After viewing some recent posts, I have some reflections; and opinions of course. An EMS personality involved in union activity is quite a volatile combination. So, what is a true EMS unionist? Quite the rabble rouser, a scrapper. Unafraid of confrontation. Opinionated. Apt to come off strong, hard, and cynical initially; but, will formulate a sound position fair for all after the initial arguing, which must take place.

Conflict isn't anything to avoid. It focuses the issues and beats the other positions out of the weeds. There's a time to be politically polite, and times to engage in scrapping.

If you jump into debate or discussion of issues, don't whine and point the finger when you're responded to in kind. Do you want to be on equal footing with your peers, or patronized? If someone jumps in just to kick below the belt and scram, there will be a strong response to that kind of bullying behavior. Get over it.

I guess there will always be a group that just sits by the side of the road and throws mud at people going by. However, the jeers that go along with that should be considered and reckoned with. So that group has its value. But, it is ignorant to diss on people willing to put forth work and effort into a pretty thankless job: union work. Instead, acknowledge their experience and input while presenting a difference of opinion.

Jumping in and making accusations and then crying foul when you are responded to is silly. There is nothing wrong with examining nemsa, learning from history, and taking the good from the bad. We'd be stupid to ignore nemsa after some rather threatening statements have been made.

So, if you just want to make an occasional appearance with mudballs in you hands, go ahead. Just expect to get some mud on yourself before we head to the showers.