The devil can quote scripture, but it does not make him our savior.

Add up all the low hanging fruit and it starts to add up to real savings.  Take, for example, the Department of Labor spending $10 million of our dollars on tacking the problem of child labor in Ethiopia.

I know that many of you sitting there in your cushy homes with your two cars and big screen televisions turn your nose up at the thought of child labor.  You can afford to do that because, despite rampant progressivism, America is the wealthiest nation on Earth.  But in many countries like Ethiopia, which are dirt poor and have poverty like even the impoverished here in America have never had to endure, they need everyone that can work in a family to work and bring home a paycheck.  Oh, I know, it is obscene to your high and mighty senses.  But it is a fact of life there.  Just like it was a fact of life that in our own past American children were out working the farms to feed their families before industrialization and science brought us larger and better crop yields with less work allowing our children to actually go to school beyond the 8th grade.

The Department of Labor proudly boasts that since 1995 it has sent $780 million on combating child labor around the world.  Considering our debt is north of $15 trillion, we sure would have been better off had we not spent that money if you ask me.  We have to stop the philosophy of “hey, it’s only a few million.”  Add it all up and you start talking about real money.

Combating the “evil” of child labor in countries that do not share our same prosperity and values is not a legitimate role of government.  Period.  We have our own people to worry about.  That is, unless our government has solved our own domestic problems yet.  Which we all know they have not.

“If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual State. In a single State, if the persons entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.” — Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 29

We are not here yet. But if we cannot rid ourselves of the liberal plague infesting this country and send all of these fiends into retirement and the unemployment lines, I dare to think that we might be soon.

As I pointed out in a post on my blog the day after Labor Day, it is actually labor unions who have conducted, as Jimmy Hoffa Jr. put it, “a war on workers” over the years. That sent the union hacks into even more conniptions and made the vitriol I received in my inbox even greater. In a display of what can only be described as union talking point memos being distributed, several who wrote to me derisively referred to the Ludlow Massacre of 1914, as a reason why unions must exist and be supported.

Now, I know about the Ludlow Massacre. Yes, believe it or not. I have studied it and even at times started to write articles in the past incorporating the events in Colorado on April 20th of 1914 although each of those projects have been scrapped in favor of others. But since apparently the labor unions are out there teaching their members about Ludlow, I think it is now time to address what really happened on that fateful day and the days leading up to it. Because I am sure that none of these people who are emailing me citing that event know much, if anything, about it except that some people were killed by cruel, evil capitalists.

Jump into the WABAC Machine with me and Mr. Peabody won’t you? At the turn of the 20th century, the Colorado coal mining industry was in quite a state of boom. And like many jobs in 1914, those who worked in the mines were in constant danger. Coal mining today is still very dangerous. But it was even more so back in the early 1900’s simply because of the technology of the day.

Colorado, at the time, was credited with having quite good oversight of the mining industry through regulation. However, enforcement was indeed sporadic. The reasons for this were several fold. First of all, it was the early 1900’s and people did not get around as easily as they do today. Plus the means of communication were quite poor. Another problem was that yes, indeed mine officials bribed inspectors from time to time. However let us look at the other side of the coin too. Most of the laws regulating the mining industry were pushed by the pro-labor movement. Even though they passed through legislatures, government saw that to enforce some of these laws would cause several mines to become insolvent and close. This would thus cause a loss of the jobs the unions had sought to protect. So what you had was government caught between interests and government often willingly, without the need of bribes, looked the other way as laws were not followed.

But the dangers faced by those who worked in the mines was not all the fault of the mine operators and the lax regulators. In fact the miners, called colliers, themselves took a great many risks and themselves violated safety regulations willingly in an attempt to get more tonnage out of the mine. They did this because they were paid by the ton of coal produced. But you will rarely ever hear these miners being called evil, greedy capitalists. In fact I doubt that many people even know that this was what was really going on in the mines in their rush to vilify the mine owners.

Anyway, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in 1913 made a series of demands on mining operators in the State, not all of which were unreasonable. But, as is often the case, there was overreach within the whole package of demands. When the deal was rejected, the UMWA sent its members on strike and they retreated to camps they had set up on private property.

Now, to hear the unions tell it, the next thing that happened was that their members were massacred at Ludlow. But that is not the next thing that happened.

After the UMWA went on strike, the mines found plenty of workers willing to fill their now empty shoes. The union miners of course hated this. Feeling that they were entitled to the jobs that these “scabs” were now taking, the miners resorted to violence. Out of work UMWA members harassed and even assaulted replacement workers. The violence included several deaths. The Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency was hired to protect the non-union workers and, admittedly, harass the strikers back.

Things started to get ugly as the violence continued on both sides. But usually all you hear about through the specially crafted filter of liberal, revisionist history is how the Baldwin-Felts agency fired into the compound at Ludlow, patrolled the perimeter in the machine gun equipped “Death Special” and even killed several striking workers. However, the union kept up its own violence as well. Do not be fooled into thinking otherwise because to do so would cause you to loose sight of the whole picture.

