Conservative Republican Union Man?

It's been quite a ride these 40 odd years since I was first introduced to political ideology. I remember thinking for a time when I was about 16 that my father was a communist because he was an official in the John Birch Society (mid 60s). The Media at that time was socialist and doing so well what it tried to do in this election cycle...twist the electorate their way with disinformation. I decided to join the Society and sleuth the organization. Well, I soon found out that it was just a conservative, America-loving educational movement that was a threat to the socialist elements in the US political scene and I lost my fears of it. Through my association with the Society, I learned much of what now resides in this little brain bucket about the founding fathers and the Constitution. For that I am grateful. Interestingly, it was part of the propaganda then to call it communist (even though it was staunchly anti-communist) because the Left really saw it as a threat. The Birchers met in "cells" according to the Lefties and that made them suspect. The "cells" were actually just study groups in homes that met together to discuss and share information about what was going on in the US and the world relative to the communist movements. It has since degraded from in-fighting and lost its savour. Too bad. It was also a tough job to keep the kooks from speaking for the Society from time to time causing great consternation for all involved. At any rate, enough said about it...just that it was my initiation into US politics.

With that conservative background, I had the good fortune to add a bit of socialism. I jointed the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1976 (after 1 year of law and 4 years in the Marine Corps...one in Viet Nam) and started at the bottom of the apprenticeship @$3.45 per hour. A little humility is good for the soul...a lot is even better. I gained an appreciation for the working man's environment and saw the need for representation in the workplace. I also recognized the great benefit to the construction industry of having readily available and trained workers to hire and lay off whenever it was economically convenient. It was more efficient than hiring and then maintaining a skilled workforce through tough economic times. The workers shared the burden of the slow times. I have a list of hirings and layoffs that would stagger the average person but seem mundane to the other "boomers" like myself.

Add to this my faith and the plot thickens. I suppose the liberals would now consider me the typical red-stater...ignorant and a Bible-thumper. I remember early on in my Christian experience that I thought that unions were demonic and that I must "obey the authority over me" and not pay attention to the union. Many Christians today in the work force think that way too. It caused (and is causing) great disruption in the workplace. I did a good deal of thought and prayer about that and have come to realize that the "authority over me" is the agreement between the union and managemant and if I abide by it, then I am doing the best thing I can to be to respect proper authority.

With those seemingly irreconcilable differnces of ideology, I come to this place. It's a place that's not so odd, really. There are many of us closet Christian conservative union members that were thrilled with the outcome of the elections this year. Though the Democrats have pushed for union issues, they have also sold out the moral questions and have used my wages through dues and taxation to buy votes to put in folks that keep doing the same. I find myself in the Republican camp because they most closely represent the moral standards that I am committed to. Most closely. Not completely. Like most folks, I would that they would see things my way and make a special blend....like a Starbucks brew...of political dogma. Fat chance. We all want things our own way...human nature thing.