As I have stated before, I am not a union member. I am not a Democrat. The reason that I have been sympathetic to the unions in Wisconsin is because the Republicans are passing a law that infringes in the rights of public employees to assemble and petition the legislature for a redress of grievances. This is an abridgment of the First Amendment. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean that you use the force of government and law to silence them.
The excuse that they do not have the interest of the taxpayer in mind when they speak doesn’t fly with me. It isn’t as though corporations are any better when they give lucrative job offers to military procurement officers in exchange for the inside track to government contracts.
That is also why I am against closed shops. Closed shops take away my right to speak for myself, and force me to accept that the union will speak for me. I am in a union shop, and I am not in the union. I speak for myself. It is not my place to force others to follow my path. I will fight anyone who tries to force an opinion on others. Even if that opinion is my own, and even if the person it is being forced upon is my enemy. I do this because I may one day be the person being forced to obey, and the person in power may be that enemy. What powers I grant to myself may one day be used by my enemy.
We should remember that, always.