I speak with a lot of people in a week's time. It's the nature of what I do. I have discussions with plumbers, engineers and technicians of all sorts, farmers, heavy equipment operators, computer geeks and other pocket protector types, folks associated with the entertainment industry, nurserymen, carpenters, even those the republican elite perceive to be the bane of society... union members such as electricians, pipe-fitters, boilermakers, pilots, teachers, millwrights, welders and infrastructure workers be they gas, electric, coal, water, waste water or what ever in production, transmission/transportation, or distribution.
Except for that work deal, it's a really fun job.
Unlike some self-proclaimed free thinkers who, in actuality, are nothing more than political hacks and issue baiters, most are free thinking and rational American individuals who just want to be left alone to live their lives the best way they know how. But free thinking is much like leadership isn't it. If you have to constantly tell people what you is, you ain't.
But we're all about labels, aren't we. It's as though we need to hang ourselves and others with some all-encompassing, simple, one word or simple phrase description so we can group everyone into categories, so we can stand back and say "We are (this). They are (that)." Is that true? How can it be true that everyone who's hung with a handle like "union member" or "conservative" or "liberal" holds exactly the same beliefs? If they don't hold the exact same beliefs, are they really members of that clique?
I recently had a discussion with a customer who works for a gas pipeline company. There's an old salesman's commandment, thou shalt not discuss either politics or religion with a customer. It wasn't my fault. He started it, and during the course of our conversation I commented that republicans are doing themselves in by being so exclusive, by forcing others to come to them instead of reaching out to other groups. "Uh, oh." said he, and his tone of voice said I had better turn around and dog cuss some democrats to get back on neutral ground so we could finish our discussion. This, from a guy the republican hierarchy demonizes because of his membership in a trade union.
But those Republicans, they're going to be inclusive.
My experience has been those who besmirch and denigrate union members as a group don't know anything about them or their trade unions. One must wonder how many of those would turn down union members' votes... or their money, be it political contributions or for purchases of goods and services. Are there bad unions? Are there bad union members? To quote that Babe from Alaska, you betcha. All of them? Not hardly.
"He's a Christian." Does that mean he behaves in a Christ-like manner? Or does that mean he goes to church every Sunday, then feels free to spread malicious rumors about others on Monday?
"He's pro-life." So does that mean he's willing to force a woman who's been raped, forcibly and violently raped, to relive that experience every minute of every day until that baby is born... and long afterward?
"She's poor." So do something about it like a lady I know who spent 19 years completing a degree in computer science. She worked 2 and 3 jobs simultaneously, non-government jobs, to keep herself and her children off the public dole while she did it.
"He's rich." What's rich mean? He worked hard to earn what he has?
"They're minorities." What is a minority in this nation of ours that's truly a melting pot of ethnicities, ancestral heritage, religions, and belief systems? Nobody's ever been able to show me, mathematically, how even Mighty Whitie is a majority.
"They're elected Republicans." Do they, or can they even, back up their bravado with action?
"They're elected Democrats." Does that mean they're going to run from their bravo sierra when they get busted for it?
Two of my favorite commentators are Alfonzo Rachel and Star Parker. Both use a word to describe this sort of mentality, the plantation. Although they use it in the context of politics and being either democrats or republicans, if we stop to think about it for just a moment, isn't that a trap some of us fall into when we accept being labeled? Do we go outside of our comfort zone in the group we affiliate with to seek information and viewpoints that might be a little uncomfortable? Or do we accept, as Mr. Speaker Boehner has stated, being told to shut up and get in line, to get back on the plantation... or suffer negative consequences from those who demand we follow blindly.
Jon Bon Jovi wrote "we weren't born to follow." But do we? Isn't that exactly what we're doing when we allow others to hang a label on us?
I sure hope these aren't estrogen rushes the past couple of weeks. I keep waking up, in the middle of the night, with the most gosh awful, and irresistible, urges to move furniture.
Royce Burrage, Jr.