Labor Day should be more than another day off for dove hunts, barbecues, and store sales. It is an opportunity to recognize the dignity of work and honor the people whose labor strengthens our families and communities.
Catholic social teaching reminds us that work is not simply how we earn a living. It is one of the ways we express our dignity as human beings, provide for our families, serve our neighbors, and contribute to the common good.
“The dignity of work is the dignity of the person who does it.”
Work Is Dignity in Action
More than a century ago, Pope Leo XIII addressed the rights and dignity of workers in Rerum Novarum. He affirmed that working men and women deserve fair wages, safe conditions, and the opportunity to support their families.
Those principles remain important today. Work is more than an economic transaction—it is dignity in action.
Here in Bexar County, we should honor the men and women who show up every day to serve and strengthen our community, including:
- First responders who protect our families
- Military personnel and veterans who defend our freedoms
- Small-business owners who create jobs and opportunity
- Tradesmen and tradeswomen who build and maintain our communities
- County employees who serve the public
- Parents and caregivers whose work strengthens the family
Respecting the People Who Earn Every Tax Dollar
Honoring working families also means respecting their hard-earned tax dollars. The people of Bexar County deserve a government that carefully accounts for the money entrusted to it instead of wasting it.
That is why I am running for Bexar County Judge. I will work to restore fiscal accountability, audit where county money goes, and ensure that the people who work hard here are never taken for granted by those who are supposed to serve them.
The dignity of work and the dignity of the family help create the dignity of the entire community. County government should support that foundation through responsible leadership, accountability, and respect for taxpayers.
Every worker deserves fair wages, safe conditions, and a government that respects their hard-earned dollars instead of wasting them.
This Labor Day, let us remember and honor the dignity of labor, the dignity of family, and the men and women whose work keeps Bexar County moving forward.
May God bless the United States of America, Texas, and Bexar County.
View Patrick’s original Labor Day message on Facebook
Patrick Von Dohlen is a candidate for Bexar County Judge committed to fiscal accountability, responsible government, strong families, and respect for the taxpayers of Bexar County.