Quitting Time

Take a long look at the image below. This is what it looks like when the First Amendment is violated.

‘Gasland’ Journalists Arrested At Hearing By Order Of House Republicans

In a stunning break with First Amendment policy, House Republicans directed Capitol Hill police to detain a highly regarded documentary crew that was attempting to film a Wednesday hearing on a controversial natural gas procurement practice. Initial reports from sources suggested that an ABC News camera was also prevented from taping the hearing; ABC has since denied that they sent a crew to the hearing.

It is true that the crew was unable to get official credentialing permission the day before. However, it is also true that by longstanding precedent, journalists have been able to film regardless of credentials. Most important, it is true that this was a public hearing — and there is no reason the public should not be able to tape a public hearing, where all proceedings are part of the public record.

So a representative of the public was arrested for taping a public hearing.

I guess all those congressmen who wasted the public’s money reciting the Constitution back in January 2011 should’ve have actually paid attention to the document they were reading.

My co-writer and I are big supporters of the occupy movement. Every day that this movement goes on is another day that a great idea is shared and acted upon. Another day that this country is moved back in the right direction away from corporate dominance and back into the hands of the people.

The Port Truck Drivers have risked retaliation — and make no mistake, it is a huge risk — to write an open letter of support to the Occupy the Ports protest, another offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Port Truck Drivers desperately want to unionize and are taking hell for it. They are facing unhealthy and inhumane working conditions and constant harassment for wanting to improve those conditions. Imagine having to pee into a bottle, or worse defecate into a bag, on a daily basis because there are no bathrooms at your work. Imagine having to do so even though it is an act that could get you suspended because you have no other choice.

They don’t want to work in these conditions, but most are stuck in truck leases and can’t easily leave their job for another. Moreover, they like the work they do. They just want the ability to have safe and human working conditions at their jobs, like all of us. So they have elected to take a stand to make things better.

In the letter they make an important point — why should they have to leave their job if they “don’t like the conditions?” Why should a normal system be broken so that a company can have more money?

And this ties right back in to the anti-union sentiment you hear politicians toss about. In Wisconsin and elsewhere, they try to divide the working class (in fact, everyone who counts as the 99%) by pointing out how much better conditions are for unionized workers than for non-unionized workers — better wages, better benefits, better pensions, better sick day policies — and they ask the question, why should unions have all that when you don’t? It’s a smokescreen, a ruse, a misdirection, a lie. The real question is this: Why shouldn’t all of us be strive to work in those better conditions?

Companies like SSA Marine and Maersk shouldn’t get away with these illegal activities that actively harm the people who work for them so they can make a fast buck. And if I were them, I would be very afraid of the combination of Port Truckers and Occupy protestors being backed up by the Teamsters. Read the letter and show your support for Clean and Safe Ports.