A Time to Stand!

We live in a world where someone can scam 1,000’s of people for billions of dollars and only get a slap on the hand. You can visit my neighborhood and see where someone does something on a dare and gets years in prison because they don’t have the means to defend themselves. As I am getting my hair cut yesterday, yes I do get my haircut; I am listening to my stylist who is complaining about her job. As she is clipping, I was fearful she might slip, she increasingly shares her plight. She has almost singlehandedly turned her store around. The regional manager doesn’t want her to take Sundays off and she wants at least one day to be with her family. She has the Sundays covered at her store with other stylists.

The challenge for many today is to not over react or under react to their work situation. Her boss wants her to step down and leave. I reminded her that if she quits then she can’t collect unemployment and the level of management above her boss will never know the truth, i.e. that the regional rep decided to push her out. We talked about the employee manual and that it didn’t state anywhere that you absolutely had to work on Sundays. She has worked on Saturdays the whole time so she should get Sundays off. I encouraged her to talk with her hubby and come up with a plan that would put the weight on her boss to terminate her with a written statement explaining why.

I see too many around me who are at the whims of people that are using them for their own profit. Seldom does anyone look at the needs of the common worker it usual is what works best for the company and the bottom line. I will decide shortly whether it is a good thing to organize a protest against a manager at a Safeway in my neighborhood who wrongfully terminated a close friend that had worked there for over 18 years.

Sadly evil triumphs so often because no one chooses to stand up against those who are doing injustice. I am developing a tough side that wants to first think through what is really happening and then encourage individuals to stand up for their rights. So often this is all about socio-economics and ethnic differences. Why is it the case that women too often are paid less and promoted less often then their male counter parts? Why is it that people of diversity are left at the end of the line for promotions as the white male gets the raise and the better position?

The reality is that there is a war going on that is spiritual, cultural and political. It is now too easy for the media to be used as a weapon to push aside good people through using deceptive practices. So I go back to Jesus’ statement to be as innocent as a dove but as shrewd as a serpent. We have to be able to out think and act in kind against those who are taking advantage of those who can’t stand on their own. This isn’t an easy path to follow but one that must be pursued if there is to be justice in the land for all.