California's Prop 19 and SEIU

If you look at the SEIU web page there is a section called "How a Union Can Help". The first item states: "# 1 - Working together, union members have the strength to win better wages, affordable health care, a secure retirement, and safer workplaces." The SEIU supports the passing of California's  proposition that legalizes the use marijuana in California.

Where does legalized pot fit  into this "help" statement?  I'm sure that it will not fit under the section of better wages (well maybe for the Mexican drug cartels).  I'm sure your health insurance rates will be higher if you are a pot smoker so no help with the affordability of health care. I don't see it helping you to a secure retirement, I actually am of the view that it might even prevent retirement. Last but not least, they state that Unions support a safer workplace. That is the point were I would like to further investigate.

The SEIU's membership is in three sectors: They are: Healthcare (doctors, LPN's homecare workers,etc), property services (maintenance workers, janitors, security officers), and public services (local and state government workers,public school employees, bus drivers and child care providers).

Let's say you have a bit of a cough and head off the the doctors office. The first person you run into is an LPN that wants to give you an injection, did she just roll a doobie on break? How about going to work and you are doing your best to make things Plumb and Square and you step up to the table saw do you wonder if your helper has just had a blunt? Late at night you believe your building is being protected by a quality union security company how do you know that they are not sitting in their car having a little "party"? Do you send your child off to a day care or school with a loaded teacher? The implications are endless.

The support of this proposal by this union makes no since at all to me. A union is designed to help its employees stay safe. This act will only hurt employees and customers. The answer is only money. If you are an SEIU employee you have just been sold out for the all mighty dollar.

Will it grow their union? I suppose it will, because it will now take two employees to do the job of one before.  I just think if you are a Californian and want to help add money to your tax coffers there are better ways (how about getting rid of sanctuary cities or stop spending money?).

The Buddy Case and People

For those readers who do not live in Grand Junction... there is a local story that has been making headlines lately, that has defiantly stirred the public. The story is: a guy was caught after dragging a stolen dog to death, behind his truck. This is a horrific story that has people all over town wanting to drag the suspect behind their own car, to avenge Buddy's (the dog's) death.

The incident has sparked so much interest that somebody started a Facebook account Demand Justice for Buddy that already has 130,000 members (That is more people than actually live in Grand Junction).

The point of my blog post is not really about Buddy though, it is about people. I am an animal lover as well, I have three dogs myself and I would be devastated if this incident happened to one of them. My heart goes out to the owners of Buddy and what they are going through right now. What I find interesting is; how the public is ready to murder a person, in revenge of an animal.

In this country we have a certain "revenge" aspect to our culture that has intrigued me for a long time. Think about the slogans of big events of the past: Remember the Maine (Spanish-American war), Remember Pearl Harbor, Remember 9-11, War on Poverty, War on drugs, or War on Congress (OK, I made that one up).

If something happens in America that actually stirs the anger in Americans, you better watch out, cause you are going to pay. The quotes by Isoroku Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor, come to mind: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." and "Gentlemen, we have just kicked a rabid dog."

I think that is why so many people want to come to the United States, or are at least envious of this country, because we take care of our own. It is more like a "national community" than a country. If we are attacked anywhere from Florida to Alaska, we will protect our countrymen. We do not fight for nobility or land we fight for each other. That is a national pride that is truly American.

Our forefathers faced many struggles both here and abroad to become citizens of this country. Not to conquer more land or take over a culture. They wanted liberty. They wanted a community. That earned liberty, has made a truly unique American culture, a culture with Americans that will do anything to protect their own. We are fellow Americans that will fight for someone who cannot fight for themselves. We have proved that fact over and over again; from Pearl Harbor to 9-11, or even with Buddy.

We as Americans will disagree about a lot of things, but one thing I think we can all agree on is that we are blessed to be part of the American family.

Bring back Judge Roy Bean

According to the Court of Appeals of this great State of Colorado you cannot be tried for murder if you kill a baby in a mothers womb, even if the baby is born alive then later dies. Interesting to say the least.

A woman, Shea Lehnen, was 8 1/2 months pregnant until On Nov. 6, 2007. Logan Lester Lage, was drunk and running from the cops and drove head on into Shea Lehnen's vehicle.

Click here to get the story from the Daily Sentinel:
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/05/28/052909_lage_ruling_WEB.html
I think it is time for a judge like Judge Roy Bean. This guy would have already been tried and his death sentence carried out. Mesa County DA, Pete Hautzinger did the right thing in filing murder charges on the twit. Then in their infinite wisdom the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the decision saying that a baby born alive and breathing oxygen, is not a person. So I guess it is OK to kill babies in Colorado....

So essentially this child, Lileigh Lehnen, was robbed of her future forever... and this ass, Logan Lester Lage, will be out and about in a few years, ready to get into his car and kill again, instead of spending the rest of his life in prison.