Praise the Lord and Pass the Tie-Dye!

Wow, talk about your flashbacks. It's 1969 and my ten year old self is listening as my father dismisses the Vietnam War protesters as filthy, ignorant, drug-addled hippies. I remember the disgust on his face as he spits out the word "hippies". I also remember wishing I was old enough to join them. Not wishing out loud, of course, else that disgust be directed at me, but fervently wishing, perhaps even praying, that I could somehow be a part of the change that was taking place in our country. A child could see how wrong our involvement was, and I did see. My father did too, eventually. As more and more details came out about the war, and especially after the Kent State Massacre, my father began to change his mind, and I cautiously began to speak mine. I agreed with him that returning vets deserved respect, not to be spat on and labeled "baby killers". He agreed with me that sometimes civil disobedience is the only way to enable change.

Now it's 2011, and my 52 year old self is listening to the conservative right say much the same thing about the Wall Street Protesters. My father has passed, and since his was the only opinion that truly mattered to me, I don't really give a rat's furry hind end who looks at me how. I am old enough to join the protesters this time, albeit through words rather than picketing, and I no longer hesitate to speak my mind. I have found a small bit of common ground with the right, a good bit more with the left, but I usually take my stand on the acres in the middle.

The Right
The incessant parade of unflattering photos and commentary presented by conservatives does have some small merit. Of course, those in the right wing's media camp show only these kinds of images in an effort to discredit the solid principles of the protests. They purposely don't cover stories that reveal the truth behind the protests - that our country suffered under conservative Republican leadership to the point of ruin, and we're still not out of the woods yet. Our economy is precarious, to say the least; many of us are unemployed or scared spitless that we soon will be, and we're just plain fed up. The Dems didn't do diddly in Congress when they were in power, but the Republicans voted into their place haven't, either. But rather than focus on their shortcomings, the conservatives show ludicrous images of misguided protesters and try to convince us that they'll save us from these new-age hippies.

The Left
In all fairness, some of the left wing liberals are just as bad as the conservatives. Incoherent rants and outlandish outfits do little to further a cause, and only destroy credibility. Pooping on a police car does not advance one's agenda in a constructive fashion (really, I just wanted to grab that kid and smack the snot out of him). I totally understand the reasoning behind beginning the protests on Wall Street. Think about it...who needed the first and most expensive bailout? Wall Street has had our economy in its greedy little grip for years now, allowed to tighten that grip through the policies of former administrations. There's method in the protesters' madness, but frankly the madness could be toned down a notch or three. Some of us old hippies should really start some sort of instructional program, "Protesting 101" or some such, to teach the younger generation the strategies of effective civil disobedience.

The Middle
I eagerly voted for Barack Obama, grateful for the chance to have done so. The fact that I think he is an earnest visionary notwithstanding, what was the alternative? McCain and Palin? Seriously? Umm, nah...not so much. I had high hopes for Obama's presidency after the tailspin that Dubya sent this country into, but I have to admit to a little disappointment in his leadership so far. However, I do think that since it took eight years to bring America to its knees, it's going to take at least that long to restore it to a viable democracy. It's only fair.

It gives me hope to see this grassroots movement take hold. Our political system has failed us miserably, so it seems to me this is the only avenue left open to us. There is so much bad news to absorb, so many things that evoke despair for the human race. Even with all its faults, the occupation of Wall Street is long overdue and certainly not deserving of the venom being spewed by the conservative right. David Bowie's splendid lyrics from 1971 are easily applied to the rabid invectives being hurled at the demonstrators today:

And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through.

All of us should take heart, I think, that our citizens are still willing to take to the streets to voice their opinions and ideas. That's what this country was founded on...remember a little protest against the British in 1776?  I'm quite sure that King George III said many of the same things about America's original protesters that the conservatives are saying about today's group. I may cringe at their lack of decorum sometimes, but the protesters' message is solid.

So more power to you, Wall Street Protesters....give 'em hell!. I hope you never lose your resolve to make America a better place to live. And I hope that years from now I'm still able to speak my mind, wave a wrinkled fist in the air, hitch up my tie-dyed Depends, and rasp "Right On!"

Between the Devil, the Deep Blue Sea and At-Will Employment

If you're lucky enough to have a job right now, I've got a question for you - when's the last time you read your employee manual?  I don't mean the cursory skim you give it during orientation, I mean really reading it well enough to understand it.  Chances are you're more worried about keeping a roof over your head than policy and procedure, like I was.  When I was hired, the perky little human resources rep breezed through the manual, glossing over details. I nodded and smiled and planned what I was going to do with the extra couple of hours that all that breezing and glossing saved.  Big mistake.  Now I'm embroiled in a disagreement with my employer over two policies they claim I signed off on. I'm very familiar with the employee manual now - one of the policies isn't in the manual, and the other is written in such vague language that a quantum physicist would have trouble comprehending it.  "At-will" employment basically means that your employer can dictate every aspect of your life, even when you're not on the clock.  They can mandate whether or not you work a part-time job, your activities in civic groups, even whom you associate with after work. It's like signing a deal with the devil.  You get to work, but the company owns you.  Employment is presumed to be "at-will" in every state except Montana (way to go, Montana!). So here's the moral of the story, honeylambs - when you start a new job, read everything before you sign anything. Go over that employee manual with a fine-tooth comb, otherwise you may find yourself losing big chunks of your personal freedom. 

Bear with me, honeylambs.  There's more to come.  Just not tonight.