Yes
Sometimes in discussions with people, we find that we apply slightly different meanings to certain words. On my paternal side, I come from Irish immigrants to the northeast, who arrived here in the mid- to late-1800s. Many of them found employment on the canals and railroads; some were laborers, some stone-cutters (one very talented marble-cutter), and telegraphers. They would join the unions, and were active in the politics of the day.
This included both men and women from my family. The women, so far as I know, were all employed as telegraphers. The fact that the Irish women -- at least those from the southeast of the Old Sod -- recognized themselves as equal to men (“equal,” as opposed to “exact”), it was good that they were active union members. An untold part of the tensions between the Irish and the WASPs was rooted in the role that Irish women played.
Aunt Mary (actually, double-great) was a telegrapher in Nutley, New Jersey. She was a charter member of the national Order of Railroad Telegraphers Union. She was the matriarch who made sure that all of her nieces had an equal opportunity for education after completing high school. More, she recognized it was her responsibility to educate others in the family.
As a youth, my father told me stories about how Aunt Mary loved FDR. This is how I learned about the family’s connections to Leland Olds, one of the two greatest influences on FDR’s ideas on converting the “social gospel” in a series of programs that helped re-define the United States. The other was, of course, Ed Flynn, who had long talks with FDR when Roosevelt was governor of New York, on the “Rerum Novarum” of Pope Leo XIII . (By the way, none other than that rat Paul Ryan would attempt to pervert this 1891 Catholic teaching to justify his cruelty.)
Anyhow, before I ramble on and on about Olds’s friendship with Irish poet George Russell (AE) -- Olds headed Russell’s 1930-31 tour of the US, where he taught a social contract rooted in Theosophy -- let me get back on track. Aunt Mary used two words to describe the good people who struggled for social justice: the first was “liberal,” meaning those who felt the economic-social-political machine could be “fine-tuned” to improve the lives of citizens; and “progressives,” who believe the machine needs to be fundamentally changed to bring about social justice.
One of the primary differences between the meanings that I learned, and those I see used frequently these days, is that Aunt Mary understood that it was essential to be one with the poor and downtrodden. Now, that didn’t mean that she turned her back on everyone else. But she recognized the poor as the foundation for a society in which most people -- at that time -- identified themselves as Christians.
Now, in watching the Democratic Party’s primary contest -- including the debates on television, the nonsense that passes for journalism, and even the discussions here on DU:GDP -- I find myself thinking that Hillary Clinton and her supporters are liberals, and Bernie Sanders and his supporters are progressives. And I say that with all due respect; in no sense do I intend it as any type of an insult. I believe that both candidates, and their supporters, are sincere. (This is not to suggest that everyone who claims to support one or the other on the internet are sincere: for as Minister Malcolm X taught, not every man who tosses worms into the water is a friend of the fish.)
From the history that has taken place since even before I was born, issues of health care have been acrimonious. Members of the Democratic Party have generally sought to expand coverage; the now extinct species known as “moderate republicans” have, too -- as have some conservative republicans, including Nixon and Dole; but other interests have long opposed making affordable healthcare available to all.
President Obama did pass historic legislation. And it has benefited many people. It’s good. But we can do better. Look at this crime in Flint. A combination of the corporate and political machines was willing to poison people. Including children. People placed finances over the health of the most vulnerable among us, little children.
If this were unique, it would be one thing. But it isn’t unique. Not even close. In places across this land -- and quite often in the areas where poor people live -- industries have poisoned thousands of neighborhoods and communities. Toxic industrial wastes have poisoned the land, water, and air. And human beings have unacceptable levels of various poisons building up inside their bodies.
Since 1980, I have worked with the residents of my hometown to deal with the impact of seven industrial toxic waste dumps -- ranging in size from relatively small to 130+ acres -- primarily from a local military-industrial corporation. My efforts have included reading literally hundreds of thousands of pages of local, state, and federal government -- and industry -- reports; community organizing; countless public hearings; federal court cases; and more.
People from the community were exposed to poisons. This included little children consuming water contaminated with unacceptable levels of lead -- although there were numerous other, equally unacceptable levels of other toxins, as well. On paper, the government and industry have dealt with the problem; in real life, the town still has one of the highest rates of cancer in North America.
I’m all for fine-tuning the machine when that is what is required. But there are many times when our system requires more than an oil change and new spark plugs. Just as in Flint, those responsible for poisoning human beings need to pay for the medical care of their victims. As it currently stands, our system is set up more to prevent the criminals -- and that is exactly what they are -- from having to “share” their profits. That needs to be changed.
Certainly, those in power will shriek, “Socialism!” But everyone who has been involved in these types of environmental/ social justice struggles knows that our system already has “socialism” that cuddles the “rich and powerful.” The machine is geared for their comfort. I think that it is high time that we organize to clog those gears. Doing so does not just help the poor, or even the middle class. It’s not a program to benefit the Democratic Party. For we are not sitting upon some imaginary fence, which insures safety to some, and suffering to others. No, we are here in North America, a beautiful part of the Earth. And for far too long, we’ve allowed a greedy few to poison the Earth, poison, the living environment, the land, air, and water, the plants and animals, including human beings.
It’s not good enough, to sit back, as an outraged spectator, and curse the criminals that poisoned Flint. It’s not enough, at this late date, to say that we need to ask permission to read the owners’ manual, and propose a study for fine-tuning the machine. It’s not rational to believe that snakes -- such as that governor, who offered his “prayers” -- have the moral or ethical capacity to address the toxic state of this nation, in any meaningful manner.
I can only speak for myself. But I do not accept “be patient!” as acceptable ….when, as noted, I’ve been working on a human health crisis since 1980. I believe that it is important that we take action today, to make serious changes in the machine. The Democratic Party is offering the vehicle to institute that change.
Peace,
H2O Man
= new reply since forum marked as read
Most importantly, we have to stay united. Otherwise, we lose.
Thanks for the thread, H2O Man.
Thank you for this post and for your activism. You just gave me another reason (as if I needed more) to vote and volunteer for Bernie Sanders. There is no more time to lose, to compromise, to accommodate monsters.
I took about a 10 yr leave of absence from DU, but I'm delighted to see that you're still here, writing and inspiring.
Peace. 