Fight the power with power tools
An NPR article caught my eye this May Day. It talks about May 1st being International Labor Day outside the US despite the fact that it started here in 1886. It turns out that American elites subverted the holiday because they didn't want workers to feel unified globally. I mean, I like that day off in the hotter part of the year. At the same time, the reasoning also makes me want to hop in one of those time machines and slap those elites upon their collective craniums. I'm sure they'd be absolutely spinning in their graves to see communities exchanging knowledge while borrowing tools without spending any money in the process!
Pictured: a lingering lobbyist for business rights over
human rights tries to add a membership fee to SKTL
Back in the day, workers were doing 16-hour shifts, mostly on subsistence wages. That is, until a bunch of smart-assed Socialists put the kibosh on these long shifts through strikes and walkouts and organized labor events. Naturally, those pesky human rights advocates choked American exploi--err willingness to work for a luckier, wealthier employer. The previously rotating rich corpses (and their modern-day shameless lobbyists) would pause and scratch their bony skulls if they saw people volunteering at SKTL, though. Ya mean, the plebs don't want to work 16 hours, but will work for free?
Well, this writer here volunteered the last two Saturdays! For Earth Day (above), SKTL went to Hylebos Blueberry Farm as a big group and pulled weeds, cleaned up the park, and fortified the gravel lots. Just last weekend (below), we cleared out a community garden raised bed at Woodmont Library and planted a new generation of useful plants: rosemary, carrots, beans, corn and sunflowers!
All in all, if it were up to me, we'd celebrate Labor Day twice a year. Furthermore, some good ol anti-capitalist sharing and volunteering might just be the best celebration of the holiday(s)! Fight the power with power tools (and gardening equipment)!