The Death of Gus Tyler

I just read the article about the death of Gus Tyler in the New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/nyregion/gus-tyler-firebrand-of-labor-movement-dies-at-99.html?src=recg.  Gus was a firebrand socialist who was a staunch supporter of labor unions in the US including the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.  He was a man of conviction and principle.  Whether or not we agree with his views, he lived them every day.

As I read the article, I was struck by the fact that I don't/didn't agree with many of his ideas, but at the same time, I rejoice in the fact that he lived in a country where he could practice his beliefs without fear or reprisal.  Look at what's happening in the Middle East, in China, in Venezuela, Russia and more.  People are jailed, tortured and killed for speaking their minds.  In the United States of America, we have more freedoms than most all others around the world.  We are truly blessed.  As we approach our Independence Day, July 4, let us all rejoice in the freedoms we have and hold so dear.  There, but by the Grace of God, go we.

Spain Deserves An Apology And Compensation

Why do "experts" rush to make public statements when they don't have all the facts?  Take the recent outbreak of e. coli in Germany.  We were initially told by a group of "food experts" that the outbreak most likely came from tainted cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce from Spain, and the same was widely reported in the media.  Now it turns out that Spanish growers weren't to blame at all.  The outbreak was traced to a German grower of sprouts.

It is good that the source was found, but what of the tons of produce that was sent to landfills in Spain because buyers refused to accept their orders fearing those long-loved cukes, tomatoes and lettuce were tainted?  Are the media now apologizing to Spain and its growers for publishing accusations of wrong-doing BEFORE the facts were known?  No.  Has Germany offered compensation for wrongly blaming Spanish growers and forcing them to dump their perfectly good produce?  Not to my knowledge.

There is a good lesson in this:  get your facts before pointing fingers.  Reputations are earned by a lifetime of hard work and dedication.  Those same reputations can be smashed with one wrong turn.  And, when those hard-earned reputations are sullied wrongly, an open and honest apology is required and an offer of reparation needs to be made.

For all those in the media who wrongly reported the story, they owe Spain and all its growers an apology.

For the German government and the health department experts who pointed the finger at Spain, an apology is also needed along with a large check to repay the farmers, truckers and distributors for their losses.

It Was Different Than What We See On The News!

I just spent three long, busy and most enjoyable days in Southern Mindanao in the Philippines.  It is the beginning of the rainy season there so the sun may or may not be shining but rain is virtually guaranteed.  With close proximity to a volcano, the soil is dark and rich and the vegetation is lush across the rolling hills and surrounding small mountains.  The General Santos City airport is small but clean and efficient (two gates) with a four-lane highway leading to General Santos City (GSC).

This trip was made with a slight bit of apprehension.  I've never been to Mindanao and only had newspaper clips and TV footage to rely upon.  I've watched the news for years where CNN and BBC reported on the Abu Sayyaf and MNLF training camps and terrorist attacks on the helpless local population while the hapless military was powerless to stop them.  I must have missed something because I looked everywhere I traveled and I didn't see one terrorist.  The only people carrying guns were security guards at the local hospital, in front of banks and the occasional business.  I'm perfectly comfortable being around guns but sawed-off shotguns with pistol grips seemed to be a bit much for a gas station guard, and I wasn't too sure about the faculties of the gent who had it strapped across his shoulder.

Nonetheless, I was most pleasantly surprised with the entire trip.  By their very nature, Filipinos are a remarkable friendly and gentle nation of people.  They are also well educated and have an incredibly strong work ethic.  As a largely Catholic nation, their high birth rate has created their single largest asset - people - who travel the world as maids, nurses, factory workers and more creating the largest portion of the nation's wealth, repatriated cash.  Overseas Contract Workers, or OCWs as they're locally called, are the backbone of the nation's economy.  Yet, having men and women being away from the family for weeks, months and years at a time does not help to keep family structures together.  (The national OCW agency is the largest of all government agencies.  What does that tell us???)  It seems to me that rebuilding the local economy to provide jobs at home should be a top priority of the government.

The Philippines have been invaded and conquered far too many times, including a 300-year occupation by the Spanish.  In spite of it all, seem to harbor no ill will toward anyone.  Or, if they did, they didn't share it with me.

The streets of GSC, and neighboring towns such as Polomolok and Surallah, are incredibly clean and orderly.  People drive their vehicles relatively slowly (petrol is about US4.00 per gallon) and safely.  Stop signs and stop lights are a rare sight so driving through an intersection is a nimble dance with a large dose of courtesy thrown in.  And, with the legal minimum daily wage being about $6.00, they're mindful of their mpg (miles per gallon) usage.  The sun comes up at 5 am and sets at 6 pm so in this largely agrarian and fishing region, they are a "early to bed, early to rise" lot.  There are a LOT of motorbikes driven by young men telling me that the earning power of the populace is on the rise (most are low-cost imports from China), and those that don't own their own transport have money to jump in a motor-bike taxi, bus or local Jeepney.  

Not to make light of these terrorist groups, because they're apparently still wresting their violence in areas around the Philippines, but in Mindanao, I saw peaceful, hard-working people in a beautiful part of the world.  The beaches are white, wide and clean.  The breeze is usually light and temperatures warm as Mindanao is just north of the equator.  The streets were safe and clean, shops and restaurants offered food and consumer goods for the local population, and a small but growing tourism industry is beginning to flourish.  I hope to return there soon and not worry about the images our international media foists upon us.