It has often been said that Americans were ready to make a genuine sacrifice after 9/11 but that none was ever asked of them. The message from the Bush administration was, essentially, that the best thing we could do was to continue living our normal lives, continue our shopping and debt expansion, and all would be well. It was a way of saying that a certain selfishness was the best method of giving to others. Instead of asking what we could do for our country, the president seemed to suggest that the country would be just fine if we went back to business as usual.
This country repeatedly shows that it responds generously and willingly in times of crisis. Sept. 11 and now Katrina aroused in Americans a profound desire to help out, and many millions of dollars have already been donated to the hurricane recovery effort. And yet that is clearly not enough. There is an unexpressed, unfulfilled appetite in this country to put our hands, and not merely our dollars, to work – not only in emergencies, but in ordinary times as well.
This excerpt was a reader’s opinion submitted to the New York Times. The writer suggests that rather than a day off, Labor Day could become a day of national service stating, “The opportunity to make a meaningful sacrifice lies right in front of us, right around the corner or up the street, every day.”
I like this idea. While it’s nice to have a three day weekend, gathering with others even for a few hours to assist some part of my community appeals, and I would like to see if this sparks interest in others. What do you think?
What a fantastic idea!
What a wonderful idea. So many of us long to DO something.
I lived in Charleston, SC when hurricane Hugo hit in September 1989. The first Pres Bush and FEMA gang were as useless and uncaring as this one , coincidentally many are the same folks. You’d think they’d have gained some knowledge in all that time.
The people in New Orleans and other areas effected by Katrina have been traumatized. They will never forget these days. Never.
They ALL NEED clean water. Any kindness no matter how large or small can make a huge impact – a toothbrush, comb, battery, radio, underwear, pillow.
Right now, they all need to get out of the area but many won’t leave. They are all desperate just in different ways.
More than once during a crisis I have been awed by human kindness and generosity (dismayed and enraged by callousness), but my point here is this, if we can pull together to help now, why can’t we help always? I may think that the FlyLady is cracked, but her idea may be just the thing for the country. What does her website say? 15 minutes a day cleaning house? How about 15 minutes a day cleaning the country. Take 15 minutes to deliver food. Take 15 minutes to take your dog to the old folks home. Take 15 minutes to write a letter to your senator. Take 15 minutes of pay and donate it to a worthy cause. 15 minutes, everybody, every day. What kind of country would we have then?
When you think of all the people (laborors, not soldiers) who have suffered and died, don’t you think robbing their day to relieve our guilt (free the rest of the year to exploit) an unfortunate suggestion? I suggest a deeper meditation on the meaning of Labor Day. Perhaps we should all take a day off from work, without pay, to really give something that is ours to give.
I like the idea of carving 15 minutes out a day to do something for others or for activism. And I also like the idea of a day off without pay, provided the unearned pay would actually be donated to a cause people could choose for themselves. I’m not suggesting people give up the entire day to service. Even an hour would help. Further, I’m not certain Labor Day is celebrated as it should be anyway. As one who has worked in retail, Labor day really isn’t a holiday. It’s a day for an end-of-summer sale. Most of the time I wound up working. I know many other businesses shut down for the day, but this holiday really isn’t one for retail workers and, I’ll wager, migrant farm workers (who also toil in harsh conditions and for pay that is not stellar). Is this truly a national holiday, a day free from labor, if not everyone gets to take it off?
There is such a beaten in distaste of labor in our society, not many see how Labor (unions) was responsible for any quality of life we do have. Migrants or retail, if represented by unions, I would imagine are at least getting overtime for working on the holiday, and some are represented. But it is a question of choice. In many European countries, only recently opened up to nightime and Sunday shopping (let alone holidays), the people are not so sure they find it such an improvement.
Bottom line, donating one’s time to be of service is a great thing (if one is not replacing another paid worker with one’s volunteerism), but Labor day needs to be remembered for what it is about. Probably the most important holiday of the year.
Might I be terribly presumptious (you being ex-librarian and all) by suggesting, perhaps, Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the US”?
Oh well, I am sorry about going on, it is just that the state of Labor is a sore subject for me these days.
Yes, the days of activism in the labor movement are a dim memory. I wonder how many of today’s young students even know about working conditions before labor strikes and unionization. I’ve read a lot but certainly not everything; Howard Zinn is not in my canon, but it looks very tasty (all 752 pages!). I’ve read Sinclair’s The Jungle, and more recently Eric Schlosser’s works (both Fast Food Nation and Reefer Madness). I also recently forged through Studs Terkel’s Working, which is timeless. And Carl Sandburg has been a cherished poet, and he was quite a voice for People. What I’m trying to say is I’m not at odds with your position at all, since I’ve worked in many jobs which paid next to nothing and had no benefits. Your point is well taken, and I’m glad you made it.