Brother Mike Cunningham of the Texas Building & Construction Trades Council offered a highly relevant excerpt from yesterday's opening prayer at the national Building & Construction Trades Department legislative conference. It's well worth the read:
Building Trades Legislative Conference:
Opening Prayer: April 4, 2011
Father Cletus Kiley
O God, your prophet Isaiah spoke your Word: "For Zion's sake I will not be silent,For Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet……"Like Isaiah this morning we must say we will not be silent.
We will not be quiet. Something has gone awry in this land. And guided by you, we must speak. We must act.
There was a time in this country when a man who worked hard could count on a fair day's pay. But not today!
There was a time in this country when, after a lifetime of hard work, a man could look forward to retirement. But not today!
There was a time in this country when we respected the women and men who worked in our schools, protected our cities, made our levels of government work. But not today!
Today somebody has changed the rules. And we will not be silent about it!
First came the Wall Street Gamblers who crippled our economy, gave themselves obscene bonuses and began the great Lie that those to blame were Labor unions and the Middle Class! This a Lie and we will not be silent about it!
When they couldn't fool us on that one, they blamed the immigrants, and pitted working people against each other trying to wreak havoc on a level playing field for workers.
When we saw that for what it is, they demonized our public sector unions. And we can only wonder, aren't our unions next?
Today they balance their budgets on the backs of the working class. Tax breaks go to the ultra wealthy. General Electric doesn't even pay a dime. They say our unions have too much voice in political life, but pretend that we don't see the hand of the Koch brothers and other billionaires underwriting their efforts.
O yes, Lord, something has gone terribly awry in the American House! But today we will not be silent about it!...
Sent from Jeff's iPhone
