Comments on: Labor Pains 2009 http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:07:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: rosemarie jackowski http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/#comment-53818 rosemarie jackowski Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:32:54 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=10221#comment-53818 Wendy...Thanks for the comment. I agree. About workers and health care - maybe there would be more justice and fewer people denied health care if hospital CEOs were not paid $27,000 per month (for 22 months) after they were fired and then also given $50,000 as a golden parachute. In situations like that with hospitals, banks, and some other corrupt Capitalistic organizations, it is NOT the recipient of all of that money who should be criticized. The hospital boards and the governmental agencies who have the responsibility to regulate have not been doing their job. Obstreperous...Some laws are higher than other laws. There is natural law, International law, moral law, etc. When I was arrested for protesting the war, I was obeying a higher law than the one the government said I broke. Many workers who cross the border without documents are just trying to support their families. That is a higher law - a moral law- and it would be wrong if they did not seek work where ever it was available. Wendy…Thanks for the comment. I agree.
About workers and health care – maybe there would be more justice and fewer people denied health care if hospital CEOs were not paid $27,000 per month (for 22 months) after they were fired and then also given $50,000 as a golden parachute. In situations like that with hospitals, banks, and some other corrupt Capitalistic organizations, it is NOT the recipient of all of that money who should be criticized. The hospital boards and the governmental agencies who have the responsibility to regulate have not been doing their job.

Obstreperous…Some laws are higher than other laws. There is natural law, International law, moral law, etc. When I was arrested for protesting the war, I was obeying a higher law than the one the government said I broke. Many workers who cross the border without documents are just trying to support their families. That is a higher law – a moral law- and it would be wrong if they did not seek work where ever it was available.

]]> By: Obstreperous http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/#comment-53743 Obstreperous Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:02:41 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=10221#comment-53743 rosemarie; Clearly the term illegal only refers having committed an act against the current law and has nothing to do with human worth or dignity. It's a simple descriptor and not a derogatory statement. You're a lawbreaker if you jaywalk. You have committed an illegal act. Fine if you choose not to recognize border or the rights applicable to those born within certain borders, but then try to access service abroad and see how that goes. My point is that the situation is tolerated only as a means of exploitation of these individuals. Based on your beliefs you need to work for removal of immigration laws period. Then there would not be either the label nor the exploitation. rosemarie;
Clearly the term illegal only refers having committed an act against the current law and has nothing to do with human worth or dignity. It’s a simple descriptor and not a derogatory statement. You’re a lawbreaker if you jaywalk. You have committed an illegal act.
Fine if you choose not to recognize border or the rights applicable to those born within certain borders, but then try to access service abroad and see how that goes. My point is that the situation is tolerated only as a means of exploitation of these individuals. Based on your beliefs you need to work for removal of immigration laws period. Then there would not be either the label nor the exploitation.

]]> By: Wendy http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/#comment-53725 Wendy Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:39:24 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=10221#comment-53725 Employers often are protected by the "employment at will" status offered by individual states. This of course only applies to those who are referred to as "legal or legitimate" workers. I agree with Rosemarie and feel strongly that unless we embrace all humans as "legitimate" (I also remember when the Catholic Church referred to "illegitimate" children as "bastards" which was not so long ago and this Ethic permeated society) we will not move forward as a society. Right now we fight over who gets to piece meal out Health Care when we should be shifting our minds to accepting the fact that everyone is entitled to it. Referring back to my opening sentence, I would like to further comment that the average worker, be they citizens, green card holders, visa holders or none of these, deserves respect and understanding. It is horrible to think and know that an employer can willfully engage in a power game with employees. It happens every day in every town in every state in this country. This topic deserves much more discussion than I'm able to devote to it at this moment, since I must get back to work! Salaam. Shalom. Wendy Employers often are protected by the “employment at will” status offered by individual states. This of course only applies to those who are referred to as “legal or legitimate” workers.

I agree with Rosemarie and feel strongly that unless we embrace all humans as “legitimate” (I also remember when the Catholic Church referred to “illegitimate” children as “bastards” which was not so long ago and this Ethic permeated society) we will not move forward as a society. Right now we fight over who gets to piece meal out Health Care when we should be shifting our minds to accepting the fact that everyone is entitled to it.

Referring back to my opening sentence, I would like to further comment that the average worker, be they citizens, green card holders, visa holders or none of these, deserves respect and understanding. It is horrible to think and know that an employer can willfully engage in a power game with employees. It happens every day in every town in every state in this country. This topic deserves much more discussion than I’m able to devote to it at this moment, since I must get back to work!

Salaam. Shalom. Wendy

]]> By: rosemarie jackowski http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/#comment-53654 rosemarie jackowski Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:59:49 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=10221#comment-53654 Jeff...I agree. Obstreperous...I agree about the elitists but the intent of the article was to push back against all of those who refer to any human being as "illegal". I am old enough to remember when it was acceptable to refer to babies who were born to parents who were not married as "Illegitimate". No baby is ever illegitimate and no person is ever "illegal". As I said, ALL workers have earned our respect, but many employers have not. The current health care debate has brought out the worse in our culture. The anger because a worker from another country might get health care in the US has led to screaming matches. No one should be denied anything or granted any privilege based on the location of his mother when he was born. Jeff…I agree.

Obstreperous…I agree about the elitists but the intent of the article was to push back against all of those who refer to any human being as “illegal”. I am old enough to remember when it was acceptable to refer to babies who were born to parents who were not married as “Illegitimate”. No baby is ever illegitimate and no person is ever “illegal”. As I said, ALL workers have earned our respect, but many employers have not.

The current health care debate has brought out the worse in our culture. The anger because a worker from another country might get health care in the US has led to screaming matches. No one should be denied anything or granted any privilege based on the location of his mother when he was born.

]]> By: Obstreperous http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/#comment-53579 Obstreperous Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:20:45 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=10221#comment-53579 Rich elitists such as Leahy and the like tolerate and encourage illegal immigraion simply because they love the cheap nearly-slave labor. They don't care for the people. As the child of an immigrant, I understand the struggle and also understand the struggle of unemployed and underemployed Americans. The fact is that government opposed to employers is a government opposed to empolyment and employees. The government itself is the worst and most oppressive of empolyers. People have been lied to so much that they no longer understand who their real friends are. Rich elitists such as Leahy and the like tolerate and encourage illegal immigraion simply because they love the cheap nearly-slave labor. They don’t care for the people. As the child of an immigrant, I understand the struggle and also understand the struggle of unemployed and underemployed Americans. The fact is that government opposed to employers is a government opposed to empolyment and employees. The government itself is the worst and most oppressive of empolyers. People have been lied to so much that they no longer understand who their real friends are.

]]> By: Jeff http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/09/labor-pains-2009/#comment-53564 Jeff Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:28:20 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=10221#comment-53564 Bottom Line, nothing more under that line. America is a joke! Print that. Bottom Line, nothing more under that line. America is a joke! Print that.

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