As tens of thousands of Americans face losing their jobs just weeks before Christmas, I cannot help but wonder where we are going as a nation. I think we are at a “tipping point”. Something has or is about to change. As corporations across the nation fall in line with the Presidents Executive Order on COVID-19 vaccine mandates, it is becoming increasingly clear that CEOs across the nation are putting profits ahead of people. These CEOs, and by extension the organization’s they lead, are suffering from a series of viruses, that, in my opinion, are far worse than COVID itself – wokeness and a lack of compassion.
My family is made up of midwestern “salt-of-the-earth” types. They slung steal, dug for coal, drilled for oil, and worked in the rail yards. They were good men. Some of them could have been a SOB at times and the words “I love you” weren’t often spoke. But they worked hard, took care of their families, paid their bills, put food on the table and tried to put a little in the collection plate on Sunday. They taught me something very valuable – the value of a dollar and what it meant to put in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. They didn’t care what “group” was being honored that month. They didn’t want or need diversity training. They worked side by side with whites, blacks, hispanics, veterans and I suspect a few LGBTQ folks too – and they didn’t care. They would skip their kids little league game if a friend needed a fridge moved or a flat fixed. We opened Christmas gifts early but waited to have the big dinner until the uncles got home from volunteering to work a 12-hour shift at the plant to make enough triple time money in that one day to pay for all the gifts.
And how does America repay them? Big Corporations are making men across the nation choose between feeding their family and taking the jab. This is nothing more than politics, pressure, and punishment. If it wasn’t, the White House wouldn’t have made the deadline December 8th. They would have at least made it in early February to let the holidays fade a bit. The folks who are holding out are more than likely conservatives – and they are being punished for it.
I have yet to read where a CEO is trying to follow the vax mandate but leaning forward with some level of compassion and talking about a few extra checks to get through the year, transition training or mental health care. The callousness of these CEOs is stunning.
During a recent CNN Town Hall, the President was asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper if first responders should get the jab and if they don’t if they should be fired. “Yes and Yes” was his answer – to which the crowd cheered like a Notre Dame home win. If the President truly believes in this – fine. But the fact they he didn’t at least try and tamp down the crowd’s enthusiasm for thousands of Americans losing their job was astounding. It was more than that, it was shameful and disheartening.
I love the movie Rudy – who doesn’t. I love the interaction between Rudy and his blue color family. I love that Rudy worked tirelessly to make a better life for himself. I think his dad was proud of him in the end, even though he didn’t want Rudy to leave.
I am proud of my blue color roots and the men and women who worked hard to give me a better life. I have never been less proud of my country and a list of woke CEOs who will leave thousands of Americans to fend for themselves just weeks before Christmas. Men who worked tirelessly to give their families a better life and will never experience what it will be like to be carried off the field, but may experience what it will be like to get carried off the job site.