I watched the 1979 film Norma Rae.  If you’ve never seen it, it’s a pretty good movie.  Here is the plot summary available from Wikipedia:

Norma Rae Webster is a minimum-wage worker in a cotton mill that has taken too much of a toll on the health of her family for her to ignore her Dickensian working conditions. After hearing a speech by New York union organizer Reuben Warshowsky, Norma Rae decides to join the effort to unionize her shop. This causes conflict at home when Norma Rae’s husband Sonny assumes that her activism is a result of a romance between herself and Reuben. Despite the pressure brought to bear by management, Norma Rae successfully orchestrates an election to unionize the factory, resulting in victory for the union and presumably capitulation for the demands. When Reuben first comes to the factory he tries to get all the workers to start a union, but is soon chased out of the small town. Days later, Norma Rae shuts down her machine and stands on top of her work table striking. Soon the whole factory is with her and a union starts.

Back in the day, companies like the one depicted in this movie, abused and mistreated their workers.  In many ways, they were slaves, working for pennies while management lived like kings.  Unions helped correct this wrong by organizing workers against the company.  This was a very good move because it forced companies to do the right thing.  Back then, there was very little justice.

Unions were needed back then to remind owners and managers that the working class deserve better.

But I’m not so sure unions are needed today.

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One of the favorite one-liners from the democrats and liberals is “Healthcare is a right!”  I’m sorry but it inherently cannot be a right.

For something to be a right, it must be free and cost nothing to have.  For example, the right to free speech costs nothing to exercise.  Well, actually, there are form you fill out and probably a permit fee but the actual cost is very minimal and usually covers administrative costs.  The right to face your accuser does not cost you, the state, or even the accuser anything except time.

I could go on and on but these two examples will suffice.

To say that healthcare is a right is like saying having a TV is a right.  The government doesn’t buy everyone a TV simply because they have the right to a free press.  Healthcare not only costs money but requires people with specific skills.  These skills are learned over several years.  That education is not free.

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As the health care debate continues, your representative is cowering in fear because there are people who vocally disagree with them.  Protests and angry mobs have a time and place.  For example, if you’re being refused entrance to your representative’s town hall by union thugs, this is cause for protest and anger.  If your representative is only answering “soft-ball” questions that seem to be pre-selected, this is cause for protest and anger.  If you see someone being beaten up by counter-protesters, this is cause for more protest, anger, and even violence.

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