with malice toward none and charity for all, let us bind up the nation's wounds".
Martin is Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights activist whose birthday we celebrate today. In 1963, the same year as the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, he gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He called for action to "make real the promises of democracy"so as to "live out the true meaning of the creed ...we hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal" He appealed to faith and hope, and dreamed of a day when his "four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"
And John is John Fitzgerald Kennedy who, having survived combat in WWII and religious prejudice (Catholics were still viewed with suspicion in his day), became our 35th President. He came into office in a time of transition and in his Inaugural Address he stated "the torch has been passed to a new generation" committed to "explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us". He encouraged public service as a duty to the nation and to the world and through his efforts created the Peace Corps which to this day does just that.
All three of these were guided by faith and hope, unity and compassion, service and sacrifice for the common good. All three were gunned down in their prime by other men guided only by hatred and a violent opposition to their ideals. But their ideals live on. They have a legacy greater than their killers and their words are etched in our hearts as well as in stone. We have made progress on their dreams but there is much more work to be done.
I urge all to re-read their words today and take them to heart. If you can I would also encourage you to visit their memorials. Lincoln's and MLK's are close together on the National Mall and JFK's is in Arlington National Cemetery just across the Potomac River. I have stood on the spot where Martin gave his "Dream" speech (his memorial was not yet built then) and have read the words etched in stone for Abraham and John....my eyes were not dry long that day.
And there is one more name in that Dion song--Bobby. Bobby is Robert F Kennedy, brother of John, who served his country as US Attorney General and Senator. His words live on long after him as well, at least for me. He once said "there are those that look at things the way they are and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?" It's time to work, to pray, to debate ....and yes, to dream... along with Abraham, Martin, and John.
(p.s. - I have included the links to lyrics and texts below so that you may read the full version of each)
Abraham, Martin, and John lyrics
Lincoln Second Inaugural Address text
JFK Inaugural Address text
MLK I Have a Dream speech text
Monday, January 7, 2013
new year's gratitude
After this past grueling political campaign year we need to pause and reflect in gratitude for all we have in this land we call home. We have had harsh words, and endless political ads on radio and TV and billboards. But we had no military hardware involved, no social upheavals, no threat to public safety caused by uncertainty over legitimacy. I know... we do have the birthers still, but they are marginalized ....a laughing stock to most.
It is not the same in the rest of the world. I can illustrate by citing three countries and their current crises:
In light of that we should be thankful that we have a system of government that, while it is not perfect, has served us well for over 200 years. We have peaceful transitions from one administration to the next. We have established procedures that all agree on, both for who governs and how they do it. We fight our political battles with words, not guns. Our conflicts are in Congress, not in the streets. And at the end of the day, the losers swallow their pride, instead of bandaging their wounds or burying their dead.
We have a new year and a renewed government. There are many issues to discuss and debate. We will not agree on everything, and we will not like all the outcomes. But at the end of the day we are all Americans and we are committed to peaceful resolution, not painful revolution. We have been given a great gift. Let us not squander the opportunity we have to participate in the political process, nor neglect to remember how blessed we are to be able to do so in peace.
It is not the same in the rest of the world. I can illustrate by citing three countries and their current crises:
- In Egypt there is contention over a new constitution and new president Morsi.
- In Venezuela there is uncertainty over who will replace Hugo Chavez, should he die, and what will happen in the power vacuum that most likely will occur.
- And in Syria there is open civil war, with a power vacuum most likely developing as well, since President Assad's days are clearly numbered. The citizens of that country have been repeatedly bombarded by their own government and many thousands are refugees in other countries.
In light of that we should be thankful that we have a system of government that, while it is not perfect, has served us well for over 200 years. We have peaceful transitions from one administration to the next. We have established procedures that all agree on, both for who governs and how they do it. We fight our political battles with words, not guns. Our conflicts are in Congress, not in the streets. And at the end of the day, the losers swallow their pride, instead of bandaging their wounds or burying their dead.
We have a new year and a renewed government. There are many issues to discuss and debate. We will not agree on everything, and we will not like all the outcomes. But at the end of the day we are all Americans and we are committed to peaceful resolution, not painful revolution. We have been given a great gift. Let us not squander the opportunity we have to participate in the political process, nor neglect to remember how blessed we are to be able to do so in peace.
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