Depressed Press

You know, I’ve been a writer for some time now, and usually when I sit down to put my thoughts to paper (or computer) I know what it is that I need to write, and eventually I come up with the best way to do so. Sounds reasonable, no?

So it’s with a head shaking amount of disbelief that I saw this headline yesterday.

Funny how this headline came from the Associated Press. I would’ve thought this was from “No Shit, Sherlock” magazine.

Imagine that – there are actually upset workers by Ford’s layoffs. Geez, you think?

I’ve lived through 10 rounds of layoffs at my employer, and watched it go from 38,000 employees to 1,800 in less than four years. And yet in all that time, I never met anyone around here who was elated by the job cuts. Nobody has ever come up to me and said, “Hooray, Thomas! Our staff has been reduced by 95 percent! Isn’t that wonderful news?” Of course, if they had, I probably would’ve slugged them or had them locked up in the nearest padded room.

Nobody likes to see American jobs disappear, and nobody is thrilled to see workers have to start over. So why would the AP write such a boneheaded headline?

The rumor mill says that my employer is gearing up for round #11 of layoffs. At this point, I really don’t give a crap. I’m so numb from all the other job cuts that at this point, it’d almost be a blessing. Try going to work every day for a year and a half, not knowing if it would be your last day there or not. It sucks big time.

But if they do cut more jobs, I’m sure the press will be parked outside again, waiting to catch the reaction of stunned, formerly employed people. Then they’ll write something really stupid about their experience, and move on to something more pressing – a sewage spill, perhaps.

So I’m asking today that the news media as a whole take a little pity on those affected by these changes in company structure. It’s not a picnic, and the people whose lives have just been upended deserve a little bit of respect and dignity.

I’m just sayin’.