Let's celebrate civil rights activist/hippies/Feminism and unions since it is 4th of July!

I've noticed that on this holiday the military gets lots of love for their role in helping America become a better place. While they deserve praise shouldn't the other half that helped America become a better place also get the same kind of honor on this day as well? I'm currently watching a baseball game and they had soliders out on the field to pay respects and when you think about it shouldn't people from the ACLU or NAACP or some labor union also be brought out onto the field and be honored as well?

Jason

 

And, back when there was a draft, the conscientious objectors who refused to fight, but risked their lives in war zones anyway as (unarmed) medics.

 

That would also be a good example but I would even think people like school teachers or people who pick up garbage could be honored and frankly the list is almost endless. The idea being that for America to be great it takes all sorts of people doing all sorts of jobs to make it that way. In away everyone is a hero because it takes everyone working together to make a society to function, correctly.

Jason

 

Honoring one group doesn't necessarily mean other groups are dishonored.

 

I know and i'm not saying you stop honoring soldiers or cops or firemen which seem to be the big 3 when it comes to these kind of celebrations. I just like the idea of expanding the scope to celebrate other types of hero's, especially on a day that is supose to be about paying homage to America as a country and not just specific groups in America.

Jason

 

Lol, Jayson, how's this thread shaping up for you? Little slow??

 

It's doing better than my "Does anyone like Veep" thread awhile back in the General tv forum. I was shocked that the answer it seems was nobody. Not one single response. I think it's one of the funniest shows of all time.

Jason

 

Well I have to commend you for having the interest and enthusiasm to contribute.

Good on you.

 

Civil Rights Activist, hippies and unions fight for everything that America claims to be based on, but constantly fails to live up to. At least for anyone who isn't a rich, Christian, straight, cis male.

 

I agree. That's why they should be honored. July 4 is a good time to pay respect for people who try and make a difference and make things better for people.

To me that is kind of what the real description of the American Dream is. It represents what we want the country to be, instead of what it is, which makes the use of "dream" very acurate.

Jason

 

Have "hippies" ever fought for anything? They were all about peace and love.

 

They were about ending the war and civil rights we know for certain.

Jason

 

The Hippie Era-- Civil Rights, Women's Lib, and the Sexual Revolution-- changed the world more than it's ever been changed before and brought America a giant step closer to realizing the goals set down by the Founding Fathers. It's a shame to see all the backsliding in the 21st century, but we shall overcome.

 

There's more than one way to fight

 

Were you even alive in the 60's?

 

So when you woke up this morning, what decade were you reminded of THIS time?

 

No I wasn't alive but I think it's common knowledge that these were some of the issues they were fighting for.

Jason

 

Moderation, for all. I think destroying the two-parent home has hurt society. However, you should not shun someone born out of wedlock, either. People make mistakes, all people, and punishing the child for how they were conceived is asinine to me.

Feminism involves boys and Men, as well. The only masculine emotion is anger. The only respected behavior, is aggression. When you fall in-Love, have a crush, have a daughter, the supposed weaker sex has control of your emotions. Sometimes, you feel you masculinity threatened, and have to assert dominance. Sometimes, this manifests in abuse, forcible rape, and even death, for the woman. If you want a safe society for women? Tell little boys they can be emotional, and it is actually healthy. Let them explore Barbies, and GI Joe's without Daddy going ape-shit he's raising a weak child. Stop calling men, women, when you are acting weak. Just a thought.

Unions, like all power structures, needs to be tempered. Those abusing the system by doing no work, should have the union fire their ass. Simply put, you bring everyone else down, get out of my union.

Activists need to remember we all love this country and want to keep their way of life. A clever, cynical saying on a sign is not where change occurs. It's in changing minds and breaking through the noise of every day living to communicate, and persuade your audience.

 

What is this, Game of Thrones? Is there still widespread mockery of children for being born out of wedlock in Western society, much less "shunning"?

Also, while there are certainly advantages to the two-parent household, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it has either been "destroyed" (while less than before, there are still a large percentage of them) or that its decrease has significantly damaged society. People find ways to compensate and make do, although they sometimes need assistance, which we'll revisit with your union comments below.

Yes.

No.

Fuck no.

Yes. You can also tell them that those behaviors are wrong and criminal instead of considering them natural and almost inevitable masculine traits as you did above. I get where you were trying to go with this, I think, but it was very poorly laid out and worded.

Yes.

Worker productivity in the US and the West in general is at an all-time high, while worker compensation in terms of hourly pay and benefits (especially in the US) is way behind. Minimum wage is roughly half of where it should be if it were at parity with worker productivity. This idea that union workers or workers in general are lazing around at work all the time is an outlier and not the norm.

Unions in the US have been on continual decline thanks to corporate union busting tactics and political influence and that has been directly tied to the decline of middle class income in America for decades now. So thinking that unions are the problem is ludicrous. Like in any system, there are those few who will take advantage, but the depiction of union workers at large being lazy moochers is bullshit.

Remember how you were talking about how the decline of the two-parent household was damaging society? If unions had more power and were more widespread in the US again and not so denigrated by the public single parents could have daycare at work, they could afford to work one job instead of two to make ends meet, they could have excellent medical/dental/eyecare/mental health insurance, they could have greater job security instead of living under the threat of at-will employment, they could save more for retirement so that their kids won't have to care for them when they get older or sick, etc. The things you blame on the lack of two-parent households can largely be mitigated by the presence of institutions that support worker's rights and provide collective bargaining power, like unions.

I don't think it's a given to say that "we all love this country", at least not in a healthy way. To me, it's hard to reconcile love of country with hatred or callousness toward large segments of it. I can't reconcile not caring that 22 million+ people will lose their health insurance and their financial security and possibly their lives with love of country. That's love of self (and your immediate circle of family and friends) and accumulation of personal wealth and power at the expense of others I can't reconcile allowing this President to run roughshod over our laws and principles with love of country. That's love of party and being in power above all else.