Labor Day 2014

It's a different world than the one that organized Labor Day in the US, in 1887- that day that celebrates workers  both for their works and the unions, fighting for decent working conditions, decent pay, did away with child labor (at least legally) - than the one we live in today. The one where the tag Made in the USA slipped out the back, Jack, while a whole lot of people were looking the other way. Maybe they were looking at Walmart and carrying home cheap goods made in another country where labor unions don't exist, or maybe they were banging on about Mexicans stealing jobs that obviously hoards of folks were lined up for, such as picking tomatoes for 10 cents a bucket. A big bucket.

No. The jobs being taken, those jobs where sweat runs, those jobs building things we use every day like electronics and clothing and food (food that yes, goes from America to be processed and then is shipped BACK to America) and tools and ceiling fans and, well, all of those jobs? Those were taken by politicians and corporations, by letting corporations move their work and their wallets out of the US to where children do have to work, pay is less than subsistence (oh, like here, but not like here at all) and a work week is never done. Literally.

I never thought I'd post anything touting Republicans, but as you can see, in 1956, they were a very different breed of cat.

It's not just China, far from it. You can read about where some of your Fruit of the Looms, Hanes and Levi's come from (for a worker making less than five bucks a day) here. photo credit: unknown

So my hat's off to the laborers. Hats off to those who go out of their way to buy American products, even if they cost a little more. Hats off to anyone standing in the way of the backdoor tax evaders. What happened to that oomph, America?

And yes, I'm guilty of hypocrisy. I make this on a Mac, I take photos with a camera made who knows where, but where do I buy an American made computer or camera? I do try to buy American or buy used, recycled options, especially in tools. One reason is selfish, old tools, tools once made in the US, when well taken care of, they last! There ARE websites dedicated to helping you find American made products, such as these - americansworking.com, madeinamericaforever.com, and madeinusa.org. to help you sort out what is and isn't really made in America. We DO have choices, just sometimes we have to work harder to make good ones.  What happened to our jobs, our factories anyway? You can read about it here and find out.

I will bet this is NOT a Republican poster in 2014

I think our culture of 'gotta have it and have it right now' is one of the reasons I love living on Culebra. I haven't seen one Labor Day (or any other day for that matter) sale here, except maybe Valentine's Day and that's from our local plant nursery. There are no billboards with products you didn't even know existed to lure you into thinking you need it and need it now, take the mall exit here. It's easier here to do with less and have that be more. I like that. A lot.

This photo was made with a camera made in China or Japan. Bad me.

So happy Labor Day, readers! Do your part. One by one by one, things can change. The Power of One works. Really.

Have a made-here mercantile Monday. Do something mightily minuscule.

Some more ways to help Haiti

I know we are all being overwhelmed with ways to help the people of Haiti, along with the horrible news and photos coming out as the days pass and so little seems to be getting done. But there is a plane coming to Culebra tomorrow to pick up any medical supplies that we might get together and I wanted to cover as much ground as possible with this information, so that anyone with the desire to give in this way, can.

If you are interested, and can fill up a box (liquor boxes are great to use, strong and not too large), please be at the airport around 9-ish tomorrow or send someone. I know not all of us have vehicles so maybe people can get together on this making up a box from two or more sources.

Here is the email from Santiago.

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SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERY OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 17TH, (SUBJECT TO FLIGHT PLANS TO BE APPROVED OR CHANGED BY AUTHORITIES IN HAITI):

This coming Sunday, I will accompany my friend and his co-pilot to Culebra and then to Vieques to collect MEDICAL SUPPLIES ONLY. From Vieques, we will depart to Haiti to deliver the supplies. The proposed schedule is as follows:

9:00 am - Departure from Isla Grande

9:20 am - Arrival at Culebra

10:05 am - Departure from Culebra

10:25 am - Arrival at Vieques

11:10 am - Departure from Vieques to Haiti

12:45 pm - Estimated Arrival at Haiti

We need your cooperation and coordination to make this schedule possible. You need to be at the airport ready to go at the stated time. PLEASE BE PUNCTUAL. We will do our best to be on-schedule as well, but weather and other considerations may be controlling. We need you to be there, sharp and ready to load, since it will be a long day of flying and we need to arrive in Haiti at a given schedule mandated by the authorities. Also, we want to be back in Puerto Rico at the end of the day, and any delays will hurt this schedule.

Here is what is needed and wanted from you:

• We can carry a maximum of 300 pounds of supplies. We need you to give us an estimated weight of what you have or collect as the time and day approaches. I am not putting a quota on either island, we just need the 300 pounds to make the flight count. You need to be accurate, BUT please do not wait until Sunday to weight the items and give me the information. Also, do not worry if you do not have the amount of items needed to complete this weight, since we may be able to gather some items from San Juan. Our priority is Culebra and Vieques, BUT WE NEED ADVANCE NOTICE.
• The items need to be neatly packaged to have them properly fit in the plane. We are NOT flying a cargo plane, but rather a private plane meant for passengers which will makeshift as a cargo plane for medical supplies. Neat boxes, not bigger than the kind of boxes used for Xerox type paper, will do. Perhaps a print shop like Adonai in Vieques can donate some, or Morales after they unload their goods. Boxes in bad conditions, and also irregular boxes or packages would limit the use of the space and make it more difficult to handle (at the airport and once in Haiti). When you weight the items also weight the packages. I am being specific for sake of safety. Please bear with me.
• The packages need to be adequeately labeled and the items within the package should be of the same kind/type. For example, bandaids, gauzes and the like in a box, with Tylenol, Panadol and others packed together in separate box. Just use common sense and you will be OK.
• If medical supplies do not account for the 300 pounds, we may take bottled water, not the 1 gallon bottles, but rather the individual bottles.

A final note - I have never done this kind of project before. I did help in the Katrina and Asia relief efforts, but mostly by raising funds (Ricky Martin Foundation) and coordinating for volunteers to travel to Louisiana (Scientology Volunteer Ministers). I state this, because I plan as best as I can, but I am pretty sure that some improvisation will be required at one point or another. Hence, do not dispair if we change this schedule, or the plans, or if we need to cancel the trip at any point.

We are doing what we can, and my personal philosophy in life is to make things go right, period. I appreciate your understanding, your support, but most importantly, your love and willingness to help.

With Love,

Santiago F. Lampón

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Thanks for anything you can do. People are dying who should be saved, due to lack of simple medical supplies. We can't save everyone, but we can try to save one and one and one.