Happy Holidays to Progressives!

[asdjrocky]

Thought I’d take a moment to thank Progressives for the many gifts they have given us, and our country. Most of this was a response to someone who made the unfortunate comment of: Progressives are as useless as tits on a bull.

When I read that, I just assumed this person was uneducated on many of the great things that Progressives have done, or continue to do for our country. I count myself as a proud Progressive, and I thought I’d list just some of the accomplishments of the great Progressives that came before us. This is in no way a complete list, as always, feel free to add your own.

Perhaps it’s time to say thank you.

If you are a woman, and you like to vote, thank a Progressive.

If you like electing your own Senator, thank a Progressive.

If you like not getting sick when you drink from our water supply, or eating from our food supply, for that you can thank a Progressive.

If you like the roads, bridges and dams across our great country, for most of that, you can thank a Progressive.

And who are some of those Progressives you need to thank? Here's a short list:

Jane Addams - Pioneer in the field of social work who founded the settlement house movement through the establishment of Hull House in Chicago, Illinois.

Margaret Sanger - Educated urban poor about the benefits of family planning through birth control. She founded the organization that became Planned Parenthood.

W.E.B. DuBois - Founder of the NAACP, and a Harvard-educated professor who focused on the need for a traditional liberal arts education for African-Americans who could then insist upon equal treatment and rights from white society.

Ida Tarbell - She was a great muckraker, much like the OP. She wrote: "History of Standard Oil Company" She exposed the ruthless tactics of the Standard Oil Company and because of this, in Standard Oil v. U.S. (1911), the company was declared a monopoly and broken up.

Lincoln Steffans - Wrote The Shame of the Cities, published in 1904. His book examined political corruption in cities across the United States, and because of him cities began to use city commissions and city managers.

Upton Sinclair - Author of The Jungle, he investigated dangerous working conditions and unsanitary procedures in the meat-packing industry. And we can thank this great Progressive writer for the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act.

We can also, of course, thank a Progressive for things like the Secret Ballot, the ability to Recall bad officials, and one of my personal favorites, Direct Primaries, and what would we all be fighting about with out that last one?

And I'll leave you with this:

If this isn't your kid, thank a Progressive.

[asdjrocky]

1. Wow,

Thought maybe in the spirit of the season, we'd want to say thank you to the people that really built modern America.

[cali]

2. great list, rocky

and a good reminder of progressive achievements. Merry Christmas and all that good stuff.

[asdjrocky]

3. Thanks Cal-

And right back at ya! Some pretty great women on that list.

[eleny]

4. K&R

Happy Holidays to you, too, from snowy Colorado!

[asdjrocky]

5. Thank you!

[Kucinich4America]

6. "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOE DLC’er"

"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOE DLC’ER"

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging Progressive fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie Progressive fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some Progressive union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man Progressive fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby Progressive fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko Progressive fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants Progressive fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy Progressive union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid Progressive didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless Progressive wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist Progressive decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating Progressive fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government Progressive stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating Progressive made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that Progressives are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved DLC’ers have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government Progressives ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

[asdjrocky]

7. Much admiration and thanks-

Wonderful job!

[asdjrocky]

8. My last pity kick. I'm such a whore.

[Plucketeer]

9. May I?

Apply MY boot, that is?

[coco77]

10. Thank you senator Feingold!

for speaking up for all people and their rights... and not being a weak kneed Dem

[waiting for hope]

11. I rec'd you earlier -

So here's a kick! Merry Christmas Rocky!

[frogmarch]

12. K&R for rocky!

[sandyd921]

13. K & R Rocky!

For all progressives, past and present:


:yourock:

[Catchawave]

14. Thanks rocky ! Inspiring stuff :)

:kick: 'n' R

[asdjrocky]

15. Thanks Wave.

Merry Christmas!