Friday, September 4, 2009

labor day is labor gay

happy labor day
happy labor gay

for all intensive purposes, i should be filled to the brim with happiness as of late.

i look at my life outwardly and think, you are on the right track ol' girl- keep it up, things are going well for you. what in the world could possibly hold you back? you are a good person, with a good heart- and will go far in life.

and yet inwardly im crippled at times with thoughts of, who the hell do you think you are- setting the bar so high?? you and icarus are one in the same- your fall is imminent. you are a terrible person, and you bring down those around you.

forgive me for being so sullen- im in a funk today...but on a brighter note its a 3day weekend for most people. time to celebrate another 'holiday', and by that i mean everyone negate the actual reason for celebration/remembrance and just be thrilled you have a day off of work and sad summers over.
i shit you not, i work in a 24 hour news saturated environment and STILL i asked a woman today, 'do you know why we even celebrate labor day?' (not being a smart-ass, i legit didnt know 100%) and she said, 'i dont ask questions when im given a day off of work hunny- neither should you'
u smug lil snothead. first off- maybe its just how i was raised, but i was told to question everything, how else are you supposed to learn anything? and two, this lil lady doesnt get holidays off.
well actually, im sure i COULD have off, but i never ask off for holidays that i dont care about (read: most of them) every year i only ask off for halloween and new years. (my logic being, i dont mind working on christmas and thanksgiving every year for the past 4 years as id rather let the people with kids take off those days. but you better leave me halloween and new years- thats all im askin)

perhaps my less-than-chipper attitude has something to do with my views, but after i actually read about labor day, i learned its just a pinch fucked up...

the holiday originated in canada out of labor disputes (nine-hour
movement) first in hamilton, then in toronto, tanada in the 1870s, which
resulted in a trade union act which legalized and protected union activity in
1872 in canada. the parades held in support of the nine-hour movement and the
printers' strike led to an annual celebration in canada. in 1882, american labor
leader peter j mcguire witnessed one of these labor festivals in toronto.
inspired from canadian events in toronto, he returned the usa, to new york and
organized the first american "labor day" on september 5 of the same year.

**sounds innocent enough, right? pfft, this is america baby- keep on reading..**

the first labor day in the united states was celebrated on september 5, 1882 in new
york city. in the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers
at the hands
of the US military and US marshals
during the 1894 pullman strike
, president
grover cleveland put reconciliation with labor as a top political priority.
fearing further conflict, legislation making labor day a national holiday was
rushed through congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after
the end of the strike. cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor
holiday with existing international may day celebrations would stir up negative
emotions linked to the haymarket affair. all 50 U.S. states have made labor
day a state holiday.

No comments:

Post a Comment