Let's put the CIVIL back in Civil Disobedience

According to Federal law, any unionized employees at a health care facility are required to give a minimum of 10 days notice before going on strike. Public safety workers are not permitted to strike when their job includes providing emergency services to the public. Federal employees are not only not permitted to strike, they're not even allowed to claim the right to strike or belong to a union that claims the right to strike.

In 1981, thousands of air traffic controllers went on strike to get what they considered better benefits, such as shorter work weeks, more pay, things like that. President Reagan, in accordance with Federal law, called the strike illegal. He gave the workers 48 hours to return to work or lose their jobs. In an attempt to call his bluff, the workers remained off the job, and consequently lost their jobs when President Reagan followed through on his threat.

This past week in Wisconsin, firefighters, teachers, medical employees all took to the streets to protest the proposed budget cuts by Governor Walker. I'm guessing the medical employees failed to give the required 10 day notice. Teachers pulled their students out of class and made them participate in the protest, regardless of what the students thought. Most didn't even know what they were protesting for or against; they simply knew they had the day off from school and were helping cause trouble. Doctors were committing fraud by giving "excuse notes" to protesters in hopes that the employers wouldn't discipline them for the walkout. Of course, the doctors were claiming they were doing "private consultations" in order to supply these notes. In one video, two women claim that they didn't walk out of their job, they are sick. They continue to clarify that they are sick of Gov. Walker.

Now, I don't know about you, but there have been many things I've been sick of. I've never illegally walked off my job, or called in sick to participate in a protest rally. I certainly wouldn't be going out in public if I had fraudulently called in sick. The only union I ever belonged to was a joke, really. It was a bakery union, and they made it their business to bend over and give the company anything it wanted. When I needed help from the union, the primary rep went on vacation. When the company wanted the employees to pay more towards their benefits, the employees were threatened and bullied into voting for ratification. It looks like unions are doing nothing more than stirring up problems.

In contrast to these harsh illegal protests going on in Wisconsin, at a speech being given by Secretary of State Clinton, a protester stood silently in the audience and turned his back on Sec. Clinton. In response, her Secret Service agents converged on this 71 year old Veteran and forcibly removed him in full view of Sec. Clinton. Interestingly, the speech she was giving was in support of the violent protests taking place in Egypt and other countries.

Even when Arizona was passing their newest Immigration bill, protesters against the bill were violent and caused all sorts of trouble and interference with daily business, all in the name of "Civil Disobedience".

I find it interesting, and not a little troubling, that violent protest has become favored by so many people over silent, non-physical protest. When protesting with anger and hatred overrules ACTUAL civil acts of disobedience, anarchy will follow. Gone are the days of Rosa Parks, who merely took a seat in protest of unfair discrimination. Gone are the days of Gandhi, who starved himself but didn't harm anyone else. I'm all in favor of protest. If you don't agree with the way things are being done, by all means, do something about it. That's how change is brought about. Please, don't do so violently though. It does nothing more than negate any positive changes you're trying to make.