These days I want to scream to both Employers and the Unemployed: “Please Don’t Waste My Time!”
There is a great deal of energy being wasted in America today by millions of citizens desperately looking for work. The potential employers waste our time, the temp agencies waste our time and the politicians also waste our time, as they do nothing to correct but further deepen the chasm between the Haves and the Have Nots! We have all come to expect these energy vampires in our lives and it seems to be the exception rather than the rule just to get a confirmation from an employer or a politician, informing you they received your application/correspondence.
The type of time and energy wasting I have grown to resent the most recently has got to be the endless parade of useless petitions generated by those who feel this type of civil protest will actually do something. I am sick to death of the multitudes of petitions from 99ers and other jobless that do little more than waste what precious time and energy I for one have left for this fight.
The politicians love for us to occupy ourselves with such useless and inane endeavors as they are easy to ignore and gives the multitudes a false sense that they are doing something. Well, I for one am fed up with methods that give the masses false comfort and allow them to justify the smallest of effort as “doing their part” when in fact - they are NOT!
Effective action is what is required not useless self delusion. Ask yourselves: “What if the Wisconsin 14 and all the protestors had instead drafted a petition to fight the disgusting Union Busting by Gov. Walker?” Yes, you guessed it - NOTHING - No media coverage, no sit-ins at the Capitol and the bill would already be law by now.
Mark Twain had a very interesting and apropos saying about worry that I believe is also applicable in the case of public petitions in this day and age: “Worrying is like a Rocking chair...It will keep you busy, make you think you are doing something but it won't get you anywhere” .... neither will signing the hundreds of petitions out there specifically intended to address/resolve the 99er and related unemployment issues in America today. There is simply NO SUBSTITUTE for taking real action by getting OUT THERE and being seen constantly!
If you want to do something productive then you MUST get off of your butts and do something. Find a protest (any protest) and bring YOUR SIGN! Join in and when the media is there - do not be too shy or ashamed of your situation to talk to the press. Get on your local news and in your local papers. Let’s face it, 2011 is the Global year of the protest! People are fed up with oppression everywhere but it seems that the USA is the only country where we sit home and gripe online, sign useless petitions and expect others to take to the streets for us. We make excuses like:
I cannot get to Washington DC
I am afraid someone will recognize me if I march/appear on TV
I am too busy looking for work to get involved
I don’t want to be the only one that shows up for a rally
I get too nervous when talking to the media
NEWS FLASH: These are all just lame excuses for being either too lazy or too afraid to take responsibility for your own salvation.
Cannot get to Washington DC? THEN MARCH CLOSE TO HOME: Washington DC has millions of protestors every year - they are numb to such things there. How many marches have there been in your home town this year? That is NEWS!
Too busy looking for work to get involved? BULL! I doubt one afternoon or devoting a few hours to make a difference close to home will interfere with looking for jobs that are simply NOT THERE ANYWAY!
Don’t want to be the only one that shows up for a rally? THEN GET INVOLVED NETWORKING in U-CUBED! It costs NOTHING but a little time and effort to join the action group U-Cubed and connect with fellow unemployed in your own state to take action - but not even one state so far has even reached the 1,000 member threshold. PATHETIC!
It is unacceptable how with a minimum of 6 million UI exhaustees suffering so in this country that a FREE Union designed for the specific purpose of Strength and Unity to speak in ONE LOUD VOICE that Washington cannot ignore - has a membership of less that 5,000 - and that is not the worst of it.
Yesterday, Rick Sloan (U-Cubed Executive Director) revealed a troubling reality that equates to the typical lack of involvement of the jobless American today. From his email titled One Truly Is The Loneliest Number:
Dear UCubed Leaders and Activists:
One truly is the loneliest number. Only one UCubed member stepped up to run for UCubed State Director in exactly one state. Consequently, the scheduled 2011 elections must be cancelled.
Perhaps, by this time next year, UCubed will have sufficient mass -- and sufficient intensity and drive -- to elect its own leadership. Until then, we will build our organizational infrastructure by appointing activists who will aggressively represent the Union of Unemployed and its members at the state and regional levels.
Here at the Union of Unemployed, just like in your personal lives, each obstacle is simply another challenge to be met… as we continue our fight for the jobless.
What an exiguous, disappointing commentary on the American jobless response to an epidemic of distain from politicians and suppression of our undeclared birth rights as citizens of this great country by the rich who continue to assure they have all the power and privilege. I wonder exactly when we are going to realize that what the wealthy really FEAR is an uprising of the millions of minions - who out number them substantially.
As long as you continue to self-delude into believing you are making a difference simply by making a few calls to Washington, sending the occasional fax and signing the latest petition that comes along, YOU ARE PLAYING RIGHT INTO the System of SILENCE that is killing AMERICA.
Perhaps you are content to sit on the sidelines and say “What can one person do to make a difference anyway?” BUT unless you yourself are willing to be one of those who can make a difference in your own little corner of America - PLEASE DO NOT WASTE MY TIME sending me anymore worthless petitions on Facebook, Twitter, Change.org, Care2, Popvox or any other complete waste of my time as I am uninterested to the point of nausea!
I prefer instead to focus my energies on personal visits to lawmakers in my area, protesting with any group gathering for whatever cause that gets media attention (bringing my own 99ers sign) and working together with like minded active individuals who wish to do more that click a few computer keys a few times per month and claim to be ACTIVE in the cause. We must BOMBARD our elected officials in mass with one single message: WE ARE ANGRY AND WANT ACTION NOW to help NOT further HARM the American jobless and working poor.
Get out there and meet with real activists. Find them locally in groups like U-Cubed, on College Campus bulletin boards (computer), contact MOVE-ON.org and USUncut. Get out there and get ‘er DONE!
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