I understand why politicians want to see labor as the cause of most of our societal and economic problems. It takes the focus off the banks, the corporations, the military-industrial complex. But public school teachers? I guess they really are sort of greedy and grabby — not to mention rich. Especially those greedy-grabby public school special ed teachers. My younger brother is one of them, and boy, is he raking it in. Talk about take, take, take.

My grandson and I just about went crazy watching the unions protest in Wisconsin in the spring. “Those are our people!” I shouted to the television, although neither of us actually has a job. He joined the chorus, in his native Latvian. We clapped, and ate Cheetos, and danced and put all the workers together on the green Lego base plate. Our pride was contagious: My two union dogs milled around, licking us enthusiastically and levitating Cheetos right out of the baby’s fists.

The whole world will be bombarding my grandson with messages about individual and personal success aimed at teaching him to love the almighty buck, but I want my grandchild to grow up in a family that loves labor, as I did. And I want him to know that when workers’ rights or libraries or redwood groves are threatened, it’s incumbent on us to show up with our kazoos and bongos.