First the injustice of hate that we see playing out in Minnesota this week but that we have seen played out elsewhere and way too often. The fact is, what color your skin is, what your native language is, what sex you are, what religion you are, and other criteria make a difference in this country.
And it should not.
I am embarrassed by it.
It is not inevitable.
I grew up in one of the whitest counties in America. I grew up middle class and privledged.
But my parents told us that we Irish were not always a white race. They told us how signs in the shops once read “no Irish need apply,” they told us that the people who lived on one side of us went to a different church than us and the people on the other side went to a synagogue but that the difference was only in how they worshiped, not what they believed, not what kind of people they were.
My heart breaks when my sisters and brothers of color or who are non-Christian are discriminated against.
It breaks when I think about our history of slavery of Blacks and genocide of Native Americans.
And it should break.
We can be better and we must be better.
Today in Connecticut we dropped just below 500 people hospitalized for Covid-19.
Today, 84 days after the first confirmed Connecticut case, we have 481 hospitalizations, down 52 from yesterday. (Our high was 1,972 on 4/26)
11 days into our reopening we have lost 3,944 Connecticut residents, 32 today.
I ask, if we have decreased the number of hospitalizations so much and the trend seems to be steady....
If we have adequate PPE supplies now....
Why are we still reusing PPE?
Why are we “re-sterilizing” PPE?
Why have we not returned to normal infection control practices? (So called CDC Conventional Capacity)
Why?
Unless, this is the new normal?
Unless, this saves healthcare corporations money, money they can give out to executive in bonuses?
Yesterday’s rally in New London was inspirational. What you may not know is that this was very much a grass roots member driven effort. The members of the 4 L&M Locals organized and carried out this rally. Yes, they enlisted the “professional” help of your field staff (organizers, field reps, Communications, Legislative, etc), who by the way worked very hard and I want to thank them.
But this rally didn’t happen without the members activism and that should be recognized.
This is what we believe in at AFT Connecticut.
We believe that the POWER rests in the rank and file membership, not in leadership, not in staff.
Well done “Quad Local.”
Randi had an ask of us yesterday. To reach out to Senators to pass the HEROES act which passed the House and would provide relief to towns and states, and call for protections for healthcare workers.
The Senate will not take this bill us unless we push them.
I asked my Congressman, Joe Courtney, a true champion, if it matters if we call and write, even if our senators are on board?
He said it does. He said when the calls are overwhelming it changes things. He said many senators are pressured to vote against this bill but concerned about how their constituents will react if they vote against their interests.
Please take 2 minutes and call.
John
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