The Sleeping Giant

I want to start off by saying one thing to Scott Walker the Governor of Wisconsin whose recent budget has put the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin Public Sector workers in jeopardy…Thank You. In fact I’ll go one better, I also want to thank the Governor of Ohio and all the other State Governments out there that are attacking working people!

OK, now that I have everyone scratching their heads, screaming obscenities or both, allow me to explain. I am thanking the Koch Brother’s pet and all the other shills out there because this has as many have commented in recent weeks “Woken the Sleeping Giant.”

This is the first time in my thirty one years on this earth that I have truly seen people all around our Country stand up for what is just, the first time I’ve witnessed what the will of the people actually looks like. Not this fake “Astro-turf” style movement, but something real and something that has always been there for the people, the Labor Movement.

I’m sure, like myself, many of you reading have had others argue that Unions had their place, but we don’t need them anymore. I say, “Oh really?” As far as I can tell, the Labor Movement is the only thing that has been standing between us and utter serfdom. Now I’m sure many are rolling their eyes after that comment, but look back in history to what it was like before the Labor Movement really got any momentum.

Sixteen plus hour days with few if any breaks in the mines, factories and mills, child labor, practically slave wages, no health benefits, no retirement package, deplorable working conditions, a huge mortality rate due to unsafe working conditions, I could go on and on. Some say, “Well the government made laws to protect workers” and I respond, “Who do you think pressed the government to have those laws written in the first place?” The Labor Movement.

Laws can be removed or amended; without a voice for working people we’d go back to the days of the company town where your pittance earned was only good at the company general store. Where there was no such thing as weekends and only the wealthy would prosper and leave something for their children after they were gone. Workers had no money, their children had no future and they had no other recourse but to take what they were given without question.

Workers’ rights shouldn’t just be a Progressive ideal; it should be an American ideal. I grew up in a Nation that respected work and paid an honest wage for an honest days work. Why is this such a far-fetched idea? People have to start asking themselves: Who benefits from low wage work? Who benefits from workers trying to tear other workers down? Who benefits if the Unions are busted?

I’ll tell you this; the people who do benefit don’t care about you, me or America. They only care about themselves and their bank accounts. They are driven by two main motivators, greed and power. They believe that only their interests matter and the general citizenry are there to serve them and their agendas. This is and has been Class Warfare plain and simple. People need to wake up to that and realize the only way to preserve the American way of life is to support working families and the Labor Movement. And if you say you won’t support and fight with the Labor Movement, its ok we’ll keep fighting for you anyway.

So again to all you corporate hucksters out there I say THANK YOU! You have finally tipped your hand and shown us who is behind the curtain pulling your strings and the American people see you for what you are. WE ARE ONE!!!!