I wrote this to address, what I feel is the biggest problem is this country today, greed.
BY DEREK NICHOLS
Dear Working Class American,
I write you today to express my concern for this great nation that we live in, the United State of America. The fact is, this "corporatized free market" system we live in, is not working. As you know all-too-well unemployment rates are high, foreclosure rates are higher, and most of us don’t have reasonable healthcare. The only reason for these problems is corporate greed, greed that undermines the rest of us.
America was build for the common good of all Americans. In fact, our Constitution preamble reads, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Did you notice "We the People", "form a more perfect Union", "common defence", "general Welfare", and "secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity"? All of these are reflections of common good, but also note that the preamble of the Constitution doesn’t even once speak of free market or capitalism, or business of any kind for that matter. It solely speaks of people.
This country was founded by great leaders who believed in common good. The few great leaders we still have, still speak of true common good, but most leaders in today’s politics use the term "common good", in a way that reflects the pro corporate-monopolies. Most of us know by now that what has become of our free market system is not a common good, is it a system that only serves the rich, not the poor and the middle class. It is an unfair system that gets the rich richer and the poor poorer. It is a system that closes the doors to many great business-minded persons, because the big companies don’t want any competition.
The holy bible that many of us believe in also tells of importance common good. The following five verses speak of oppression and the poor.
Psalm 12:5 "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. I will protect them from those who malign them."
James 2:5 "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?"
Psalm 140:12 "I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."
Luke 6:20-21 "Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh."
Ephesians 4:28 "Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need."
There you have it the basics of our founding fathers and the Holy Bible, both speaking about the need for common good. If anything we should learn from our history, and the point to be learned here is, that we must not allow the oppression of the poor, to serve the rich.
In conclusion, I believe that it is our humane obligation to unite together and fight for the oppression of the poor, to fight for the real common good of all people. I believe we have an obligation to stand up for the people who have less than us, to stand beside the people who have the same as us, and to stand eye-to-eye to those who oppress against us.
Our goals will need to include; good paying jobs, good healthcare for our families, home loans that the banks aren’t "betting" against, restored trust in our governments, and retirement plans that we can actually live on. And I believe that there are two ways achieving this goal.
The first is co-op owned companies. A co-op company is a company that is wholly owned by its employees. Every person of that company gets an equal amount of the profits. More than profits, each employee gets to vote on the decisions that affect their company. But, I don’t think these big businesses will just hand over the keys to their factories, shops, stores, or offices. Another thing is that most working class people don’t have to funds to start a company, even while pooling together. That’s where my second way will work, it has already been proven.
The second is labor unions, a labor union is where employees of an employer come together and demand better working conditions, better pay, and things of that nature. Forming a union is no easy task, but it can be done, as long as, we stand together. Hard challenges are what makes America great; just think of revolutionary war, or the civil war, or the civil rights movement. We overcame each of these challenges and many more not listed. We did it because it is the right thing to do, and we as a nation address issues that need addressing. Well my fellow Americas it’s time to address a new issue in our country, corporate greed.
Are you ready to overcome this?
If so, please join me in getting involved in union organizing efforts around this nation. Join me in calling and writing U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. Join me in my blog (why-unions.com) and one-on-one talks with the working class people.
I looking forward to working with you,
Derek Nichols
Co-founder
Why-Unions.com