Genevieve Peters is passionate about the California she remembers - before Gray Davis and runaway spending; before Enron and the energy scandals; before the huge influx of illegal aliens draining the resources of the State; before the public employee unions became so powerful that they now run the State and call the shots to their Democratic puppets in the State Legislature. Genevieve believes that the Governor's reform initiatives will help to bring California back to that time.
When she heard that the Speaker of the California State Assembly, Fabian Nunez, was going to be addressing a group of public employee union members from Unite Here about the initiatives on the November 8th ballot, her thought was that the union is lying to its members about the real meaning of Propositions 74 through 77, and, in particular Proposition 75 which requires unions to get the consent of its members before using political action contributions by the members for political activities. She decided to go to the assembly and let her position be known - that it is in the interests of individual union members to support Proposition 75.
This is the United States of America, right? This is the land of the First Amendment where free speech is tolerated no matter what the message, right? Well, not as far as unions are concerned.
Two Los Angeles television stations caught on tape a hyped up mob of union activists intimidating and roughing up Genevieve - who had the courage to speak out in favor of the four reform initiatives.
While $115 million has been spent by public employee unions to oppose the reform initiatives and promote the false message that the voices of their members will be silenced if Prop 75 passes, an angry mob of dues paying union members showed what little respect they have for free speech by physically attacking a woman who spoke out in support of the governor’s reform initiatives.
“A single Schwarzenegger supporter struggles to hold her ground in a rally against the governor’s special election initiatives. Opponents tried to hit her with their signs and some blocked news cameras as she argued her point. The crowd turns quickly, grabbing her signs and tearing them up. Even a woman wearing an orange security vest rips up the “Vote Yes” signs.” (CBS 2 News, October 28, 2005)If you think that I am exaggerating the thuggery and fascism exhibited by union members, you can view the news coverage for yourself here.
Union bosses in California have way too much power. The unions are fascist organizations not permitting dissent or opposing opinions. For union thugs to turn on a single defenseless woman who was only expressing her political opinion - a right guaranteed to her by the Constitution - is typical of their willingness to physically punish anyone who has a dissenting opinion.
Most disappointing is the fact that Speaker Nunez did nothing to stop the violence and attack on Genevieve. At the very least, Nunez – a former union organizer himself – has a duty to issue a public apology to this woman on behalf of the union bosses who control him. That is, unless the Speaker believes that violence and thuggery are acceptable forms of public expression.
I hope that Speaker Nunez will send his apologies forthwith to Genevieve. I think it is too much to ask that the union leaders do the same. I am sure they don't think there is anything wrong with intimidating a woman with violence if she opposes their point of view.