thedrifter
03-21-05, 06:35 AM
Fragging the Hand That Feeds You
UAW Declares War on the Marines
March 17, 2005
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by Jim Manion
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By now most of us have heard the recent story about the United Auto Workers International Union in Detroit, Michigan, banning Marine Reservists from using their parking lot due to the presence of foreign cars owned by the reservists and a smattering of pro Bush bumper stickers. That sudden change of heart reversed an informal arrangement allowing the Marines to park there going back more than 10 years.
The Marines rallied and immediately made alternate arrangements. The commanding officer of the battalion's active duty component, Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, succinctly stated "You either support the Marines or you don't." LTC Rutledge added "I'm telling my Marines that they're no longer parking there." Period, end of story.
Less than 24 hours later, the UAW reversed itself and rescinded their ban. The capitulation was so quick that I am certain the French shed a collective tear of envy. The Marines declined the olive branch and informed the UAW that they could store it in a place where the sun does not shine. Semper Fi!
The UAW's decision was a curious one, given the fact that UAW workers are the ones who assemble almost all U.S. Military vehicles, from the M-1 Tank to the Humvee.
And yes, they even have the contract on the Marine Stryker vehicle. And let's not forget the other unions that benefit from this arrangement - the Steelworkers that supply the steel, the Teamsters that haul the steel and components, and other unions that support the UAW, USU and Teamsters. And what about the fact that those "foreign cars" have facilities in the United States. The foreign companies employ plenty of UAW workers nationwide.
For every Humvee blown up by a roadside bomb (an IED), the UAW employs people that build its replacement. For every M-1 Tank and Bradley that is destroyed, the UAW builds its replacement. For every Marine Stryker that is destroyed, the UAW gets more work. What the UAW fails to understand that all of that replacement work is sealed in the blood of those troops who died or who were wounded when those vehicles were destroyed.
I am certain that their instant surrender was not out of patriotic duty but out of fear of risking those lucrative military contracts. Our government needs to take a very close look at the quality coming off of the assembly lines, for there indeed appears to be an incentive to deliver less than the best to our troops. I for one would not have been so diplomatic, a trait which I am certain anchored me to the rank of Major.
As for the UAW, you have proven that you have no problem stepping on the bodies of our brave men and women in uniform to retrieve your cache of silver coins. You are certainly free to decide who can and cannot park in your lot, a freedom which those marines in Michigan have sworn to protect with their very lives.
And if you want to know what to do with your olive branch, I will be more than happy to provide you with detailed instructions.
Jim Manion
Ellie
UAW Declares War on the Marines
March 17, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Jim Manion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By now most of us have heard the recent story about the United Auto Workers International Union in Detroit, Michigan, banning Marine Reservists from using their parking lot due to the presence of foreign cars owned by the reservists and a smattering of pro Bush bumper stickers. That sudden change of heart reversed an informal arrangement allowing the Marines to park there going back more than 10 years.
The Marines rallied and immediately made alternate arrangements. The commanding officer of the battalion's active duty component, Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, succinctly stated "You either support the Marines or you don't." LTC Rutledge added "I'm telling my Marines that they're no longer parking there." Period, end of story.
Less than 24 hours later, the UAW reversed itself and rescinded their ban. The capitulation was so quick that I am certain the French shed a collective tear of envy. The Marines declined the olive branch and informed the UAW that they could store it in a place where the sun does not shine. Semper Fi!
The UAW's decision was a curious one, given the fact that UAW workers are the ones who assemble almost all U.S. Military vehicles, from the M-1 Tank to the Humvee.
And yes, they even have the contract on the Marine Stryker vehicle. And let's not forget the other unions that benefit from this arrangement - the Steelworkers that supply the steel, the Teamsters that haul the steel and components, and other unions that support the UAW, USU and Teamsters. And what about the fact that those "foreign cars" have facilities in the United States. The foreign companies employ plenty of UAW workers nationwide.
For every Humvee blown up by a roadside bomb (an IED), the UAW employs people that build its replacement. For every M-1 Tank and Bradley that is destroyed, the UAW builds its replacement. For every Marine Stryker that is destroyed, the UAW gets more work. What the UAW fails to understand that all of that replacement work is sealed in the blood of those troops who died or who were wounded when those vehicles were destroyed.
I am certain that their instant surrender was not out of patriotic duty but out of fear of risking those lucrative military contracts. Our government needs to take a very close look at the quality coming off of the assembly lines, for there indeed appears to be an incentive to deliver less than the best to our troops. I for one would not have been so diplomatic, a trait which I am certain anchored me to the rank of Major.
As for the UAW, you have proven that you have no problem stepping on the bodies of our brave men and women in uniform to retrieve your cache of silver coins. You are certainly free to decide who can and cannot park in your lot, a freedom which those marines in Michigan have sworn to protect with their very lives.
And if you want to know what to do with your olive branch, I will be more than happy to provide you with detailed instructions.
Jim Manion
Ellie