Tuesday, over 2000 union protesters rolled into Springfield, IL, to protestWisconsin Governor Scott Walker, speaking at the Illinois Chamber ofCommerce.
Once again they came to chant and sing, and chant and sing they did. It wasa typical sea of matching t-shirts–a favored strategy of intimidation–alongwith their placards of “solidarity” and profane signs. They scattered fourgiant inflatable rats throughout the crowd, with agargantuan cardboard cut out of Governor Scott Walker standing out, as well.
Presidents of the AFL-CIO, Michael T. Carrigan of Illinois and Phil Neuenfeldt of Wisconsin, got the crowd riled up, along with the help ofTeresa Haley, President of the Springfield NAACP. But Pastor T. Ray McJunkins of the Union Baptist Church and President of the Faith Coalitionfor the Common Good and William McNary of USAction stole the show.
McJunkins delivered an energetic address. He closed up metaphorically withthe story of David and Goliath, ultimately declaring:
We are the Davids …and you may be a big giant, a big goliath, but David had 5 smooth stonesthat brought Goliath down … all he had was stones and a sling shot, andI just wonder out there among us, how many of you came with your slingtoday? … Load your slings up today when we leave here, putting a smoothstone of equal rights at the collective bargaining table and throw it atGoliath … And Goliath will come down, Scott Walker we send you backto Wisconsin as David did Goliath, we cut your head off and go back intotown, singing a new song!
In addition to McJunkins’ suggestion to behead Scott Walker,William McNary delivered the keynote speech. McNary is a longtimeally of the Communist Party U.S.A. and President Obama. McNary is thePresident of USAction, a self proclaimed “aggressive progressive” anda frequent speaker at left-wing Union events in Illinois and around theMidwest, including the Communist Party U.S.A.’s 2005 annual convention.
McNary lit up the crowd as he warned the unions to be prepared, “they aregonna call us names now … they are gonna say we are engaging in classwarfare … they say this as they lower our wages and cut our benefits, we’reengaging in class warfare, they say this as they lay off workers and sendjobs over seas, we’re engaging in class warfare … They got the nerve thatwe’re engaging in welfare[sic]? But I got a message for ’em, the bully ScottWalker and all the bully governors across this country. We didn’t ask forthis fight, we didn’t pick this fight, but if it’s a fight you want, it’s a fightyou gonna get. Knuckle up! Knuckle up! Knuckle up!” he shouted to the roaring crowd.
Oddly enough, you would think Illinois union members may be moreinclined to ask Scott Walker to come to Illinois and bring some of hispolicies with him. As AFP Illinois points out, “Wisconsin taxpayers stillpay much more for health care benefits per state employee. WI taxpayerspay $13,972 per employee for health care, while Illinoisans pay $11,149 peremployee,” and “Wisconsin’s reforms prevented the layoff of thousandsof government workers, while here in IL, Gov. Quinn is on track to lay offhundreds of government workers.” But thoughts like those don’t cross theseunionists’ minds, and when they do, they are simply dismissed as lies.
Nothing beats a Tuesday morning in the sleepy state capitol of Illinois better than a “non-violent” group of unionists, collectivists and agitatorsexpressing their grievances “peacefully.”
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