Today is LABOR Day!

I always ask my students on the Friday before Labor Day weekend if they know why they have Monday off.

"Labor Day!" many of them respond.

"Yeah, but what does it mean?" I ask. "Why do we have a day off to celebrate Labor Day?"

Many are likely thinking about barBQ and the beach? But there is almost always silence.

So I ask them to "Google" it and say something like: "Well, if you're going to have a day off every year you might as well at least know why."

Liberal columnist Paul Krugman points out:

"It wasn’t always about the hot dogs. Originally, believe it or not, Labor Day actually had something to do with showing respect for labor. Here’s how it happened: In 1894 Pullman workers, facing wage cuts in the wake of a financial crisis, went on strike — and Grover Cleveland deployed 12,000 soldiers to break the union. He succeeded, but using armed force to protect the interests of property was so blatant that even the Gilded Age was shocked. So Congress, in a lame attempt at appeasement, unanimously passed legislation symbolically honoring the nation’s workers."

Then he goes further, reminding us that there has been an assault on organized labor for decades.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/opinion/krugman-love-for-labor-lost.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Incredibly, a check on the mainstream news cites this morning at 7am found literally NOTHING on the meaning of Labor Day. Not a word.

Even though it was organized labor--American workers--who gave us weekends, an end to child labor, health care through our jobs, and the limited family and medical leave we now enjoy.

So Labor Day is about what exactly?

This is not exactly a crime or criminal justice story, but we did just have Labor Day. And I was curious that so many of my students had no idea what the holiday was (that we had one at all) or why (what it was about).

So I challenged to them to "google it." Learn a bit about the day, I encouraged them. Since, hey, you have the whole day off and all.

Here is what is in the news about Labor Day:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=labor+day&oq=labor+day&gs_l=news-cc.3..43j0j43i400.2060.6427.0.6715.19.5.5.9.12.0.33.159.5.5.0...0.0...1ac.obZKr50hxQ8

You'll notice that mainstream news organizations such as ABC News devoted stories to the day. Here is some of what they had to say:

Parades, picnics and politicians celebrated the American worker on Labor Day, with President Barack Obama seeking votes from Ohio union members and rivals for Senate seats marching in Massachusetts and Virginia.

But for many, Monday's holiday was a last chance to enjoy a final summer cookout, roller coaster ride or day at the beach. Or perhaps even a stroll from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to its Lower Peninsula — along the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Politics was a big part of Labor Day, the time when much of the public usually starts to pay attention to the campaigns.

Incredible, no? Not a word about what the day means, or even what it has to do with the political debate in the country about labor and labor rights and big business.

This is a great example of a lack of context in the news, a major argument of the book.

It's LABOR day

Do you know what that means?

Do you know why we celebrate it?

Hint: It has to do with LABOR.

Wonder what you will do to honor those who LABOR and have LABORED for your employment rights?

Further, I wonder how it will be discussed in the media?

Tell me here.

(I specifically want to know what Fox News says about it, IF ANYTHING). You know, they are so big on labor these days.