Look for the Union Label

For whatever reason, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin seems to be on a mission from gawd to destroy labor unions.  He's been joined by his Republican brethern who comprise the Wisconsin legislature.  He claims his actions are necessary to save the state of Wisconsin from financial disaster.  Bullshit.  He's eyeing a bigger prize and trying to set himself up as a conservative savior of sorts.

Giving the devil his due, the economy sucks, times are hard and everyone, including labor unions, needs to tighten the proverbial belt.  Gov. Walker (hereinafter referred to as Douchebag) has demanded that the Public Employees Union of Wisconsin make certain concessions in order to keep the state from going broke.  Those concessions include the employees paying a larger share for their health insurance and making a larger contribution to their retirements while the state pays less.  The union agreed to these terms.  Well and good, right?  The union understood that for the benefit of all, they had to give up something, they've saved the state some money, and we can revisit this issue when the economy is better, right?  Wrong!  Douchebag demands that the union give up its collective bargaining rights.  The state will be in financial ruin if they don't.  What the fuck?  They made the concessions.  What the fuck does collective bargaining have to do with the budget?  What it has to do with is that it has become en vogue with the right-wing nutters to make labor unions the whipping boy of our shitty economy.  It wasn't Reagan's supply-side economics or Clinton's signining of NAFTA (which Bush the Elder also supported) or Dubya's endless wars or tax cuts for the rich or policies that allowed the economy to tank.  It was those greedy unions.  Those sorry bastards who want to make a living wage in a safe environment with health insurance and a retirement plan caused the all of the good jobs to go Mexico and China.  Lazy fuckers.  The irony is that most of the morons farting out this load of shit are baby boomers, Nam era babies and GenXers have benefitted greatly from the blood, sweat and tears of the unions and what they've been able to accomplish.  Without the unions, most of these fine, upstanding pillars of the community would be toiling in the factory under unsafe if not out and out dangerous conditions, day in and day out, for the least amount the factory could get employees to show up for, and owe their souls to the company store.  I think fuckers like Walker irritate me the most, because he's part of my generation.  We had it good.  We grew up as the computer age was getting started.  Our parents had educations and good paying jobs thanks to the work of the unions of our grandparents' generation.  The far right-wingers of my generation don't have the good sense to realize that while they look down their noses at labor unions, they'd be on the receiving end of better-than-thou rich assholes' snarls but for union workers.  Those who came before us made it possible for us to have a better life.  Now, instead of trying to make the world an even better place, my generation decides "I have mine.  Why should I care about you?"  What a disappointment.   The scary thing is that these morons are being elected to public office in droves.  What the unions worked lifetimes to accomplish will be gone in less than a decade at this rate. 

Fame, Influence, and Susceptible People

People have used fame and power to influence susceptible people for as long as there has been fame and power.  It's nothing new.  Sometimes the influence is used to make the world a better place, for example Bob Barker's plea to "have your pet spayed or neutered" closing message at the end of each The Price is Right Episode.  Thanks to Bob Barker's message and grant money given to rescues, the number of cats and dogs who die needlessly in kill shelters has dropped.  Many others in high-profile positions of modern times have put their endorsement on humanitarian causes to help those in need.  Then we have the other edge of the sword - those who use fame and positions of power to brainwash the masses. 

Today's bark addresses Justin Beiber's recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, wherein he stated his anti-abortion beliefs.  When asked if that extended to  women impregnated by rape, he response was:  "Um. Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don't know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven't been in that position, so I wouldn't be able to judge that."  At least he qualified that statement that he hasn't been in that position.  Really?  You haven't?  You don't reckon that has anything to do with the fact that you don't have a uterus, do you?  The article also drips sappily of his opinions of sex and all about how skydaddy loves us and how to get to heaven.  Just what the world needs - another Kirk Cameron.  A half-assed, piss-poor, minimally talented teenybopper idol who thinks he's the daddy of the mack daddy because a bunch of 12, 13, and 14 year old girls think he's soooooo cute and want to marry him, and hang on his every word.  If Justin Beiber said it, then that's how it is for them.  He thinks it happend for a reason and rape isn't a reason for an abortion, therefore...

Let's break this down for a moment.  Let's replace skydaddy with a flesh and blood mortal man.  If a flesh and blood mortal man had a plan for you, and that plan included you being attacked, raped and impregnated, would you love and worship that man?  No, you wouldn't.  You'd call the police and have a protective order against him.   You'd avoid him like a plague.  You'd probably develop a seething hatred for him.  So why in the blue fuck would you *love* a deity that would have such a plan for you?  Unfortunately, the mathematical odds of some little Biebette who read the article and took it to heart being raped and impregnated are great.  No, it won't happen to them all.  It will be only a small percentage, but stastically, it will happen.  My concern is that some 12-to-14 year old girl who read this article will not only have to endure the physical and psychological trauma of rape, but also of an unwanted, unwelcomed pregnancy - a pregnancy that is not only rife with the psychological torture of being pregnant with a rapist's child, but also the fact that there can be grave physical consequences to pregnancy at such a young age. 

I can handle the fact there there are talentless teenyboppers out there making a mint on the tweenager.  I was a tweenager once myself.  Pictures of Andy Gibb polluted my room.  What frosts my ass is the ones who want to use their fame to pimp skydaddy to the tweens.  Here's Justin Beiber, a punk-assed white boy with a fucked up haircut telling impregnated rape victims it happened for a reason, and then we have Kirk Cameron telling fundies it's ok to lie to atheists when proseltyzing to them.  Um, yeah, Kirk, the whole skydaddy thing is a big lie.    

Please don't misunderstand today's bark to be an endorsement or directive that all impregnated rape victims should have an abortion.  It isn't.  I cannot think of a more deeply personal decision that should be made by the woman in question and only by her.  My bark is about meddlesome religionists who need to mind their own business, and particularly when it comes to something so deeply personal.

So, Biebs, Kirk, all you celebrities out there who have a "personal relationship" with skydaddy, Jebus and/or the righteous spook, that's nice.  Keep it personal.  Keep it to yourselves.