I believe the normal human trend, is to associate with your own race, language, trade, religion, etc. I have a next-door neighbor who is a third my age, rents his house, has a motorcycle, and naturally, since he rents rather than owns, his yard is a shambles. I don’t even know his name, so I guess I could be called a ‘racist,’ because I have no association with him, and don’t care to. He probably feels the same about me. African Americans invariably associate with their own race, live in the same neighborhoods, read the same publications, listen to the same music, and since I don’t like their neighborhoods, music, or publications, I am a ‘racist‘ I imagine. The same is true with Muslims, Italians, Germans, Chinese, and the list is endless. Everyone wants to be with, live near, speak the language of, and associate with their own. Incomes and education of people often determines where they will live, the brand of car they drive, and the type, size, or value of their homes. People who live in large, expensive, homes in ‘good’ neighborhoods, can be logically called ‘racists,’ since they really don’t want to associate with lower classes, who have less education, income, outlooks, and life styles. It is normal for ‘likes’ to associate with ‘likes,’ and this happens when workers join together to form a union. Pigeons associate with pigeons, and all of nature’s inhabitants, mate with and stay with their own kind. To be truthful, we are all ‘racists,’ as are animals, and even fish. We just avoid the rest and stay with our own. In my opinion it’s NATURAL.
I have no objection to workers joining together, forming a union to work for higher wages or better working conditions. Unions have always done that, even 150 years ago. Marriages are ‘unions,’ between two people for their mutual advantage. Car dealerships, or dealers in anything, are ‘unions’ made to concentrate on a particular product, brand, or category. A dealer in John Deere tractors is expert in them, and not in Kubota, which are not even similar. In 1909, union Philadelphia streetcar motormen went on strike for higher wages. They demanded a quarter an hour wage and ten-hour work day. See what inflation has wrought? The Philly strike lasted a long time and was fraught with violence and even a couple of deaths before it was settled. Detroit auto manufacturers deal with the UAW (United Auto Workers) union. Many tired of it and moved their factories to the American South to avoid unions.
The undoubtedly worst unions in America, are the teachers’ unions, about which several books have been written. Teachers’ unions are known to have good and bad teachers, but the unions protect the bad teachers from being fired; so obviously they continue to teach poorly, to the disadvantage of their pupils. Federal Government employees, a long time ago, formed their own union, and as a result, it is virtually impossible to fire a federal government employee, regardless of how idiotic, inefficient, or unnecessary they may be.
Ever since the trade of being a law enforcement officer began, there have been abuses. Give a man a uniform and a gun, and anything can happen if he or she has a personality which self-elevates with the uniform, gun, and legal authority. The armed forces have the same problem, and drill sergeants are legendary in their abuse of new recruits, ‘to toughen them up.’ Drill sergeants’ reputations for being cruel, are common, true or not. There are good and bad employees, doctors, dentists, sheriffs, clerks, generals, and workers at all levels, and with all levels of income and responsibility. In WW II, General George Patton was a tough man who was mostly loved by his men, and hated by his superiors who were jealous of his successes. Police officers are now in the spotlight, and I think rightly so. The well known ‘quota’ system of cops having to write a certain number of tickets, may or may not be true, but it is a common belief. The brutality of some cops is far too common, and I do not accept the fact that it is white cops brutalizing black citizens, other than the fact that all cops have far more contacts with blacks than with whites. Why? Because black males are maybe 7% of the population, but commit 65% of the crimes, and therefore are the majority of law violators and jail residents. Typically, the left media always publicizes white cops abusing blacks, like George Floyd’s murder. As an aside, Floyd had just tried to pass a fake $20 bill at a store and it was rejected. Did he have a lengthy police record? No one ever investigated or gave the results of such an investigation. Whether he had a record of not, was no excuse for his murder. I’d just be curious. His cop murderer, in his 19 years of employment, had 17 major complaints, but thanks to his union, nothing was done about it till his being charged with the 2nd degree murder of George Floyd. Go to Drudge Report every day, and there always seems to be something about a cop doing something egregious, and probably his union is protecting his job. Police commissioners and chiefs have long complained about being unable to get rid of problem officers, because their union protects their jobs, just like teachers’ unions protect unfit teachers.
It’s been said that one should never buy a union made car manufactured on a Friday or Monday, because on Friday, everyone’s so anxious for the weekend, they make mistakes, and on Monday, they’re hung over, which causes the same slip-shod workmanship. True? I have no idea, but that rumor exists. I also believe that if you are stopped by a state patrol, it is wise to be very cooperative and meek, even though you may sincerely believe than you have done nothing wrong. That car, uniform, gun, radio, and attitude, is enough to scare the average car driver, and they know it. However, the percentage of state patrolmen who are egotistic or abusive, is surely a small percentage of the trade, but the reputation of a few, has harmed the rest.
The legislation now upcoming, barring choke holds, and a few other common offenses police may use, is long overdue, but as usual, now the extreme leftists are calling for the de-funding, and even abolishing entire police forces. Dumb. ‘A few bad apples, spoils the entire bushel,’ is true in all professions, and now is being spotlighted on the police. Why does a good idea always seem to get carried away into absurdity? Ask your local Democrat, which party controls all of America’s largest cities, which have the largest crime, corrupt cops, terrorists, arsonists, looters, and miscreants in America. Unions campaigning for higher wages and better working conditions for their members are fine, but they should not protect lazy, abusive, or unfit members, and this includes cops and teachers.
Don Stott
don@coloradogold.com