Eugene V Debs, Canton Ohio Another fun recent encounter with my union: I tried to update my address with the hall. Got voicemail, despite having tracked down the right office/extension (it isn't obvious), and despite having called during business hours. Decided to be the squeaky wheel, and suggested that maybe we should be able to update our address online. It's 2018. Said it might be nice for all the part-timers who don't make shit and have to move every year chasing low rents. Pointed out how shitty our participation rates were in the last election, might be nice to get more ballots into the correct mail boxes. Got told to call the union hall during business hours to update my address. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Well, for myself, I never had much faith in leaders. I am willing to be charged with almost anything, rather than to be charged with being a leader. I am suspicious of leaders, and especially of the intellectual variety. Give me the rank and file every day in the week. If you go to the city of Washington, and you examine the pages of the Congressional Directory, you will find that almost all of those corporation lawyers and cowardly politicians, members of Congress, and misrepresentatives of the masses—you will find that almost all of them claim, in glowing terms, that they have risen from the ranks to places of eminence and distinction. I am very glad I cannot make that claim for myself. I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks, and not from the ranks.