Happy Labor Day

Brought to you by Unions.

If you don’t go to the rally today, THIS is worth reading.

When I was in college, I accompanied my mom to Mexico when her mother died.  We spent most of the hurried flight sitting next to each other silently.  My mother is a strong woman who came to Chicago at fourteen and was failed by the educational system.  She has a sixth grade education; she is the most intelligent woman I know.

In Mexico, we buried my grandmother.  We prayed.  Days after, aunts and uncles and cousins continued thinking about my grandmother and began conversing about other people, other things.  My mom and I found out one of my cousins fought with her husband regularly.  He was an alcoholic.  He abused her verbally.  He put her down for working.  She is a teacher.

One evening, in a small home with many bedrooms, I overheard my mom, my aunt, my cousin talking.  Despite my mom’s deep sadness, her boldness had not waivered.  “Defiende tu carrera,” my mother, who still wishes she could have gone to college, quietly–boldly–told my cousin.  “Defend your profession.”

I recite my mother’s advice silently when I must invoke her boldness to speak up or speak out.

Jesú is leading a group (dressed in blue) , for anyone who wants to go together (and can go), leaving from the front of the college at 10:15.

And if you’re looking for something interesting to read about Capitalism, check out this by Stephen Pearlstein.

And this is a nice one about work and all the work (of others) we take for granted.

And if you’re grilling, you should read this.

And if you’re looking for a philosophical perspective about this week’s events, then you might enjoy Michael Walzer’s “Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands.”  It’s amazing. Also timely, given that one political convention has just ended and the other is about to begin.

And if you’re my mom, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!