"Right to work"? "Fair Share"? Really??

First, let's stop the "right to work" bullshit and call this thing what it is.... When I was in the Union, we called it "Fair share", and personally, I think both titles suck. It's not about a right you were born with, or paying your fair share. It's about what I would call an "open shop" or a "closed shop" . Now that I have that off my chest,let's all quit posturing for a second and just listen to each other. It don't cost nothin'.
Ok... Remember the movie Tombstone? "....Listen to me! We're not saying ya can't own a gun. We're not even sayin' ya can't carry a gun. We're just sayin' ya can't carry a gun IN TOWN!"..... Seems to me, after listening to a pile of bullshit and extreme exaggeration from both sides of the "right to work" issue, that the basic logic is the same as Tombstone. They're not saying you can't have a union. They're not even saying you can't join a union. They're just saying that no one should be FORCED to join a union. Union dues go for a lot more than contract negotiations. Politics are involved. Because politics are involved, other major issues are involved. Abortion, Gun control, Welfare, and so on....
If for no other reason, this, and this alone, convinces me that we should have "open shops". The Union stands on it's own accord, as an entity, and it's first priority has to be it's own self existence, it's own power, just like any other being. Just like a church. The members are secondary to that goal. Your political affiliation can't matter to the union, nor does the other issues that union-backed politicians may support. The union survives as a self-aware entity by supporting politicians, and lobbying. Whatever else the politicians do is inconsequential to the union, as long as the politician supports the union. Nothing wrong with that per se, just the way it is. But, because that is the way it is, I believe the union should be a voluntary activity, just like a church, or a lodge. If you agree with them, pay your share. If not, you shouldn't be forced to. Fair enough?
  Still don;t get what I am saying? My friend Jodi says that the unions are the largest contributor to the Democratic party. So if you are a Republican, or a Libertarian, or just don't want to support everything the democrats support, and you are forced to join the union, you are actually contributing to a form of gov't that you don't agree with. She gets it.
Sure there are two sides to everything. I understand that. Hell, two of the men I admire and love most in the world, my Dad, and my Uncle Harry, were life long union members. I used to be in a union. I was an officer in the union. I was involved. My union was in an open shop. That's right kids, open. We negotiated for everybody, filed grievances for everybody, but UNION ACTIVITY, (or membership), WAS VOLUNTARY. I VOLUNTEERED. The union did a good job, and I thought they were good people, and I wanted to be a part of it, and help if I could. So, yes, I can see both sides of the coin here. I have been there. I was raised there. I get it. As my old friend Adam noted on my Facebook page recently, " Let's not forget the other side of the coin. Unions are required by law to represent and negotiate for non union members in a shop. So right to work gives the non union member something for nothing. How about an accompanying law that says you don't have to join but you get no representation and you can negotiate your own contract? If you get fired for no reason you don't get to run to the union for help. You get hurt? Work it out on your own. Or, are non union members just looking for a free ride?"
Adam has a point, That would be fair enough if the union agreed to it, but they probably won't. They need the power to negotiate for everyone to make the system work for them. There is good and bad for both sides, the trick is to figure out which rights outweigh the rest. I am for a referendum or public vote.
What was that I just said? Weigh one right against the other? Which one is most important? Ah.....There it is....
Thing is, to me, this is more about human nature than unions per se. Yeah, I resent being forced to pony up to the Democrats, and I resent a union being more of a political entity than one that exists to represent it's members. The thing I notice, on the big picture though, is the human nature part of it.
We tend to make choices for ourselves, then make the leap to wanting to force everyone else to do that which we have chosen to do, effectively eliminating their right to choose. Whether the choice be union dues, abortion, gun control, or selling beer on Sunday. I respect peoples right to choose, I just ask they respect mine. Problem is, they almost never do. People in general make decisions about things like this, and then assume anyone who doesn't agree is obviously not capable of making a decision on their own, so they go about forcing their decision on everyone else. The concept started with religion. This country was founded in large part to avoid this type of thought process in regard to religion. Yet, we can't seem to see the parallels with unions. Nowadays, Unions and churches are a lot alike. Both claim to have created everything good about your life, and expect your blind allegiance and money because of it. Both promise wonderful futures if you follow what they say without question. Both promise eternal hell if you don't blindly follow what they tell you. And a lot of you follow one, the other, or both, without asking them to prove what they are saying is true. Then you DEMAND I do the same as you. Damn it, I can think for myself. I can see some truth in what they say, but the truth is surrounded by piles of bullshit specifically designed to keep people following blindly, and keep the union in power, and the union leaders rich. Just like church. All I am saying is the choice should be mine. Don't make a choice for yourself then try to force your choice on me. Mixed metaphors, yeah, but here goes.... You can drink the Kool-Aid if you want, but you can't make me drink, and the more you try to force me to drink it, the more I will resist. So, my right to choose is most important. You chose, I can choose too. Only fair?
Now, if you are one of my union buddies, and you don't understand the reference to Kool-Aid, before you jump my ass about my opinion, understand that you just proved my point. I understand the Kool-Aid reference, ad how it applies to religion, and following blindly, and you don't, but you still think you are more fit to make my decisions for me than I am? Kiss my fat ass.