Emma Would Be Proud

The Wobblies are back! The Missoula chapter of the IWW was re-born last night and I got my first union card, a lovely black and red, I might add. Folks might remember that Missoula was the sight of a celebrated free-speech fight in 1909 initiated by Wobblies there to organize local loggers and other timber workers. As described in her autobiography Rebel Girl, Elizaebeth Gurley Flynn was joined by such stalwarts of the workers movement as Jack Jones (no relation), St.John and Frank Little ,who was to die at the hands of goons hired by mine owners in Butte eight years later.They packed the jails till the city (and the business interests which controlled them) finally gave in.

We will humbly stand on the shoulders of these giants and continue the struggle for which they gave so much. There is lots to do in terms of education, building coalitions and finding allies amongst the other local groups working for social, environmental and economic justice but we are going to be a force to be reckoned with and Missoula is going to be seeing a lot more red and black.

Dow Jones lost a couple hundred MORE points today so expect Brittany Spears to flash that money maker or Pat Robertson to take a pot shot at Chavez.Something ,anything! Distract and deny. Another lovely day in Operation Iraqi Freedom Land as well, bombings, kidnappings, helicopters crashing and leaders all lunching. So it goes.