Letters

>Archive - PWW Print Edition Archive - 2001 Editions - Nov 24, 2001


 

Struggling, not ‘unemployed’

When I picked up a copy of your newspaper here, I did not appreciate the sign that said “free for the unemployed.” Please don’t call those of us who are struggling and desperately looking for decent work to support ourselves by the negative word “unemployed.” Just like the word “bum” inaccurately describes every homeless person, the word “unemployed” likewise implies that everyone left in a desperate situation is a detriment who is not doing anything of value in their community.

I happen to be a 30-year-old college-educated woman who has become sick of employers and recruiters, and speaking with them. I am also disgusted with trying to “sell” myself by lying and otherwise making myself someone I am not. Why is it whenever I gladly volunteer for a non-profit agency, they don’t have a problem with me being myself? There are very few employers that way, if they exist at all.

Unlike my volunteering experiences, much of my experience with paid work has ended up being both mentally and physically harmful to me. There were always more negative comments than positive comments about me such as, “You’re not making enough profits for us” or not being “fast enough.” If I honestly didn’t know how to do something, the employers have always grumbled and verbally cut me down rather than patiently teach or train me how to do it.

Since I don’t make enough with my freelance writing, I’ve decided for now to become librarian and a substitute teacher for the state since I’m through with private companies deciding who is “employable.” I fear remaining regularly employed, even with the state, since its leaders in many sectors likewise use uncompassionate corporate policies on who to hire and fire.

Michelle Kunert
Sacramento CA


Music to our ears

Mention of Mikis Theodorakis addressing the Athens peace rally in front of the U.S. embassy was left out of my article last week. This was a very significant advance for the movement and for Theodorakis and would certainly have been of interest to large numbers of Americans who knew him as one of the communist cultural leaders during the Nazi occupation, the civil war, and afterwards. He is very well known in international music circles both popular and classical. This is the composer who wrote the music for the film, Zorba the Greek, and collaborated with Neruda on the oratorio, “Canto General.” I think our readers deserve to know of this development.

Dan Kuyan
Athens, Greece


Democrats and war

Just over a year ago you hailed the nomination of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) for Vice President as a blow against racism and anti-semitism. Now you are “shocked ... almost beyond belief” (Nov. 3) that Lieberman and his gang of ultra-right thugs is calling for the bombing of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Some might see it as chickens coming home to roost, but then we have Danny Rubin telling us (Nov. 3) that the peace movement should look “primarily [to] Democrats to halt and change the present [war] policy.” Democrats like Joe Lieberman, John Breaux, Zell Miller ...

Walter Tillow
Camden NJ


Health, not profits

Terrorism, whether perpetrated by foreign fanatics or domestic hatemongers, is never justifiable and must be punished. Those responsible for the anthrax atrocity must be dealt with, speedily and harshly.

The consternation about the non-availability, and the high cost, of Cipro emphasizes more than ever the culpability of the government in handling a crisis as immediate as the anthrax scare when the interests of a monopoly corporation are involved. For the responsible health officials to negotiate with the producer about adequate supply and a reduction in the cost of the drug is criminally callous and blatantly anti-people and pro-monopoly profits.

The American people should not have to suffer because the government has not immediately taken whatever emergency steps are required to enable the drug companies to produce generic Cipro and to supply, without cost, whatever medication is necessary. Billions were awarded to the airlines. And the war is costing billions daily. The cost to the government, even if the drug companies were not willing to supply the medication free, would be a fraction of its gift to the airlines, not to mention the tax “refunds” to IBM, GM, GE and others.

If anything should reactivate and strengthen broad support for a nationalized health care program and, especially, free prescription drugs – a campaign that has lost steam since the Sept. 11 outrage – this should.

Ellen Perlo
Croton-on-Hudson NY