By Peter Molenaar
March17, about 3:10 p.m”¦.
Picked up Camila for a 3:30 rendevous with CTUL. Camila is a “red-diaper baby” of Chilean descent, recently returned from a tour of Cuba. Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) is a worker”'s center which rallies the community in support of vulnerable low-wage workers.  We drove down Lake Street to the Uptown McDonald”'s.
It was protest, not burgers which moved us to follow our bold leaders. At long last the chanting brought forth a manager. We then politely requested decent wages and respect for all workers”¦
Hey”¦
There are some 13,000 McDonald”'s in the U.S. There is “a family of 2,400 owner/operators.”  To join the “family,” a minimum of $300,000.00 of non-borrowed personal resources is required, with a minimum 25% down. So, with 36,000 McDonald”'s on the planet (enough already!), I suggest we place our solidarity with the workers.
Then between 5:00 and 5:30”¦
With Camila in tow, I slid over to 2104 Stevens Avenue for a presentation by Dr. Jahi Chapell. Jahi is Director of Agroecology and Agricultural Policy for the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). Yes, corporate inspired international trade agreements continue to be a serious problem.
Remember NAFTA? Pump chemicals into our soil”¦ export tons of corn to Mexico”¦ruin farm communities”¦increase cheap labor supply”¦export U.S. jobs”¦force emigration. To which Dr. Chapell adds: the chemical run-off has created a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico as big as Connecticut.
Jump to HOBT before 7:00
The 40th May Day Parade and Festival is before us. Its content has always reflected community input, i.e., the civilized tension of a democratic process. Sandy is yet to exhaust her patience. Truly amazing.
There was, in essence, a tension between the slogan BLACK LIVES MATTER and the slogan ALL LIFE MATTERS. Some left-wing types wanted to link oppression with capitalism. Others wanted to create a happy moment for children. In the end, we all held hands.
One day”¦
