THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
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Posted By: Ann Mack on April 21, 2019 I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all -- oh, how well I remember the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's ALL I got left. ~ Lamentations 3:21-24, Message January 24, 2019 God keeps talking to me about VISIBILITY; and, since August 20, 2018 I began taking notes! To see or not to see, that is the question and an unfortunate issue of people as dictated by the American culture to avoid the TRUTH! When something is made visible for ALL to see, should I assume that integrity and fairness in the name of righteousness is being honored when it isn't? Why shouldn't I give more credence to that which is hidden and unsaid when it impacts me? Why should I allow deceit and a lack of candor to dictate what I know to be TRUE? The government shutdown is about more than a wall at the border. It is about a history of bigotry, a test of wills and the ultimate control for power to act out idiosyncrasies. It has very little to do with the working class folks who suffer in the cross 🔥 fire except to prove a point. Like a military Admiral or General far from the action of the battlefield pulling the strings in deciding who goes to war and when! People stand divided by their differences, affiliation and belief in a political party whose fight is about securing their own personal self-interest of elitism. Loyalty, these days, seem to have nothing to do with creditability or doing the right thing! And yet, every four (4) years, we flock to the polls to cast our votes for people running for office that we know very little about while failing to conduct important research into the character of those we choose to represent us with little to nothing in common. Do they believe in God to love humanity enough to put us ahead of their ambition? Do they know about our struggles, trials and tribulations to hold our family together to pass laws and policies to aid in protecting the family unit? What about better and affordable health care or housing for ALL? Why is the social security and pension of the elderly taxed so high when they already paid dues? Do they even know what it means to be paid a minimum wage or less for hard labor while having to stretch finances from pay day to pay day or work numerous jobs to make ends meet? Why do we continue to put our faith in man; people who see themselves as being above us to condemn us to a lesser fate? Why does education or the welfare of our children seem to be less important with every passing moment? In the history of politics, we are always thrown something to tip the scales to direct who we should vote in or out of the White House for fleeting agendas. Before Woodrow Wilson took office, the establishment of the Department of Labor (DOL) was relunctantly signed into operation on March 4, 1913 by President William Howard Taft. Based on my research, William Howard Taft, a Republican was the 27th President of the U.S. and the 10th Chief Justice of the U.S. serving in both positions at the same time. What does that look like to you? Talk about a conflict of interest! Hypothetically, that's like having a Neo Nazi, Grand Wizzard of the KKK or a white supremacist sitting in the chair as president and serving as a chief justice. I'm just saying! With an open mind, you have to be able to see how it ALL falls in place. For instance, our current president, Donald Trump, announced on June 21, 2018, his future plans to merge the Department of Labor and the Department of Education into a single agency to be named the Department of Education and the Workforce. Interesting! And folks keep trying to tell me that history doesn't repeat itself! Really! There can't be an impact if there is no SHIFT! Many things are done for visibility with no intent to honor the integrity of doing what is truly right! Camouflaged to give the illusion of creditworthiness and a caring 💓 heart. Only that whichis right for the moment in the interest of the power base to stay on top of the food chain and to remain in full control while being completely out of order. On paper, under the disguise of visibility there are many written policies and laws to give us the hope of a fair and equal playing field. However, are fair labor standards, the family medical leave act, the american disabilities act, the veterans' hiring practices and other protections being honored and enforced accordingly. No! So, would the merging of two agencies and a face lift improve anything to promote positive change? Wait for the impact! The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was written into law in 1938 to encourage order, structure and fair labor practices; such as: identify normal working hours, minimum wage, overtime guidelines, encourage equal pay, record-keeping and more. They are also supposed to be responsible for extending guidance in the area of workman's comp! But, if you ask those who have been victims of workman's comp, what do you think they would tell you? Why are there so many civil law suits and employment related grievances? Why has our current president and his administration threatened to eliminate union representation for Federal government employees? Impact! If you ask a whistle blower if he or she was really protected when they assumed they were doing the right thing, what would they tell you? Where is the JUSTICE to protect us from the man-made evil? I used to think that justice was obtainable by everyone or for everyone, but over the years, in the world of human resources, I have seen and witnessed more than I care to in how people are bullied, abused, oppressed and simply disregarded with the aid of policies and laws. However, shifts in the atmosphere, culture and economic climate has been adjusting and restructuring for a while. Organizational and revolutionary change can occur very quickly or slowly, but things are always transitioning. For those of you who don't understand what I mean, let's consider revolutionary and societal change over the years throughout history: From slavery to indentured servitude; from a demand for manual labor to machines and technology replacing people. From the agrarian (agriculture) to the industrial age and the importance or purpose of each person in position of power as the head of our government to big corporations controlling our governments. It's ALL connected! To date, their is a spiritual shift happening and we have to be willing to get in position and stay there to see it ALL play out to ride the wave of the impact! Focus! God is mapping it ALL out, remapping and restructuring! HE is putting things into DIVINE ORDER and HE is watching us through the process. Are you crumbling under pressure due to the weight of ALL that is happening around you - like the government shutdown? Are you willing to hold your ground and pull together (UNITE) to come to the aid of others? Are you watching with your spiritual eyes to discern the change in the SEASON to brace yourselves for the impact? Are you readjusting and readapting to analyze where your loyalty lies? Have you started to shift your priorities to move closer to the LORD? All over the United States, people are showing acts of kindness and love. In Tennessee, Yassin Terou (a Syrian refugee) who co-owns a falafel shop in downtown Knoxville is offering free food to anyone affected by the government shutdown. The sign inside the restaurant reads: WELCOME! All sizes. All colors. All cultures. ALL RELIGIONS. All types. All beliefs. All people SAFE HERE at Yassin's Falafel House. God, the FATHER of us ALL is LOVE and HE is our greatest representative! It is HE who we should direct our TRUST and seek guidance from the Holy 🙏 Spirit in weighing our decisions and options! HE will NEVER leave us, forsake us or lead us astray! OPEN YOUR EYES! VISIBILITY 1: the quality or state of being visible 2a: the degree of clearness (as of the atmosphere or ocean); specifically: the greatest distance through the atmosphere toward the horizon at which prominent objects can be identified with the naked eye b: capability of being readily noticed c: capability of affording an unobstructed view d: PUBLICITY 3: a measure of the ability of radiant energy to evoke visual sensation PUBLICITY 1: the quality or state of being public 2a: an act or device designed to attract public interest; specifically: information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support b: the dissemination of information or promotional material c: paid advertising d: public attention or acclaim PRAY FOR OUR GOVERNMENT! PRAY FOR THOSE IN LEADERSHIP! PRAY FOR THOSE IN POSITION OF POWER! PRAY WITHOUT CEASING! Sincerely, Dr. Ann Gwen Mack REFERENCE: https://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history... https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/histo... https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/06/21... General: https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.... https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-containe... If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Ann Mack
Management Analyst, US Department of Energy University of the District of Columbia class of 2002 Member Since May 2008 |
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