Friday, July 28, 2006

Larry Kissell, NC-08: This is the Mill Robin Hayes Closed


This is the mill Robin Hayes closed.




This is the mill Robin Hayes closed.
This is the man who worked all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.














This is the bill the man couldn't pay
when he lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.











This is the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.





This is the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.










This is the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.








This is the family that can't shop at the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed





These are the shops that closed their doors
When the family stopped shopping at all the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.






This is the town that almost shut down
When the shops closed their doors
As the family stopped shopping at all the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.







This is the man in a foreign land
who works for less than the American man
who lives in the town that almost shut down
when the shops closed their doors
As the family stopped shopping at all the stores
to feed the child who goes hungry at night
who clings to the woman who married the man
who lived in the home that the bank took away
after the bill wasn't paid
when the man lost the job he'd had all his life
weaving cloth in the mill Robin Hayes closed.



This is the man who lost his job, his insurance, his retirement, his home, his savings and his self esteem when Robin Hayes' actions helped send the mills and their jobs to other countries.

This is the man who worked in a mill town. A man who has seen a way of life disappearing because of NAFTA, CAFTA and Republican fiscal incompetence.

This is a man who has lost so much because Robin Hayes lied to the people of the 8th District when he promised he would vote against CAFTA, but voted for it, failing miserably to protect jobs in the district.





This is the mill Robin Hayes closed.











One year ago today, Robin Hayes broke his word to the folks living and working in the 8th Congressional District. He had promised to vote against CAFTA - a free trade agreement that would have made an already precarious unemployment situation even worse for the district. Initially, Hayes voted no, but caved to pressure from the Republican Party leadership.

This piece is dedicated to the men and women who lost their jobs and have struggled to train for new positions. This is dedicated to the families that continue to struggle and to the man who wants to help lead this district and these families toward a better future. Please help Larry Kissell bring honest and effective leadership to North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. This link is to the Netroots fundraising page, or you can snail mail a contribution using the address you'll find at Larry's site.



Our challenge for today is to see 365 contributions for $7.28 (or that end in $7.28) to commemorate the 365 days of Robin Hayes' broken promise to the workers in his district - the backbone of this state.


Thank you.

Special thanks to Lance McCord for the shot of the city street. It is actually from Greensboro, but all other location shots are from Kannapolis, NC. Kannapolis was the home of Pillowtex, which put 4000 people out of work when it closed. Robin Hayes family used to own the mill. The two smokestacks showing are what remain of the original mill. They are the Fieldcrest and Cannon smokestacks. Robin Hayes is a Cannon. His family's fortune is intact.

7 Comments:

Blogger B. Muse said...

I wasn't ashamed to be associated with them. Not once did I say that. However, I will clearly say that going to Lowes for a fireworks display still isn't on my list of things to do before I die. I doubt most of the folks there that night would get their jollies out of doing some of the same things I do. Doesn't make any one person/group better than the other, but neither group should have to pretend that they want to do something they don't enjoy doing.

By "Red" America I meant Republicans.....not small town or working class folks.

2:04 PM, July 28, 2006  
Blogger B. Muse said...

I wasn't pitying anyone. You had to be there and hear that phony patriotic cheerleading over the loudspeaker. The current administration has turned our country into a laughing stock.

The point I was making was that there weren't too many cheering it on. There were a handful in the center of the crowd and I think a group above me....but that was it.

And no....many mill workers I do know are NOT Republicans and they are NASCAR fans. Hell, my husband is a NASCAR fan. I don't expect him to learn how to sew and he doesn't expect me to enjoy NASCAR.

Oh...and the tube top mamas...they crack me up. I'm no lithe beauty, but I wouldn't cram my body into something I spill out of. I don't pity them, I don't ridicule them but I'm not going to pretend I think they have made a good clothing choice for their body style. They would probably think my clothing choice is boring and much too baggy. To each his own. But, to deny that there are differences between us would be dishonest.

I do feel for all of the people who have lost jobs due to poor planning. I believe there is a way to grow our communities without ruining the lives of one group just to line the pockets of another.

2:44 PM, July 28, 2006  
Blogger B. Muse said...

Hey...I didn't say they were frumpy!

Actually, I try to buy things with either made in USA tags or union tags when I can, but you have to admit they are getting harder and harder to find.

Now...I did buy my furniture from local mfg. (Couches are Klaussner...I think I'm spelling that wrong...but anyway.)

My husband works for a smallish company, so we've always done business with companies that do business with them. I also like to buy from and eat at "mom and pop" type stores/restaurants instead of chains. I don't have anything against chains, but feel like local places just have more character.

I do think Kannapolis is going to do fine. There are some other areas of the 8th that might never recover though. Kannapolis will probably blossom. I just hope they don't change the little shopping area too much. Kannapolis as the most perfect area with so much that's walking distance. I didn't take time to look at the overall plan, so don't know how parking and everything else will work, but I do think the concept is wonderful.

I am not against growth and business development. I'm really not. I just don't think the current batch of Republicans is going about it the right way.

4:58 PM, July 28, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

By "Red" America I meant Republicans.....not small town or working class folks.

Because in the mind of a Liberal Democrat, there are no Republicans who are working class or who live in small towns.

6:34 AM, July 30, 2006  
Blogger B. Muse said...

what??? Justin...you just don't make any sense at all. How does clarifying that I didn't mean red as in "red neck" and meant Republican. Down south people say red and mean red neck. I was just trying to clarify that I meant Republican and not the more derogatory red neck. People who talk politics a lot refer to Dems as being blue and Reps as being red. You were aware of that, right?

How do you turn that into my thinking that Republicans can't be working class. I didn't say that at all. You truly have reading comprehension issues. I've noticed that about a lot of your comments. You don't seem to grasp the intent and just make stuff up.

Have you considered seeking help for this problem?

6:57 PM, August 06, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let me make this simpler for you.

"I was talking about A...not B or C". There is a distinct possibly of an inference that B or C could be exclusive of A.

I know what you meant - I'm just not going to let that little fallacy slide.

1:54 PM, August 07, 2006  
Blogger B. Muse said...

Thank you! I look forward to seeing you around....

9:23 AM, August 11, 2006  

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