Honda/Bush Not Welcome

James Lileks points out this story in today's Bleat:

Some U.S. Marines say they were surprised by the decision made by Detroit auto workers about parking. It all started with the cars some Marines drove, and what was on them.

The words that have some U.S. Marines in shock came from the man in charge of security at the UAW Solidarity House, on Jefferson in Detroit. For a number of years now, dozens of Marine reservists have been thankful to park in the UAW’s lot for weekend training with no problem at all - until now.

Marines at nearby Marine Corps Reserve Center say on Tuesday morning, the director of security at the UAW told them that while they support the troops, Marines driving foreign vehicles or sporting a President George Bush bumper sticker were no longer welcome to park there.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge told Action News, "We received a phone call from the UAW, who support us by letting us park down at their facility. They called and said they weren’t going to allow or they would turn away some vehicles."

A spokesman for the UAW released a statement to Action News which reads:

"While reservists certainly have the right to drive non-union made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn’t mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by members of the UAW."

As U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Lee Cooper explained, "We’re very appreciative, but on the other hand, it’s kind of discriminating between, let’s say a lance corporal going through college can only afford a 15-year-old vehicle and it happens to be a Nissan."

I can't say as I'm terribly surprised that this would happen in Detroit, let alone at a UAW location. For a few years the bank I worked in was owned by a bank headquartered in Southfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit. The bank had an official policy that only American made cars could park in the employee parking lot. If you worked there and had a foreign car, good luck.

They're a mite touchy about that stuff back there.

As far as banning the Bush bumper stickers, c'mon, who do you think all those reservists voted for anyway; Kerry? Not a chance. You might as well ban all of their cars if hatred for Bush is going to be a prerequisite for parking.