calling in sick on Flag Day June 14th 2006 PROTEST

[RawMaterials]

Subject: The only way I can think of that is legal

I'm 61 years old and have been active in progressive politics since my teens. I've marched for
civil rights and against war. I vote and volunteer in almost every election. I write and call my
Senators and Congressmen. I've published a newspaper and books. I've served in the military
and paid my taxes and nothing seems to help.

Now my beloved America is in the hands of facists. And doing what I've been doing all these years
isn't going to change that, so there is only one option left. I'm not going to work on Maggies Farm anymore.
I'm asking everybody in America that is sick of how things are going, sick of watching our kids die in
an illegal war, sick of watching our environment being sold to the highest bidder and raped, sick of not
having our votes counted, sick of watching right-wing zealots take a woman's right to controll her own
body away, sick of watching the Constitution being ripped to shreads, sick of how long this list would
have to be to cover all of the things that we are sick and tired of seeing happen to our country, to join me
in calling in sick on Flag Day June 14th 2006.

I don't want essential workers like doctors or firemen or cops to stay home. And I don't want anyone to
risk losing their job, but I think if several million people just didn't show up for work on that Wednesday
morning a lot of stuff would grind to a halt. Thursday we all go back to work and bust our butts catching up
but we will have let them know who really runs this country. This would have been a fool's errand even a
few years ago, but now with the internet and the blogs I think it can be done. I'm sick of not having my
voice heard in the corridors of power so I plan to just shut up and stay home reading the Constitution.

If they are so all powerful let them mop the floors, cook the food, stock the shelves, harvest the crops,
drive the cab. We have the power and all we have to do to show it is just stay home for one day.
June 14th will leave enough time before the election for the effect of this to sink in and scare the shit out
of the bastards. It will also give us time to inspire the people and show them how democracy is supposed
to work. Maybe they will even vote. Maybe we can take our country back. All we can do is try.

Will you ask your readers to join me on Flag Day and stay home?
Hell, America could use a day off.

Yer old pal on the Oregon Coast,

billy in Tolovana Park, OR

Ps. I couple of shots lifted to you for all you do.
I'm a gin man, Boodles and Tonic can cure a lot more than scurvey.
I don't gamble myself, but I do play poker, and luck has little to do with it.


http://www.bartcop.com/billy-legal.htm

[Lars39]

1. Flag Day's too far off.

Of course,I think we should have already been having national strikes. :)

[RawMaterials]

2. It gives us

enough time to get the word out :hi:

organizing a couple of million people could take some time.

[Radio_Guy]

3. I like it

Even organize marches where we carry upside down flags to symbolize our distress. Upside down flags on Flag Day!

[Lars39]

9. Cross post your OP in the Activist HQ forum so it won't get lost.

GD moves too fast sometimes. :)

[calmblueocean]

4. I'll do it. One problem though...

Most people who mop the floors and cook the food don't get "vacation". You don't show up, you come in the next day and pick up your final paycheck.

[RawMaterials]

5. They should still have a sick day n/m

[tammywammy]

7. In my experience

if I'm an hourly employee and they don't give me vacation days, I don't have sick days. Actually I just got "personal" days for the first time at the beginning of the year (this company has never offered them before).

[MarmiteVarmint]

6. However...

Hurting the economy may not be the best way to protest.

Sure, you can tell *them* to cook the food, stock the shelves, drive the cabs, mop the floors etc. But you're not thinking that, instead of penalizing the Republicans, you ARE penalizing the restaurant owner, the grocery manager/owner, the janitorial service, the ordinary chap who depends on a cab to get to work etc.--and those people could easily be Democrats.

[FloridaPat]

8. It would only have an effect if a lot of people did it and everyone knew

why they stayed home. Then the employers would know their employees weren't sick and they could get fired. As for me, thanks to * policies of exporting jobs, I'm unemployed.