tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post3173751066710813698..comments2024-03-29T05:53:38.691-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: HERE'S TO THE FOURTH OF JULYJim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-67915810855334187692013-07-06T18:25:41.616-04:002013-07-06T18:25:41.616-04:00Thank God for unions! Great Post Gloria! Thank God for unions! Great Post Gloria! Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04218393567042160182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-54254585460332085892013-07-05T16:32:11.322-04:002013-07-05T16:32:11.322-04:00I believe unions are a double edged sword. In the ...I believe unions are a double edged sword. In the mining area of PA where I was born it was a well known fact that the mod owned the unions and there wasn't a snowball chance in hell that you refused to join. I remember my dad talking about what he was told to vote for when union votes came up. <br />And all huge immagrations bring with them their 'mods'. The Irish mod, then the Italian mod, now we have the Slavic, mostly Russian mod, and don't forget the Hispanic Cartels.<br />Kept me out of unions and voting against them my working life. <br />PatgPatghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046665022709722606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-47616867225437722872013-07-05T11:08:52.887-04:002013-07-05T11:08:52.887-04:00Interesting, KM. Even after my father became part ...Interesting, KM. Even after my father became part of management, he backed the unions if not at work, but in what he believed. My brothers, my husband and my son were all union men - my youngest brother is, too, and is head of his local at the IRS. I was in the teacher's union. I agree with you that we do have it better here than 99% of the people who have ever lived and need to work to keep our principles alive and functioning.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-23502382563786416282013-07-04T21:54:18.616-04:002013-07-04T21:54:18.616-04:00Great commentary. How soon we forget
In the origi...Great commentary. How soon we forget<br /><br />In the original Virgina colony, in order to have a vote, one needed to be free, white, male and own at least 100 acres. No one else was considered "equal."<br /><br />My Irish grandfather was a Molly Maguire in the Pennsylvania coal mines. He changed his name & fled to avoid arrest & probable execution. He became active in the Teamsters Union in New York, and was blacklisted, so that his wife had to get a job to support the family. I'm the union rep at my work, and maintain my inactive Teamsters Union membership from when I worked in a Teamster represetned job.<br /><br />Things may not be perfect, but we have it better than 99% of the people who have ever lived. I think we do have a responsibility to work to keep our principles alive and functioning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-45912637011112839052013-07-04T16:55:39.939-04:002013-07-04T16:55:39.939-04:00So many good comments. My internet is down and I&...So many good comments. My internet is down and I'm trying to use my brothers lap top with touch control unlike the mouse I'm used to using. Anyway, Clair, good job on teaching students a different perspective.<br /><br />E.B. it's true we live in a beautiful country, and I also feel bad about how so many farmers have given up their land for development. I grew up in the country, too, still do for that matter.<br /><br />Sorry, Warren, as I was trying to maneuver this lap top at an odd angle, I deleted your message. :-(<br /><br />Jim,I have the same feelings, but like you, when I see how far we've come, I feel quite optimistic. But it is depressing when someone thinks an opinion is a fact when it's not.<br /><br /> Paula, we do need to keep informed, but sometimes I don't think people like to take the time or interest in following the news and try to understand what's going on.<br /><br />Shari, that's another reminder of what a great country we have.<br /><br />Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-23181209738422182532013-07-04T12:25:02.309-04:002013-07-04T12:25:02.309-04:00Great post, Gloria, with much that still, unfortun...Great post, Gloria, with much that still, unfortunately needs saying.<br /><br />Few in the US today are aware that the settlers used the first known instance of biological warfare against the Indians (smallpox-infected blankets given to women and children) and that Hitler studied America's treatment of the Indian tribes and the reservations system and modeled his "Final Solution" on them. (He wrote about this in letters and in published work.)<br /><br />Almost no one knows that in the 30s, the US packed legal residents and citizens of Mexican heritage into locked train boxcars without food or water and sent them into Mexico, unloading them (often with many corpses from the trip)in the desert of a land where many didn't even know the language. Only to turn back to Mexico and recruit many of the young boys who were American citizens and had been illegally deported to fight in WWII when they grew short on manpower. Like the Japanese internment camps, this doesn't make it into the history books we learn from in schools.<br /><br />I love this country, but we still have a long way to go to live up to our ideals.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-52191652774139925602013-07-04T11:37:54.110-04:002013-07-04T11:37:54.110-04:00So much to think about - thank you, Gloria. We do ...So much to think about - thank you, Gloria. We do have a long way to go, but there are still many things to celebrate. <br />At work, I often see recent immigrants try to pay for the library books they are checking out. One man told me that in his country, only the rich have books. On those days, I feel very happy to be a US citizen.Shari Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16425493627354028820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-39280157463457635772013-07-04T11:22:08.158-04:002013-07-04T11:22:08.158-04:00The other night, I watched the musical 1776 on tel...The other night, I watched the musical 1776 on television and was struck by the fact that so many issues discussed in that movie continue to be topics considered by our state and federal legislatures. Thanks, Gloria and all who have commented, for reminding us that keeping informed and being part of the debate are very important ways to live the principles the Declaration of Independence helped ensure for us.Paula Gail Bensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08843350597811462936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-10974382537881816032013-07-04T10:23:37.095-04:002013-07-04T10:23:37.095-04:00Sometimes I am discouraged by how far we have to g...Sometimes I am discouraged by how far we have to go before we can have equality. Then I think of how far we have come and hope returns.<br /><br />Something we should keep in mind is that our "Founding Fathers and Mothers" were all traitors - at least from England's perspective. There are often two very diverse views of an issue. Trying to understand both of them before coming to a firm opinion seems to be a lost art these days, but I still try.<br /><br />Unfortunately, today facts are often dismissed as opinion and opinion proclaimed as facts, and I get discouraged again and need to remind myself of the great strides we've taken in the last two plus centuries.<br /><br />~ JimJim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-68311926759079218852013-07-04T09:57:43.585-04:002013-07-04T09:57:43.585-04:00Benjamin Franklin complained about Germans who imm...Benjamin Franklin complained about Germans who immigrated to the colonies. A sad part of our history is the many times people who arrived or were born in this country who then tried to stop others either from coming or from getting full legal rights. in a small way I have worked for equal rights for everyone.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-78257437340181839902013-07-04T09:51:11.539-04:002013-07-04T09:51:11.539-04:00I revere our land. Yesterday when we drove back fr...I revere our land. Yesterday when we drove back from western Maryland through the mountains, the vistas were of green crops (mostly corn) in the valleys with a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The scenery was truly majestic. We have such great resources in this country, and our natural bounty must be appreciated. I grew up in the country. When I drive through transition areas where farmers have given up since their land is worth more to developers than it is to raise crops, I have to shake my head in dismay. I grew up in the country across the street from a dairy farm in PA. Those rolling hills filled by farmers brimming with crops is still the backbone of America to me.E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-80680389961665571682013-07-04T08:36:38.672-04:002013-07-04T08:36:38.672-04:00You hit some important points here, Gloria. When I...You hit some important points here, Gloria. When I taught human resource management, students would complain about all the legal issues they had to study. Some of my assignments included watching and reporting on the film, Norma, or reading sections of books like, Life in the Iron Mills. They'd come back with a difference perspective after that. <br /><br />Happy Independence Day!Clamo88https://www.blogger.com/profile/16742188896080634218noreply@blogger.com