As the situation escalated, it was on October 28th that the governor of Colorado called in the National Guard and things settled down. There were still clashes however and everything was not a happy lovefest. After all, the union workers were still out of work. On March 10, 1914 the body of a “scab” was found murdered. Reports vary as to what happened. The National Guard’s commander, Adjutant-General John Chase, determined the act to be the work of the UMWA and revenge for this “scab” taking a union job. Others, you know who they are, have said that the death was a ruse and a set up to give the National Guard the authority to do what they did next.

What they did next was order a UMWA tent colony at Forbes, Colorado destroyed and the inhabitants dispersed. Shortly thereafter, due to a lack of funding, the Colorado National Guard was forced to be recalled. But two units were left in place and the mining companies financed a militia to help protect their own interests.

Then everything fell apart on April 20th.

It was that morning when Guardsmen arrived at the camp in Ludlow seeking a man, who they claimed the striking union workers were holding against his will, be released. During the negotiations that ensued, and in a continuation of the tensions that had been going on since the strike had been called, the militia installed a machine gun on a nearby ridge. They were half a mile from the Ludlow Camp and it is important to understand that they did not fire on the camp. It is also however important to understand that although they did not fire on the camp that the union workers at Ludlow saw the installation of the weapon as a threat.

At that time the members of the camp escalated the situation. The union workers, armed, attempted to engage the militia by flanking them. It was at this time that the firefight which would become known as the “Ludlow Massacre” broke out and the machine gun was turned on to the striking workers.

At the end of the day, a freight train stopped on the tracks between the camp and the militia who were now routing the union workers. The workers fled and the camp was set ablaze and sacked. It was only afterwards that it was discovered that several women and children, hiding in pits dug under the tents which were used to avoid the gun fire, were tragically burned to death.

Later Louis Tikas, the camp’s leader, was found shot in the back well after the battle had ended.

But wait, as they say, there is more! In response to all this, the UMWA armed the striking workers and sent about 1,000 of its members out with the specific intention of killing guards at several mines. They were successful in that mission.

It was only when President Wilson sent Federal troops to the region that the situation was finally defused. These troops disarmed both sides.

And the ending to this sordid tale? Well. In December of 1914 the UMWA ran out of dough and called off the strike. Their demands were not met and many of the workers lost their jobs anyway because the replacement workers had taken them.

Twenty-two Colorado Guardsmen were court-martialed for their actions during the strike. Only one was found guilty and that was a Lieutenant named Linderfelt for cracking Louis Tikas over the head with his rifle butt prior to him being found dead. But in addition, over 300 strikers were indicted for murder. Although just one man was ever convicted and even he had his sentence overturned later on, this just goes to show you how much violence there was on the union side of this event. There were a lot of deaths that went unpunished as the whole situation was swept mostly under the rug. Despite plenty of witnesses to the atrocities committed on both sides,

Whew! And that is the story, the real story, of what happened in Ludlow, Colorado. It is a story, however, that unions do not want told because it shows how they themselves resort to violence and acted miserably during the entire affair as well. I simply cannot let union members proclaim Ludlow as innocent “working people” getting the shaft when the unions themselves tried to prevent “working people” from taking jobs the union believed to be theirs by some imaginary right and did so through violence. That would be a disservice to history.

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.” – Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, November 13th, 1787

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” – Declaration of Independence

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!” – Samuel Adams, Philadelphia 1776

“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” – John Adams, Notes for an oration at Braintree (1772)

“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.” – Declaration of Independence

“It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope and pride. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.” – Patrick Henry Speech at the Second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia (23 March 1775)

“If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the general welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one subject to particular exceptions. It is to be remarked that the phrase out of which this doctrine is elaborated, is copied from the old articles of Confederation, where it was always understood as nothing more than a general caption to the specified powers, and it is a fact that it was preferred in the new instrument for that very reason as less liable than any other to misconstruction.” – James Madison Letter to Edmund Pendleton January 21st, 179

“It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, peace! But there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” – Patrick Henry Speech at the Second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia (23 March 1775)

“Temperate, sincere, and intelligent inquiry and discussion are only to be dreaded by the advocates of error. The truth need not fear them…” – Dr. Benjamin Rush, Last Will and Testiment

“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” – Declaration of Independence

“A Republic if you can keep it.” – Dr. Benjamin Franklin 1776, in response to a question about the form of the new government

Think our country isn’t in the throws of tyranny and the oppression of individual liberty? If you answered no then I urge you to read something that I wrote not that long ago: A Petition for redress by the citizens of the United States. Now answer honestly after seeing the truth. Then if you still decide to cower please do all of us who are not willing to do hide from the truth a favor and stay out of our way.