Irony And Hypocrisy: Besties 4 Ever

Over the past few years we have seen a sharp increase in the number of protests and rallies throughout the country. While most have come in the form of large groups of people getting together to show their support or disdain for one topic or another. Personally, I haven’t been a part of these gatherings but fully support the reasons behind some of these assemblies. Others, I am simple left wondering if they really give a crap or fully understand what they are saying and what their actions say about their point of view.

A prime example of the questionable practices of some of these groups occurred this past Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina when a group of individuals decided to hold a rally in opposition to the ‘Republican Agenda’ in the state. One of many points of contention was the passage into law this past year that a photo identification is required for someone to vote in person. I know, such a radical law. How do you expect the dead to vote if they have to actually show up at the polling place with a photo ID.

This is not the first time that such opposition has been seen. In fact, this is a constant topic of debate across the country. What was interesting in this instance was that there was a certain requirement in place at this rally in order for people to be part of the heard protesting this voting requirement. Enter irony and hypocrisy skipping into the conversation hand in hand (they are besties at this point).

As was reported by the Associated Press, “Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, said Saturday the NAACP was being hypocritical for directing marchers on a document to bring photo identification when it opposes a photo ID requirement for voting. Lewis helped shepherd a voter ID law through the legislature.” Yes, you read that correctly, a photo ID was required to protest the voter ID law. Interestingly enough, actually not really interesting more common practice at this point, this little tidbit wasn’t mentioned by any of the more left leaning publications beyond the AP.

Maybe it would make sense to simply have ‘Moral Marches’ on election day and everyone would be happy except, of course, for those who wouldn’t be able to participate in either. I wonder who they would protest against. Would they bother getting a photo ID in order to protest the fact that they didn’t have a photo ID? Why don’t those people without photo identification simply hold up signs at a presidential rally? Oh wait, those require a photo ID to get into as well.

In an age when identity theft is rampant it only makes sense to require people to have photo identification when they go to vote. We are not voting for the next American Idol, we are voting for the people who are supposed to represent us from school boards and other local elected officials to congressman, senators, and the president. Requiring photo identification ensures that you vote for who you want to represent you. One person, one photo ID, one vote. This is the basic equation that everyone, regardless of party, should stand behind.

A Long Weekend With Meaning

Today we celebrate Labor Day. Well, really, let’s be honest. No one is celebrating a holiday to honor the blue collar laborers. In fact, most of the people who have to work on this holiday are the ones that this day is supposed to honor.

This is why I just wanted to take a step back and share with you a little bit about the holiday. First, a little overview as to the purpose of Labor Day as written on the Department of Labor’s website:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country… Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886.

From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

Slowly the movement took hold and crossed the country until finally it was declared a national holiday. Don’t you love the irony from the very beginning when it took a bunch of guys in suits and sitting behind desks in order to pass a holiday that honors the people that, up until that point, were coerced to place their votes in favor of the party that would be most beneficial to their employer. Remember, the formation of this day was long before the sale of Carnegie Steel in 1901 and the dissolution of Standard Oil in 1911.

The means by which the day is celebrated has changed greatly over the years. While today it usually means one last trip to the beach, shopping for bargains at the mall, and generally just enjoying a long weekend away from work that was not the way the day was meant to be observed. Parades and speeches were the order of the day. And while I believe that to be an appropriate way to celebrate at the time, I think the laborers during the turn of the 20^th century would join right along in the modern incarnation of their holiday.

Specifically, this is how the celebrations were supposed to be scheduled (again from the DOL website):

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

Essentially we have a dichotomy between the meaning and means of celebration of this holiday in the modern world. Like many celebrations, this is just one of those things that changes over time. As the world changes so do the people and events in it. However, I would like to propose an idea to attempt to tie the two together, past with present.

It is very simple, take some time out of the day to remember members of your family, past and present, for whom this holiday was created. Appreciate the people that you meet during the day for whom this holiday was established. Find something that you can do yourself that you would normally hire someone to do and work with your hands (once you mess it up and make it worse, then you can call someone). It all comes down to appreciation so find some way to not just show your appreciation but mean it as well. 

Cleaning Always Makes Me Feel Dirty!

Yesterday my wife and I finally set aside the time to give our apartment a much overdue deep cleaning. I wouldn’t say that our apartment was filthy but after seeing the dirt picked up I can say it was anywhere close to clean either. While we still have a few things that need to be addressed, namely the office, dining room table, and a few items that have to be put through the laundry, there was significant progress made and we both agreed that it just felt cleaner. The floors even passed the white sock test.

Every time we have one of these OCD days, I am reminded of the irony that cleaning always makes me feel incredibly dirty and a shower is mandatory after such a Clorox marathon. Inevitability this leads us to agree that we can’t go so long in-between cleanings and that a (fanciful) schedule is needed. We will see if hope becomes reality this time.

However, I think the most important development from yesterday for me is the realization that, once again, we have too much stuff. I feel as we are becoming the embodiment of a George Carlin rant… soon our stuff will be spread all over the world.

I think it is time to downsize. We have done it before and we can do it again. It’s a simple process overcomplicated by the physical act and mental roadblocks. Hopefully, we can get to the point of removing that which is bogging us down… the vast majority of this issue is my fault and something that I have to get done. Basically I am a crap addict with ten pounds squeezed into an apartment which holds five.

I know you will be waiting with bated breath for the next thrilling post on this exciting topic. Don’t worry I will fill you in on the exhilarating results. Also, as a side note, if you try and pawn your stuff off on me when I don’t have a real need for it I might have to beat you with one of the bags of trash that will certainly result from my efforts.