Fighting to Make the American Dream Real for Everyone / Economic Justice and Labor Educator
This article was originally published for The Retiree Advocate at psara.org in September 2017.
On May 17 and June 21, PSARA held two 2½ hour workshops in Seattle which brought together leaders from 30+ labor and community-based organizations. The organizations represented labor; faith; communities of color; immigrant rights; youth; environmentalists; seniors; women; and gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements. Continue reading “Building a Better Future for All”
This article was originally published for The Retiree Advocate at psara.org in August 2014.
Growing up in a very conservative religious household in the 1960s, I “learned” that homosexuals were sinning against God and male homosexuals were child molesters. I was truly ignorant. Today I am an advocate for equal rights for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. Continue reading “Learning the Power of Our Personal Stories from Our LGBT Brothers and Sisters”
I recently spent 10 days in Cuba as part of a delegation led by Witness for Peace (WFP), a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Its mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean. Continue reading “My Trip to Cuba”
“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our land.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1816. Continue reading “What Kind of Country Do You Want to Live In?”
As a working class kid in the 1960’s, the rules of life seemed simple. For my parents, work hard, play by the rules, pay your taxes, share fairly in the wealth you create at work and have a secure retirement. For me, they were study hard, play by the rules, get an affordable college education, and reach for dreams beyond those of my parents. Continue reading “Stop the Big Rip-off and Rebuild the American Dream”
In the past two years, I have had the honor and opportunity to talk with thousands of people who are deeply concerned about the future for their families, their communities and our world. Continue reading “No More Lazy People: Now What?”
We live in an age of the super-wealthy, the wealthy and the 99%. Public opinion polls constantly tell us what the 99% think and do. But what do the 1% think and do politically? Continue reading “What do the 1% Really Think?”
If I had $10 for every time I hear a young person say that Social Security won’t be around for them, I could pay for a round-the-world trip. These feelings are anchored in fear, hopelessness, powerlessness and ignorance of history. We are constantly bombarded with pessimistic messages that our country can’t afford to ensure that everyone has a secure retirement. This is nonsense. Continue reading “Telling Our Story Brings Hope: Fighting to Create and Keep a Secure Retirement”