Yet another reason to end public unions.
Upon arrival, members of the recall committee were encircled by union protesters carrying signs and a leader with a mega phone who began chanting and ranting loudly. They packed in tightly around the petition collection table so as to prevent those attempting to sign from doing so. At one point, a pro union protester, pretending to be interested in signing the petition, wrote profanity across a partially collected petition form, than began ripping up the completed petitions that were in close proximity.
The policemen who were there, and who were standing in close proximity to these events as they unfolded, did nothing to assist those collecting the petitions as they were being destroyed, despite such an action being a Felony under Wisconsin law. Police also did nothing to clear the walk way for citizens that wanted to sign the petitions. Recall Committee members received many phone calls the following day from Merill area citizens who stated that they showed up to sign the petition, but were too afraid to get out of their vehicles and approach the recall table.
This is what democracy looks like!
— Which is precisely why we eschew it in favor of a representative republic. Mob rule is no way to run a city, a county, a state, or a country — and abetting mob rule is no way to run a police force, if indeed that’s what happened in this instance.
What a raw disappointment.
(thanks to geoffb)
Cameras and pepper spray. All the time, every time.
I’d have said cameras and a short right jab right below the sternum or a short right hook to the jaw bone.
“Police chief refutes…”
I don’t think that’s a proper use of the word “refutes.” “Denies” would work, but “refutes” implies that he presented conclusive proof, and somehow I doubt it.
These people are praying for violence. Accommodating them is hazardous, physically and politically.
If the police will not honor the law and country over politics and the union, it may be the only option.
PREPARE THE CAMPS!
You don’t honestly believe that Organizing for America is going to put together the 2012 campaign army without auditions, do you?
Cameras. Everywhere.
Disappointment?
I guess in some ways, but the TRUE Fascists are showing their real face to the whole world.
It’s nice to see that these pigs, who have been calling conservatives “fascists” for years now, are the ones to drop their tyrannical trou in front of everyone. I think that THEY think that civilized people bow down in awe of them. “OH! Thank you, you Neanderthal morons for showing me the light!”
Bow down in fear? Maybe. But the only awe most Americans feel is the fact that they are dumbstruck by these fat, smelly, stupid morons who think that the average American sympathizes with them.
I wish for more of this boorish behavior, not less. Talk about biting off your own nose to spite your face.
Go! You Fascist pigs! O(ver his head)bama
Astroturfed flash mobs are as old as the Roman Republic, at least.
Rome (much like any city, at any time) had no public forum that would house even a fraction of the whole city at once. So people would flood the public areas with street gangs, fill it up quick and fill it up with rowdy people, control who got access. In that fashion, they could shut down the government, prevent a vote or somesuch, scare the Senators or chase them home for the day. They could also ‘wag the dog’ if you weren’t too very hip to the trick, and give the appearance of “the masses” having one particular viewpoint or position, regardless of whether it was really proportionate or not.
If that’s the way they want to play…
In Rome if one guy’s mobs got out of control and kept bullying the public forums, usually others would step up and raise anti-mobs.
Whatever the options are, ‘surrender to the hired thugs’ certainly isn’t one of them.
“Whatever the options are, ‘surrender to the hired thugs’ certainly isn’t one of them.”
The problem comes in when the guys with badges and riot gear sympathize with the guys that hired the thugs.
The problem comes in when the guys with badges and riot gear sympathize with the guys that hired the thugs.
Then the trick is to force them to commit. To pick sides openly and declare themselves, so to speak.
“Then the trick is to force them to commit.”
I’m all ears…
Ah! A preview of Election Day 2012. Nice.
OT, but Iowahawk has a brilliant essay called “Feed your Family on 10 Billion a Day”
#6 – damned straight! More than one camera, cover everything – refer to the State’s Attorney and don’t let go.
Fantastic. Anyone got a number for the WI police department responsible?
“All politics in this country now is just dress rehearsal for civil war”
I must say, I’m starting to get a really visceral feel what what that really means.
Mongo,
It’s closer to a dress rehearsal for the French Revolution.
If we’re lucky, it only goes as far as widespread vigilantism.
Next time they should bring rifles as well as extra ballpoints and forms.
It’s getting close to midnight.
Oh, and the cops are “sympathizing”. It’s called “aiding and abetting”.
A good prosecutor could do a background investigation and get the emails and other communications between the different unions and make a RICO case.
Oops. I forgot. The non-union tax paying citizens of Wisconsin probably aren’t “my people”…
Cops AREN’T sympathizing. Jeez.
Angry makes me clumsy.
I may be wrong but what I see here is the union faction fighting a worthless rearguard action.
They’ve already lost here and other states are moving forward. How do they react? By fighting across rough terrain on these recalls. And by creating images that will be effectively referenced in next cycle’s negative ads. To what end? Nothing they’re doing will change the new rules governing the unions’ ability to fund themselves and their political efforts.
If they were smart, they’d find a place down the road to pool their efforts. They’re not though.
Good.
I dunno, bh. When you take the allowance and the cellphone away from the spoiled brat, do you really expect him to do anything else?
Let them kick and scream for a while. Get it out of there system.
Their system. Christ. I need more whisky, obviously.
That’s a pretty accurate characterization, I think, Squid.
I hope they keep kicking and screaming for awhile longer. ‘Cause: 1) around here, we all have lots of guns so this shit can only go so far and 2) we’re not kicking and screaming, we’re (those states with new conservative majorities) legislating away their most important structural strengths.
Suckers. That’s what they are.
It’s worth noting how state parties can be so much more effective than our feckless national party.
We could do worse than attempting to fundamentally change that with a series of somewhat provocative primary challenges.
Yes. But our peeps need cameras rolling. Badly. We need the arrests. We need the convictions. And those who won’t prosecute need the tape jammed down their throats.
Cameras, people. Cameras.
Agreed, Pablo.
I’ve been on a bit of a tear on that topic myself lately. Finally just got frustrated and bought a couple flip-cams myself to hand out for this purpose. The state GOP? $0. Yay!
In related news, my younger siblings will be disappointed with this year’s Christmas presents.
The civility spreads.
“Christ. I need more whisky, obviously.”
Christ was more of a wine provider, IIRC. But I do find there are only a small amount of situations where more whisky is NOT called for…
Whiskey, all around.
“What, five thousand of you and nobody thought to bring a lunch?”
— The Sermon on the Mount (Unexpurgated)