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We are calling for
a National Strike of All Minimum Wage Workers and their Supporters (i.e.
Bosses, Students, Teachers, Parents, Children) on May Day (May 1st)2001
for two demands: A Living Wage. To them, I say, We don’t want all your money. We only want to live and to have the best medicine available and to earn enough wages to support a family. I recently spoke to a man who has 6 children. His wife has a good job that she likes. He hurt his back working at his labor job and now he can’t lift anything heavier than 25lbs. (My 8 year old son weighs 60 lbs. and I wonder what it would be like if I could never carry him again.) Yes, the government will pay him Disability, but only if he keeps looking for, or holds, a full-time job. I say, he’s had enough of work. They used up his body and now they won’t even let him stay at home with his children and take care of their runny noses and homework and just be a father. And enjoy life. If his wife made enough money to support them, then they wouldn’t have to worry about finding another person to take care of their kids, someone that doesn’t love them as much. Universal Health
Care I believe everyone should be able to have any surgery they want, to make their lives better, to make them happier. Including laser eye surgery and nose jobs and breast implants and liposuction. Anything people want. We have the technology now. Everyone should be able to enjoy it. Why does a rich person deserve to look more beautiful than you? Or me? Just because they happened to be born rich? Does that make them more worthy of happiness? Yes, it might be difficult. There will be some hard changes for some people. The rich might not get to be as rich. But that is not what is important in life anyway. We have all been told that, again and again, by every religion and by most philosophers. We just haven’t begun to live it yet. And the great thing is that the wealthy will ultimately be happier too because they will be living with less guilt. Less guilt for us letting them treat us this way. We have to earn that respect of ourselves. We have to say no more. It’s not like it’s not possible to provide medicine to everyone. We can even look at other country’s universal health care systems (Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, Russia, etc.) and we can avoid their mistakes. I have faith in us. Why a Strike? I don’t want to divide humans into “us” and “them.” I am asking for poor people to go to the rich people that they know and talk with them. Ask them if they feel their life, their work, and their families are worth more than yours. You know they don’t. (Most don’t). Go to the Police you know. Ask them if they will help us get a fair wage and decent medicine by laying down their arms for us and joining us. Ask them. It can’t hurt to ask. I know Boston Cops will. They’re cool. All law enforcement officers take an oath to protect the people, not money, not corporations. I have faith in all human beings. And I envision people all over the country celebrating, including the cops and Bush and Bill Gates. It’s not like they want to be mean to us. But we have to ask them to stop. The ones who have made it in this country off of our sweat and labor owe us a fair chance to make it to. And if you are just struggling to survive, then you can’t dream. Every person here has a right to at least a decent life. Then we can ask them to try to achieve the American Dream. Are you afraid of
getting fired? May Day 2001 Celebrate! I encourage you to organize a celebration in your area for the people in your community. Have something for the children. Don’t send them to school. They need to see their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters and brothers regain their pride and self-respect by standing up and asking for a better life, for an equal chance to survive. And know this, We can’t lose. We will Win. All of us will win, rich and poor. There will be less unhappiness in the world, and that benefits everyone. How long should we
strike? Violence and non-action will not be tolerated. I am asking for Love. Love of your fellow rich people, love of your fellow poor people, love of your fellow cops and love of your fellow criminals. I love this land and everyone in it. If anything in this letter offends you, I want to talk to you. I want to know why. I want you to tell me where I am wrong, because I only want to live in a just and true world. So if you have more truth, let us hear it. Peace, Mercedes
Ruiz
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