Posted on 01/08/2013 10:45:29 AM PST by Kaslin
The Chicago Teachers Union is not just about looking out for its members interests. The union wants to fundamentally change America, too.
That shift occurred when the radical Karen Lewis was elected as its president two years ago. Shes best known for mocking U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncans lisp and for taking on - and defeating - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the districts first teachers strike in a generation.
CTU leaders have been on a victory lap of sorts since the September strike, with union activists seeing themselves as protectors of union power during a time of membership decline and education reform at the state and local level.
Theyve also taken on the role of social activities, fighting for causes like the Occupy movement and gay marriage, which have nothing to do with education.
Some union leaders have called for violence and other radical tactics to achieve social goals.
When Lewis appeared at the Illinois Labor History Societys Salute to Labors Historic Heroes from the History Makers of Today, she didnt disappoint the crowd. She threw gasoline onto the fire of class warfare, and even mentioned mob killings of wealthy Americans.
Do not think for a minute that the wealthy are ever going to allow you to legislate their riches away from them. Please understand that. However, we are in a moment where the wealth disparity in this country is very reminiscent of the robber baron ages. The labor leaders of that time, though, were ready to kill. They were. They were just off with their heads. They were seriously talking about that.
Some in the audience laughed and clapped at her remark.
I dont think were at that point, Lewis laughingly replied, without specifying when that point might arrive. And thats scary to most people. But the key is they think nothing of killing us. They think nothing of putting our people in harms way. They think nothing of lethal working conditions.
She then used schools without air conditioning as an example of lethal working conditions.
The true labor leaders of the robber baron age would probably roll over in their graves and remind Ms. Lewis that she and her colleagues have it quite good.
Big salaries with an average income in the $70,000 range. Generous benefits and pensions. Limited work days and nine-month work years. What are these people complaining about?
Lewis also used the occasion to mock job creators.
Which side are you going to be on? So are we going to be on the side of justice? Are we going to be on the side of a living wage for every person? Or are we going to be on the side of people whose entire mentality is based on a lie. Job creators. Really? Then why have we lost so many jobs?
With such a cynical, un-American attitude coming from their union president, does anyone really expect Chicago teachers to introduce students to the many virtues of the free market system, or the nobility of taking a risk to become an entrepreneur and therefore a job creator?
As domestic terrorist-turned-professor Bill Ayers acknowledged, leftists have the power in our schools and classrooms, and theyre taking full advantage.
The Chicago Teachers Union is the tip of the spear in terms of social justice unionism. Its a union led by far-left radical activists who are determined to alter American society through our schools and children. Advocating for the interests of teachers is simply a means toward a larger and nastier goal.
No surprises. Observed them in their own environment at Outbound tours at my local open mike outlet in the Village, back when I lived in New York. These are far left moonbats with no interest whatever in teaching kids reading, writing, ‘rithmatic, and least of all reasoning. If you have kids in public school, take them out. Home school them. Pay private school tuition. Refuse to pay your property taxes.
506 people, mostly young adults were shot and killed in Chicago last year. I think that is more than died in Afghanistan, who would know no one is talking about our soldiers.
"I am a river to my people!!" </Anthony Quinn, brigand and raider>
<Gunfire, wild cheering and ululation>
</Lawrence of Arabia>
Just like Barky and every other race-ripoff artist.
They sure are succeeding at the class envy thing.
Yikes! Sure hope nobody got between her and the buffet table. Talk about your casualties.
Bet the Chicago FD calls her whenever someone gets trapped under a side of beef. “We need the Jaws of Life, STAT!”
Karen looks like she’s on the “Michael Phelps” diet plan. Swim, baby, swim!
Bully unions must die and starved out of existence.
Yes, her whining about a lack of air conditioning is a joke. I went from 1st grade through high school graduation without benefit of an air conditioned classroom.
In Texas.
Here in Texas we’d say “ I bet there’s places on that body that ain’t never been washed”....
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The wealthy donate hundreds if millions of dollars to fund cancer research, provide medical facilities, provide funds for homeless shelters and places for battered women to go. There are buildings all over Dallas with wealthy peoples names on them for their contributions that make things like medical research available for every person in the country including the likes of that fat b^%$h. Why don’t these idiots go live in a third world country with no wealth and see how they like it. I’m sick of them. I like wealthy people. They do share their wealth in many ways without being forced.
It's time for 'teachers' to start sharing their wealth with those less fortunate...
Any relation to Bertha?
There are places in the country where if you don’t have AC for summer school, you could kill students and teachers. I think last summer in Texas there were several weeks in a row that were above 100 degrees every day. One summer when I was in Iowa we had a solid week when the daytime temperature was between 105 and 107.
I’d say that if came to a shooting war, ms. Lewis is a pretty big target. She should therefor think very carefully about glass houses and throwing stones. People who are threatened with being killed are likely to try and defend themselves with deadly force.
“They are also both Jewish. Raised Lutheran, Lewis converted in the early 1990s when she was looking for something spiritual and says she was drawn by the idea that you could question God.
If I was Jewish, this would make me wince. I’m not Jewish, and it still makes me wince; what the heck does she mean by this?
“They don’t even work 9 months a year. I added up all the days the kids were actually in school, and it averaged 6 months.”
Here in NJ we have 180 days of school (about 6.5 hours, less one for lunch); I expect that to be bumped up a few days because there is something stinging about saying “work less than half the year”. The public education industry has transformed a part-time second income into a lucrative racket here.
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