Saturday, July 31, 2010

Rank and Vile

Remember when we were young, and the teacher would give you a gold star when you did a good job on your homework ?  Or, how about all the time spent with the crate paper and baseball cards decorating your bike because first prize in the 4th of July parade was a shiny silver dollar ?  Do you remember going for ice cream or being allowed to stay out after the street lights came on just because your chores were all done ?
As we grew up, remember cutting the grass so Dad would let you use the car for that hot date on Saturday night ?  And who can forget, all the extra hours put in at the new job, because you wanted your parents to be proud of the new assistant manager ?
My point is,  we were raised to know the difference between right and wrong.  Honesty was the best policy, and cheaters never win.  The reward system is all we knew.  If you did a good job.... you were recognized for it.  Then came the Service.  Remember that six weeks of shear hell chasing a single medal for your chest or a stripe for your sleeve ?  Having your name bellowed out by a man who scared you to death to receive a medal above everyone else who just couldn't hit the target as often as you did.  How proud did you feel ?  Do you remember how proud your parents were when you volunteered to go overseas ?   Do you ?
Fast forward !  I wonder how proud the guy working on the assembly line feels when he finds out that the guy next to him, dropped out of high school, failed his last random urinalysis, and is making the same wage as he is ?  I wonder how proud the young man who spent four years in college trying to get the upper hand in life has to settle for a job next to a man, whose been convicted of assault and can't even write his own name ?  Or how about the Veteran who came home with a purple heart pinned to his chest for bravery and now lives under a bridge because he can't afford to pay the dues prior to hire at the local foundry.
This, my friends, is not too far of a stretch while trying to relate to you how Unions have ruined this Country!
The Rank and File of today does nothing more than protect its weakest link.  Pride and performance have been replaced with Greed and entitlement and the Union is the cause.  Collective Bargaining only serves to shield the less productive by sheltering them amongst the masses.  Tenure is given for time in service,  not for excellence above and beyond.
What happened to being rewarded for a job well done, instead of just done, or worse, not done until later.
Labor in this Country used to strive to be the best.  Now, just meeting quota is the norm.
I yearn for the days I spoke of earlier, and frankly I know they have gone the way of the Dodo.  But remember this my friends.  a Proud People, individuals, and character are what built this county, not Unions, and they take no pride in their work.  It may take many to complete the job, but only the few can lead us to that point and the Union will never survive.   Like I said.....  Rank and Vile !!!



David W. Emerick
"Cowboy"

3 comments:

  1. I was thinking of those days not long ago myself. No internet, no cable, and a lot more family time, tv was a privilege, games were around the family table, everyone involved. I remember my Grandmother telling me she longed for the days of old. Here we are Dave, saying the same thing.

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  2. Striving for achievment is becoming a lost art David. Great article my bradah, Aloha..!

    Jeff Churchill aka Hana Five O
    www.pontificatinginparadise.blogspot.com

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  3. Dave I have 3 times walked in the Union door and never went through with it in fact I scored a 90 on the last test I took ,I didn't know crane signals very well I did mostly interior work so it wasn't necessary. I miss my youthful offender years and how my life was so much different today because then I had a life I will never see again especially with the destructive one in the White House

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