Thoughts

I don't know about where you live, but there is some serious stuff going down in my old hometown.

I grew up in a small community in southwest Washington state. That little sleepy community is now a hotbed of tension and turmoil regarding some labor disputes.

EGT, a Canada-based company built some grain terminals at the docks where I grew up, and has now staffed them with employees from a Tacoma-based union. The local union here ILWU, is protesting this by blocking trains, barricading and blocking access to the site, and basically throwing a world-class tempertantrum.

This last Monday, the president of the San Franciso-based union turned himself in, but only after trying to get the local police chief and county sherrif removed from office. His reasoning? That these men were applying "undue" force in trying to dissolve this strike. They were arresting men at their homes, and "harrassing" others under suspicion of causing mischief.

I don't know about you, but from what I know of police work, they tend not to arrest folks until they have the evidence they need to bring you in. Thus, they would arrest people once they had probable cause to get them. Sorry if that inconveniences you, but if you do the crime, don't expect some kind of medspa treatment. If you are planning on doing something stupid, don't you think the folks who are tasked with keeping the peace would be watching to make sure you don't cross a line, or maybe do something that could make things worse?

By this rationale, I could go rob a bank, and then when they close in on me I could turn myself in if only the people who are trying to arrest me are fired. Why? Because they caused me undue stress for breaking the law, and should be punished for it.

What kind of crap is this?

In my outspoken opinion, these labor guys need to grow up. They need to figure out that when you break laws, you pay for it. When you decide to buck the system, things tend to break loose, and folks pay a price.

Grow up, grow a pair, and move on.

Thank you!