I remember, back in childhood days in
the early 50s, celebrating May Day. We had displays and activities
out on the playground and even set up a May Pole for kids to dance
around. The people of the United States appreciated the unions and
the workers for bringing up their standard of living.
“On May 1 - or May Day - citizens of
more than 80 countries will officially celebrate some version of
International Workers' Day. Many more will do the same in an
unofficial capacity. It is a day to thank and honor workers and the
labor movement for their immense contributions to our societies.
Sadly, we can be certain that millions
of Americans have never even heard about this, as May Day has never
been seriously recognized in the United States and probably never
will be, despite the fact that it was Chicago's infamous Haymarket
riots and their aftermath that became the inspiration for the
holiday.
Not only is May Day not recognized
here, but it was rejected with extreme prejudice by the US
government, on the grounds that it had communist overtones and was
too strident in its celebration of labor
First proposed by the American Bar
Association, "Law Day" was also meant, at least in part, to
"suppress the celebration of May Day." On "Law Day,"
we are encouraged to celebrate the rule of law, for some reason.
Thankfully, "Law Day" and "Loyalty Day" - it's
difficult to even write the latter without cringing - continue to be
largely ignored by the public.
Not that American workers have much to
celebrate. Unions have been beaten into submission: Fewer than 7% of
private sector workers now belong to a union; membership peaked at
around 35% in the 1950s. Workers' voices are effectively shut out of
the political process; a recent, high-profile study out of Princeton
University showed that the United States' political system is, for
all intents and purposes, oligarchical, with wealth and influence
being all that really count when it comes to shaping policy.”
---
So, we don't get to celebrate May Day
and honor workers and the labor movement. Maybe the Owners are
afraid to let the people think of the difference the workers and the
labor movement has made for the common person.
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