Does anybody read these?

Post-pourri

I have a whole bunch of random thoughts in my head.

Did you notice that I completely avoided September 11th the other day? I did. For many reasons. I had issues way back then and I have issues now. I will stop long enough to gripe that some people have made a huge national tragedy into an issue to further their agenda. Not that I'm saying either side is less guilty of that, but it is not something that needs to be politicized or used for political gain, by anyone. I am not getting into it regarding our current military action. Most of you know where I stand on it. And regardless of where I stand, I absolutely detest how anyone who is "against" the war is anti-American, pro-terrorism, etc. I don't think there's anyone who thinks terrorism is good or hates America. And being pro-troops means a lot of things to a lot of people. And that just proves my point as to why I didn't write any type of touchy-feely post on Sept. 11. All I really remember about that time was that the media coverage was non-stop on every channel for weeks and three weeks after the attacks I unplugged my TV because I was having horrible nightmares.

Actually, I'm going to describe one to you. It was very odd, but it was so realistic that I actually woke up in a cold sweat and didn't sleep for two days after that. Basically, the gist of it was that my grandma and I had gone to Washington, D.C., on a trip. We were in a government building off The Mall, I think the National Archives. Anyhow, there was a terrorist attack and my grandma was in a wheelchair and I had to get her to safety. I asked several people to help me, and finally Bill Clinton threw her over his shoulder and carried her to safety. I know that sounds absurd, but this dream was very realistic. I can remember the scenes of horror and carnage like it was yesterday.

Since that day, I've pretty much blocked 9-11 out of my mind. I'm sure some would think that makes me a cruel and heartless bitch, but that's not the case at all. And I did pay attention to it all when the book Love, Greg & Lauren came out. It was amazing and I rushed to my library right away to read that inspirational tale.

Let's see. What else did I notice today?

The VA says that there's no such thing as Gulf War syndrome. When I think about how many men and women I've met who served in the Gulf War and now have problems relating to their service, I'm suspecting that the VA is just trying to cut costs somewhere. Once again, our veterans get the shaft.

Speaking of getting the shaft, I want to talk for a teeny-tiny second about trade unions. I read a bit on the Detroit teachers' strike. I am sorry to those who do not agree, but I think there is a place for organized labor. And I do not think that the government, a judge, etc. should be able to force striking workers to go back to work unless the strike is causing some type of imminent danger. I believe that as long as we allow that to happen, it erodes the purpose of a strike. I think about the early unions and all the good that they've done for people. Workers deserve a fair wage and a safe place to work. I just imagine how things might've been different if the Sago Mine had been unionized. Surely, the owners of the mine wouldn't have called the only survivor a liar because he said their safety equipment didn't work.

There was other news for the Post-pourri, but I'll be damned if I know what it is right now. I'll post it if I remember it. I guess really this was just some crazy leftist rant.

But really, would you expect any less?

posted by Laura at 11:43 PM