Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 8:09am.
I'll never forget how Sound to Harbor Head Start/ECEAP nearly lost a grant that allowed more children to be taken into the program because the illegal street-blockers jeopardized the paperwork being delivered on time.

Let's see, bongo drums at the intersection of Cooper Point and Black Lake, or children (and their families) below the poverty line getting food, education and health services - it's not a tough choice to make at all.

"Never forget?"
Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 9:29am.
Man, that is one traumatic, nearly delayed papers delivery!

Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 9:49am.
I'll mention this once then drop it from this thread: you're mocking children aged 3 and 4, many of them from Migrant Families, who are below the poverty line. They are not eating, they are not getting basic health care, many aren't even learning basic social and living skills. Often they come from single-parent families who grew up in the same situation. Many of these children belong to the same workers that the celebrants say they're standing in solidarity for.

The grant wasn't for me to get a raise, or for the office to get remodelled. It was for more teachers, supplies and class space so that we could accept more children into the program. This was especially important that year as we became responsible for Grays Harbor County as well.

A common misconception is that Head Start's a private school for rich kids. It's not, you have to be below the poverty line to qualify (as of 2001)

I'm mocking kids?
Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 9:58am.
No Merwyn. I'm quite familiar with Head Start and know it is a very worthwhile publicly funded program for children. Very valuable indeed. I was mocking your "I'll never forget" take on the affair, and your suggestion that the intellectual calculus of those blocking the intersection included a consideration of two options: block the street or care about poor children. It's a pretty farfetched and unfair dichotomy. If I almost run over a child on my way to work, did I choose driving to work over a child's safety when I left my garage? Apparently so.

As I explained to someone else in a PM, had the streets been jammed because everyone was driving at the same time that'd be tough luck. But on that particular year they were blocked because people wanted to deliberately block them. Television sets were smashed in the intersection to insure cars would have a difficult time making it through. Key word here is "deliberate".

I agree that probably nobody there had the possibility of Head Start Grants on their mind - I'll bet they cared equally little for emergency vehicles.

I'm not Anti May Day - in fact I like it. Everytime I learn something new concerning Labor history I'm fascinated. As a former Wal-Mart slave I know full well that Worker Solidarity and Education is still a very real necessity. But just like with Critical Mass if a group intentionally disrupts the average person they're going to lose out on getting their message heard and accepted.

I realize that not every May Day in the last decade has been that bad - which I appreciate. I hope this years is inclusive instead of antagonistic.