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Articles by Randy Schmidt
Of the people: Labor Day commemorates workers' hard-won rights
“The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.” — Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third president of the United States In the USA, the first Monday in September is recognized as Labor Day — the finish of a three-day weekend historically marked by grilling out in backyards and retail sales of bed linens.
Labor's revival starts now
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” – Frederick Douglass, 19th century orator, writer and abolitionist leader During the third week of June, more than 1,000 UAW workers met in Detroit for their constitutional convention. The past few decades have been hard on the labor movement, and on autoworkers in particular. But these workers are optimistic again.
Arlington desecration should spark nation's outrage
“It is a custom more honored in the breach than in the observance.” — William Shakespeare, “Hamlet,”Act 1, Scene 4 Since 1868, we have reserved a special day in May to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms. Unlike the Fourth of July, it is a solemn occasion, often spent at gravesites, where families honor their dead. The official national gravesite for war heroes is Arlington National Cemetery.
The truth shall set us free again
“First, they fascinated the fools. Then they muzzled the intelligent.”—Bertrand Russell, English philosopher, on the onset of fascism If you listen to talking heads, you will hear that our biggest problem is a divided America — as if having diverse viewpoints is inherently bad. Democracy thrives on the principles of diversity and debate. The founders recognized these in our Constitution as social lubricants that can keep us from making errors.
schmidt
“First, they fascinated the fools. Then they muzzled the intelligent.”—Bertrand Russell, English philosopher, on the onset of fascism If you listen to today’s talking heads on most television and internet media platforms, you will hear the viewpoint that our biggest problem today is a divided America—as if having diverse viewpoints are inherently bad, and the source of all our problems. Actually, democracy thrives on the principles of diversity and debate.
Steeled to a new reality: American way feels different in today's world
“And who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.” – Opening narration from the 1950s’ “Adventures of Superman” Do you remember this guy? Superman was created in 1938 when America was in the throes of the Great Depression and facing a looming war against Nazi fascism.
Guest column: Immigrants being sent to prison camps without warrants, due process
“Why did he lose six million Jews? Who lights your way? Only you can say.” “The Only Way (Hymn),” Emerson Lake & Palmer kAmx 2> 2 49:=5 @7 E96 D:IE:6D] x H2D h J62CD @=5 H96? !C6D:56?E z6??65J H2D D9@E] x H2D `c H96? sC] z:?8 2?5 E96? $6?2E@C #@36CE z6??65J H6C6 2DD2DD:?2E65]k^Am kAmx C6>6>36C G:G:5=J H96C6 x H2D H96?
Redirecting misguided nation remains with us - as always
“Why did he lose 6 million Jews? Who lights your way? Only you can say.” — “The Only Way (Hymn),” Emerson Lake & Palmer I am a child of the ’60s. I was 9 years old when President John F. Kennedy was shot. I was 14 when Martin Luther and then Sen. Robert Kennedy were assassinated. I remember vividly where I was when I learned of these events — just as my parents remembered the day they heard Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Conquering the South: Chattanooga unionization vote a victory decades in the making
“When you are an anvil, hold yourself still. When you are a hammer, strike.” — George Herbert (1593-1633), British theologian The wheel of history is turning. Just before midnight on April 19, after three days of balloting, the National Labor Relations Board announced that workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, had voted to join the United Autoworkers Union by a whopping 73%.
UAW striking to strengthen middle-class security
“The time is never right. The time is never wrong. Time is neutral.” – Martin Luther King Jr. On Sept. 15, the United Auto Workers went on strike against the Detroit auto corporations. There has been much hand-wringing from the corporate press that the sky will certainly fall if the corporations succumb to these workers’ delusional demands.
Karen Carpenter - Starving for Perfection Documentary - UK PREMIERE
Join us for the UK premiere of Karen Carpenter - Starving for Perfection in the private screening room of Charlotte Street Hotel By Randy Schmidt and Paul Ashurst Charlotte Street Hotel 15-17 Charlotte Street London W1T 1RJ United Kingdom Refund Policy Contact the organiser to request a refund. Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.
College admission: It's time to abolish outmoded presidential selection system
“At the end of all our exploring, we will arrive at where we started, and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Eliot With the indictment of Donald Trump for his role in attempting an ex-post-facto alteration of the Electoral College results following his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden, interest in this arcane approach to selecting our presidents is once again in the news.
Lilly begins rebalancing scales on medicine costs
“We are not attacking corporations, but endeavoring to do away with any evil in them.” – President Theodore Roosevelt, State of the Union, 1902 On Nov. 14, 2019, Faith in Indiana, a multidenominational group of progressive religious communities, partnered with organized labor, Health Care For America Now and the Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans to promote a health care system that places people over profits.
