The Common Ills: Talking entry, David Bacon, Cher, etc

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Talking entry, David Bacon, Cher, etc

Let's start with David Bacon. His latest book is The Right to Stay Home: How US Policy Drives Mexican Migration. His work this month a photo essay which we'll not an excerpt of:

DOMESTIC WORKERS AND THEIR CHILDREN MARCH FOR THEIR RIGHTS
Photoessay by David Bacon
Capital and Main, August 9, 2016
http://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2016/08/domestic-workers-and-their-children.html
http://capitalandmain.com/latest-news/issues/labor-and-economy/domestic-workers-and-their-children-rally-to-campaign-for-rights-0809/

Over 300,000 California housekeepers, nannies and personal attendants provide support and care to seniors and people with disabilities, putting in long hours caring for an estimated two million households. With no overtime protections, they suffer exhaustion, damage to their health and that of their clients, and can't earn enough to pay their own bills. In a recent survey, 76 percent of domestic workers still reported working more than 45 hours a week, with 24-hour shifts being common.

The California Domestic Workers Coalition started fighting for a bill of rights for domestic workers seven years ago, to give the same overtime protection to the state's domestic workers that most other workers already have. California did pass these protections three years ago. But the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights had a flaw - Governor Jerry Brown insisted that it had to come up for reapproval after three years or it would disappear.

Last week domestic workers, their children and the clients with disabilities they care for marched on the California state Capitol to support a bill that would eliminate the sunset provision on their overtime protection. The State Senate passed Senate Bill 1015 several months ago, which would make the bill of rights permanent. The State Assembly has started to consider it and the coalition hopes it will pass before the legislature's session ends at the end of August.

According to one domestic worker, Honorata Nono of Filipino Advocates for Justice, "Caregiving is overlooked and undervalued. We take care of the most vulnerable people who need constant care. The people under our care also deserve love, respect and dignity. The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights means economic justice and permanent dignity for us all!"

Is this the new schedule?

A question in the e-mails.

"Iraq snapshot" during the week in the mornings?

This is what it is.

August hasn't been a kind month.

A friend learns he's in renal failure (stage three), another friend learns her father has X weeks to live, another friend's son dies and we're not yet to the two-third mark for August.

Equally true, when we're speaking to groups right now there are a ton of questions and comments and those group discussions go on for a long time -- which I'm excited about, I'm excited there is such renewed interest in Iraq.

So the Iraq snapshot has moved up to the mornings. For now. Who knows how long.

Cher?

Re Jill Stein, I said everything I needed to say in this snapshot.

A number of people are sending statements she made about Hillary expecting me to call her out for them.

On Cher and Hillary, we addressed this in the April 15th snapshot:

I think it's very telling that in the arts community, those supporting Bernie -- Susan, Tim, Mark Ruffalo, Rosario Dawson, etc -- are the ones who've been outspoken even when it wasn't popular.

Cher's supporting Hillary.

‏@cher

#ImWithHer I'm Proud 2 Support Hillary
Choose who You"Believe In"& Go 2 The Wall.,
NO MATTER WHAT PPL THINK.+

2,336 retweets6,545 likes

Other than Cher, I'm finding a hard time seeing a single artists who's taken an important stand. (Cher's shown bravery repeatedly.) Instead, they're self-involved posers who never take a stand until after the popular tide has shifted -- if then.

That covers it.

Cher is allowed to support whomever she wants.

If she's happy with it, great.

She is happy with it, so great.

She's out there trying to support Hillary.

That's her right and she should be applauded for it.

I don't tear down anyone for supporting who they believe in.

We did not rip apart Clint Eastwood for his various candidates. He believed in them, he supported them, good.

Good for Scott Baio and Antonio Sabato Jr. who were at the GOP convention this summer. They believe in voting for Trump.

That's fine.

That's wonderful, in fact.

Your vote is your vote. You should use it as you see fit.

My only hope is that you vote for someone you believe in. That's my hope -- not my command.

Cher believe in Hillary, Scott and Antonio believe in Donald Trump. Hopefully, others who will make decisions will be as happy with their votes.

My problem with Cher was addressed last Saturday.

There is no reason to tear or trash a third party candidate and there is no reason to use fear.

And Cher doing that will Jill was wrong and we called it out.

It was also good -- personally.

Because since 1992, I have carried tremendous guilt for trashing Cher for supporting H. Ross Perot.

I was rude and I crossed a line.

And around 1993, February, I was embarrassed.

As I thought and thought on it, I was more than embarrassed.

I have apologized but I never stopped feeling guilty.

Until last weekend when she went after Jill.

So now I don't need to feel guilty anymore.

And, no, we're not going to call her out because she's supporting Hillary.

So please stop e-mailing on that.

The illustration above was used at THIRD on Sunday for "10 Reasons to Love Cher" and one of the main reasons for doing that piece -- one day after the snapshot re: Cher and Jill Stein -- was to make clear that this wasn't a defining moment where we turn our backs on someone.

Cher has many wonderful qualities including her bravery and courage.

Hillary's lucky to have a supporter like Cher.

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