Monday, September 16, 2013

Isn't it rich?

With all due respect to the twelve people  killed today in the Washington Navy Yard, as I watched the Mayor of Washington, D. C., Vincent Gray, speak about the shootings this evening, I couldn't help but think that his concern rang just a little bit hollow.

I mean, this is the man who a week ago vetoed the Large Retail Accountability Act, which would have forced large retailers in Washington, D.C. to pay a living wage of $12.50 an hour (that's a whopping $26,000 a year, if you work 40 hours a week--and good luck with that) to basically make the Walton family, the handful of billionaires who run Wal-Mart, happy.

How many people in Washington, D.C. will die early as a result of living their lives in poverty because Mayor Gray had not the courage to stand up to Wal-Mart and say "Fuck you, pay the citizens of my town a living wage."?  How many residents will die because of the crime that poverty causes, an effect that could have at least been blunted with a living wage?  How many kids will go without food?  How many kids will have their education stunted so billionaires can have even more money?

Frankly, it appears that if you're a resident of Washington, D.C. and want Mayor Gray to give a shit about your life, you need to get shot to death.

Peace,
emaycee

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