Late for the anniversary, but worth remembering:the Edmund Fitzgerald

[hedgehog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw

I grew up in a RustBelt of small farms and big plants; everyone had family who worked at the mill or the factory or on the railroad or down on the docks. A lot of the guys went hunting in the fall. A lot of the women sewed their own clothes. Vacation might be a week at a rented lake cottage. We weren't rich, but we had libraries, parks, swimming pools, good schools, neighbors and family near-by. We died a slow death, no Katrina for us, just one plant closing after another.

I think in many ways the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald resonates because of the death of the region.

[Brickbat]

1. Today is the anniversary of Congress approving NAFTA in 1993.

So there you go.

[hedgehog]

2. i lived in Buffalo, and I think things started going bad in 1968.

It's ancient history now, but a big problem back then was the rise of the conglomerates. I can't tell you how many small manufacturing pants were bought up, looted and shut down. For us, NAFTA was too late to do much harm!

[Brickbat]

3. I live near Duluth, Minn.; I hear you.

NAFTA was certainly the death knell. I just thought it appropriate, speaking of anniversaries.

Living where I do, the Fitzgerald anniversary is a big one. I know many people with friends and relatives who went down that day. Mr. Brickbat works in the mining industry (on the railroad); there is a friendly rivalry between train workers and ship workers.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Thank you for this reminder...

In the rush of our everyday lives, we forget the pivotal, important dates...

[The Straight Story]

5. He rewrote a part of the song for this year:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/edmund-fitzgerald-tribute-song-lyrics-changed-by-gordon-lightfoot/2011/11/10/gIQAv3nb9M_blog.html