You've come a long way baby!

I know that this comparison is apples and oranges and a bit disingenuous... or is it? After it came in the mail yesterday, I quickly perused the latest issue of the union propaganda rag... er, magazine... that is mailed by the California Teachers Association (CTA).

While flipping through the pages, I came across an article on page 26 that talked about a teacher strike in the ritzy-ish California berg of Carlsbad, which is about 30 minutes north of the ritzy-ish city of San Diego. When I saw the photos that accompanied the article, I laughed so hard, my Hansen's kiwi strawberry soda shot out my nose. The photos must have struck a chord. After work today, my cell phone rang; it was my buddy George, he of the now-defunct Mimmenblog. George asked me if I had gotten the latest copy of California Educator. Instantly, I said, "Let me guess: they are all holding coffee!" Bing! There they were in the photos; a bunch of smiling striking female teachers marching in single-file line on their way to go stick it to the man. And the most hilarious part of the photos was the fact that almost every one of these strikers had a venti Starbucks in their hand. I took a chance and checked if I could find this article online. Bing! Look at those poor pitiful teachers as they risk life and limb to work toward a better tomorrow. How brave they are to face such pain and misery as they endeavor to ameliorate the multitudinous hardships of the proletariat.


Are these the modern-day versions of the strikers of old? Let us take a look at some strikers from 1894, standing near their spacious abodes along the Pullman yards in Chicago:
And how about these Pullman strikers, as they are shot at by soldiers on a passing train; do you see any cups of coffee in the strikers' hands as they face down the muzzles of the federal firearms?

Believe me, I enjoy getting paid just as much as the next teacher. But let's attempt to find some perspective here. If you are going to go out and strike, I think a good strategy would be to not look like you are enjoying it quite so much. I would think it would cause some citizens to pause and wonder if you really have all that much about which to complain.

Hat tip to George for convincing me to blog about this. Thanks George!

Good Day to You, Sir