"UBC Press Publishing Seminar with Randy Schmidt" by Randy Schmidt and Trevor C. W. Farrow
Abstract Presentation by Randy Schmidt, Senior Editor, UBC Press on November 24, 2022 at Osgoode Hall Law School. Repository Citation Schmidt, Randy and Farrow, Trevor C. W., "UBC Press Publishing Seminar with Randy Schmidt" (2022). Osgoode Events. 54. https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/video_events/54
Viewpoint: Hollingsworth's remarks are callous, dangerous and outrageous
Randy Schmidt, Viewpoint Published 11:00 p.m. CT April 28, 2020 "In the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of American lives, we have to always choose the latter." — Joseph Albert Hollingsworth III, on getting workers back to their jobs, even if it results in a death sentence for them and their families U.S. representative Trey Hollingsworth (R-9th District) (Photo: Marty Pearl/Special to the Courier Journal) Really? Who is this Joseph Hollingsworth III, anyway?
8 Books About Judy Garland to Read After Seeing JUDY
Have you seen the new film Judy, a Judy Garland biopic starring Renée Zellweger as the iconic entertainer? If you haven’t, I’m not sure what you’re doing with your life. (Did I see it twice in the theatre in the same week? That’s a great question and the answer is yes.) The film will surely bring tears to the eyes of any Garland fan big or small, and it might also provoke interest in learning more about the tragedies, triumphs, and enormous talent that encapsulated Garland’s life and career.
8 Books About Judy Garland to Read After Seeing JUDY
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Have you seen the new film Judy, a Judy Garland biopic starring Renée Zellweger as the iconic entertainer? If you haven’t, I’m not sure what you’re doing with your life. (Did I see it twice in the theatre in the same week?
Guest Viewpoint: Keep on building a better future
“What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. The good you do today can be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.” — Dr. Kent M. Keith The idea that workers should be free and allowed to form unions to bargain collectively with their bosses is an old one. It was implied by the earliest principles of democracy. It wasn’t enough to just have human dignity when confronting their kings, human dignity should belong to workers when confronting their bosses.
Guest Viewpoint: Keep on building a better future
“What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. The good you do today can be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.” — Dr. Kent M. Keith The idea that workers should be free and allowed to form unions to bargain collectively with their bosses is an old one. It was implied by the earliest principles of democracy. It wasn’t enough to just have human dignity when confronting their kings, human dignity should belong to workers when confronting their bosses.
Viewpoint: Are Americans today capable of accomplishing such big ideas as Medicare?
”History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” — Samuel Clemens This week, we celebrated the 54th anniversary of the passage of Medicare, a program that has saved millions of lives, and protected our parents and grandparents from financial ruin. If it did not exist, would we still create it today? The generation responsible for getting this program through Congress came of age during the Great Depression and World War II.
Lessons in leadership | Columns | Journal Gazette
Thursday, May 23, 2019 1:00 am Statesmens' deaths prompt musings on potential modern-day successors Randy Schmidt “The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.” – Harry Truman On March 14, Indiana lost one of its political heroes, former Democratic U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh. On May 1, a special public memorial service took place at the Indiana Statehouse to honor the great man. Hundreds of Democrats and Republicans crammed into the south atrium to pay their respects. I was one of them.
Amazing Reconnection in a Boerne Classroom
by Randy Schmidt, Publisher of Hill Country Weekly Photo by Randy Schmidt, Hill Country Weekly About ten years ago, Boerne Middle School North teacher Jennifer Alexander was working part time with Bandera EMS. In one of their more memorable calls, then boyfriend, Brett Humphus and Jennifer were dispatched to help a one-year-old girl involved in a lawn mower accident. Hearing the details, the team notified Airlife Helicopter prior to leaving the station.
Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton
(Author) FORMAT Buy new or used from an indie through our partner Biblio: Price Condition Seller Bookshop.org has the highest-rated customer service of any bookstore in the world Description "Nobody knows Dolly like Dolly," declares Dolly Parton. Dolly's is a rags-to-riches tale like no other. A dirt-poor Smoky Mountain childhood paved the way for the buxom blonde butterfly's metamorphosis from singer-songwriter to international music superstar.
Pythian Market launches jazz brunch, Sunday game day specials
Your weekend brunch plans just got a lot busier. Downtown food court Pythian Market (234 Loyola Ave.) is now serving a jazz brunch every Saturday from 10 a.m. from 3 p.m. at the multivendor Loyola Avenue hall.The market, the latest in a growing number of food courts to open in the city, currently features 13 vendors, each of which will offer breakfast and brunch specials accompanied by a live jazz band on the weekend.
Chest Hair Friday gets groomed | CUE Magazine | Gambit Weekly - New Orleans News and Entertainment
What started as a joke about the corporate world concept of "Casual Friday" gave rise to the new indie men's zine and brand Chest Hair Friday (www.chesthairfriday.com). In 2007, founder Brent Rosen was an alternative fuels lobbyist for a car manufacturer.
Halloween in Japan goes from foreign oddity to popular phenomenon
TOKYO -- The days of simply slipping on a pair of fake cat ears or devil horns for Halloween are over. Japan has upped the ante in recent years, becoming the worldwide champion of Halloween - at least in terms of costumes, costumes and more costumes.
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