Last night we attended the Liberal - union protest outside of Janesville's Holiday Inn Express. It was good to see that all of the unions were represented - UAW, IBEW, Teacher's Union and Teamsters. The Teamsters were nice enough to bring a semi-trailer with protest signs - so that this "real grass roots movement" didn't have to make them on their own.
Why the protest you ask? Governor Walker gave a speech at the Forward Janesville annual dinner. Why did we go? My girlfriend and I have seen so many of the signs protesting the removal of worker's rights and stop the war on state workers - we were interested in finding out (from a protesting union Liberal) what the definition of a state worker is. I wanted a good, honest, well thought out answer so I found a gentlemen wearing a UAW t-shirt holding and a 'stop the war on state workers' sign.
Here is a small sample of the conversation:
We asked "what is your definition of a worker?"
Union protester answered "someone that gets their hands dirty."
We asked "we get our hands dirty but we think what Walker is doing is a good thing and because of this do we no longer fit your definition of a worker?"
Union protester answered "No you are still a worker but misguided (I am condensing his side and the word misguided was well out of his vocabulary)
We said "All he is asking is that the unions pay their fair share instead of all the burden being on the tax payers."
Union protester answered "They did offer to pay their fair share!"
We said "You are correct - after he introduced the bill"
Union protester answered "You're wrong!"
We asked "Why are you yelling?" I will add that considering he was at least 6" taller than me and probably had 40lbs on me - he decided it was a good time to move closer and look down on me.
Union protester answered "Because you don't know what you're talking about!"
Union protester yelled "Without unions we would still have 8 year old children working in this country!"
We answered "Really? I said did you ever hear of the Department of Labor created in 1913?"
Union protester - silence
We asked "So if the unions are responsible for fair wages and child labor laws and such - one of them can go. Correct?"
Union protester "Yep - get rid of the Department of Labor!" (Sorry federal workers - apparently you don't qualify as a worker to the unions boys)
Union protester "Have you ever read the Constitution? Our founding fathers created the unions!"
We answered "Really? Haven't seen that one in there"
He proceeded to school me on how the unions can not - by law - put hundreds of millions of dollars towards political influence.
I wished him the best and that we were going to talk to others - he said that I should go spread my bullsh!t lies to other people.
It was a great night!
In reference to the protester - I believe Ron White said it best: "you can't fix stupid!"
ReplyDeleteOnce again - the reason why this country is going to hell in a handbasket is because of stupid people (both sides) like the protestor(s) interviewed; it's all about their status and what they're told rather than the real information and issues that transcend and deal with the real problem - not the in-fighting between classes and/or different political stripes. The Constitution is our way out of all this garbage! Right vs. Left is not the issue the damn government and the global banksters and their paid tyrannical systems are what are dividing and ripping us apart. When the dollar loses it's world reserve status all this BS won't matter. What will these kind of protestors and other morons have to say then - it's all Walker's fault?
ReplyDeleteRight on, Biner! It's time they all put their selfish needs behind them and work for the good of all people, and at the same time the people should put their selfish ways behind them and work together for a better world. The work of the Devil is greed and he sure is a busy one lately! PoetryInMotion
ReplyDeleteWhen the guy said, by law they can't put hundreds of millions of dollars towards political influence should have asked if he just joined the union. Maybe if he stays with them for a little while he'll learn that OH YES THEY DO! Where I worked, we knew just how they operated! If we are to get jobs back into this state the businesses better say no unions or they'll move because we've lost a lot of jobs because of them. It's nice to make good money but when they have to keep increasing the cost of their products to stay competative that's when they say good-bye!
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