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| September 22, 2006 Alaskan in Exile by Neil Zawicki  A half-crazy possible junkie offered to sell his bicycle for a cigarette last Tuesday.“Anybody got a smoke?” I said to my two friends. No smokes. So I offered to buy him a pack of smokes for his bike – a perfectly good Raleigh road model. “It’s not hot and I have a bill of sale,” he said, producing a U.S. military I.D. card from the Navy, circa 1972. I decided in the end not to take the bike. After all, it probably was hot, or at least belonged to his roommate or somebody else he was angry with. And anyway, I had to be across the bridge in ten minutes to take pictures at the Governor of Washington’s outdoor reception dinner and booze-fueled schmooze fest prior to her Workforce and Economic Development conference, so I bid the nut goodbye and left him with his bike. When I got to the event, I hopped a little hedge and began milling through the crowd, snapping photos and sampling salmon dishes as a combo jazz band played for all the heavies in economics and labor throughout the state. I ended up near the temporary fence, amid a trio of highly decorated fashion junkies with expensive hair and colorful mixed drinks. No doubt from Everett. Just outside the fence, a dirt-crusted, trucker’s wallet wearing street kid with dreadlocks and a big black dog asked, “Hey, what’s going on over there?” The fashion junkies answered him with a head-cocked, haughty tone: “It’s the Governor’s Conference?” The question mark was included for insult. “You should hop the fence and get some food,” I offered, and the women looked at me like I was made out of earthworms. I took their picture. Later, I shared a beer with an older guy wearing a red western sport coat and an American Flag tie. Probably from Tacoma. He wanted to talk about illegals in the workforce. “Wal-Mart kidnaps people and makes them work,” he said, eyeing passing skirts like a clothing designer. “They lock people in their stores at night when they’re not working. That is kidnapping.” I bought him another Pilsner and took his picture. “But don’t you think that maybe those people are happy to be locked in the store where it’s safe?” I asked him. “I mean, if they’re illegal, then that’s a pretty good deal, I would imagine.” The red jacketed man grinned beneath his mustache. “It’s kidnapping,” he said. “Lawyers said so.” We decided quickly that we both agreed that Wal-Mart takes advantage of the illegal workers, and that the retailer does little good to the economy, but we could not come to terms on the kidnapping question. “Forget about going after the thousands of immigrant workers, go after the employers,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket while placing his empty bottle distractedly on the bar. “I agree, pay people what their worth.” “Unless they’re illegal,” he replied. “Legal or not. Both sides are taking advantage of the law in this case.” “And one of them is kidnapping.” The fashion junkies reappeared, and rolled their eyes when they saw me. My new friend bought them drinks, and they acted like aloof kittens when he did it. “Do you ladies think Wal-Mart kidnaps?” he asked them. “Excuse me?” “They kidnap migrant workers and won’t let them leave.” One of the women tossed her hair aside and plucked the corner of her mouth with her finger. “I totally read that somewhere too,” she said. I decided then that my work there was done, that I had taken my pictures and that my editor would be happy. I left the event, leaving workforce debate to the professionals. On the way home, I swung by the parking lot where I’d almost bought the bike for a pack of smokes. He has gone. Oh well. Here’s to commerce. Neil Zawicki, exiled Alaskan, is Editor at Large for Insurgent49, a former reporter for the Alaska Star, and winner of the Alaska Press Club's 'Best Columnist' award. He is now living out the rest of his days in an undisclosed location in Oregon. He can be contacted at - hondo23@gmail.com |
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September 15, 2006 September 8, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 25, 2006 August 18, 2006 August 11, 2006 August 4, 2006 July 28, 2006 July 21, 2006 July 14, 2006 June 30, 2006 June 23, 2006 June 16, 2006 June 9, 2006 June 2, 2006 May 26, 2006 May 12, 2006 May 5, 2006 April 28, 2006 April 21, 2006 April 14, 2006 April 7, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 17, 2005 March 3, 2006 February 24, 2006 February 17, 2006 February 10, 2006 February 3, 2006 January 27, 2006 January 20, 2006 January 13, 2006 January 6, 2006 December 30, 2005 December 23, 2005 December 16, 2005 December 10, 2005 December 2, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 18, 2005 November 11, 2005 November 4, 2005 October 28, 2005 October 21, 2005 October 14, 2005 October 7, 2005 September 30, 2005 September 23, 2005 September 16, 2005 September 9, 2005 September 2, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 5, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 3, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 6, 2005 April 29, 2005 April 21, 2005 April 14, 2005 April 7, 2005 April 1, 2005 - also by this
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Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
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