Last week, Nick Balzano, an executive board member of the Service Employees International Union’s (SEIU) Allentown Local 32BJ chapter resigned after threatening to file a grievance against the Allentown, PA city council for letting a Boy Scout clean up a walking path. The Scout, 17-year-old Kevin Anderson was attempting to earn an Eagle Scout badge.
As reported by Michelle Malkin in the New York Post, Balzano bellowed at a city council meeting, “We’ll also be looking into the Cub Scout or Boy Scout who did the trails. We may file another grievance on that… None of them can pick up a hoe. They can’t pick up a shovel. They can’t plant a flower. They can’t clear a bicycle path. They can’t do anything. Our people do that.”
Commented Malkin, “Balzano was ready to bludgeon the Boy Scout because his gung-ho volunteerism posed a threat to the SEIU labor monopoly.” As contemptible as this incident was, it’s just the tip of the iceberg of the SEIU’s continued thuggery against ordinary Americans.
As it turns out, Anderson may have been lucky to escape with his life. Consider:
- The brutal beating of activist Kenneth Gladney in South St. Louis County, MO, at a town hall event sponsored by Congressman Russ Caranhan (D-MO) by SEIU members. Gladney was handing out “Don’t Tread on Me” flags.
- At another town hall meeting in Tampa, FL that Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) appeared at, SEIU members physically pushed members of the public out of the event. As reported by Red State’s Erick Erickson, “The event was conveniently held in a forum where only 250 people could fit. 1000 people showed up. SEIU members were given reserved seating that took up at least half of the 250 seats. As people came in who visibly oppose the Democrats healthcare plan, SEIU members barred access to the room… Democrat event organizers slammed one senior citizen into the wall as he and his wife tried to enter. The couple were opposed to Obamacare and made it known.”
- The beating of Kourosh Kenneth “Ken” Hamidi, a public access news reporter in California, at a SEIU Local 1000 chapter meeting who was attempting to enter the meeting with his video crew. Hamidi says that union leaders at the meeting told the thugs to “beat the Hell out of him.” Hamidi was a fierce critic of the Local and had previously run for president of the chapter.
What emerges is a pattern of pure, political violence by the SEIU against Americans who wish to speak out against either the union directly, or the public policies they support.
What makes that all the more egregious is that this is the same union that Barack Obama has long associated himself with before he, as he put it, “was elected to anything.” Leading a rally to energize SEIU enforcers, he shouted loudly, “we are going to paint the nation purple with SEIU.” Which, apparently includes lacerations and bone-deep bruises.
When American citizens were speaking out loudly over the summer, the White House told his supporters to “punch back twice as hard” against opposition to Obama’s government-run health care initiative. Clearly, his SEIU cohorts took it to heart, as noted above.
Just to insure that the SEIU onslaught continues full tilt, SEIU President Andy Stern meets regularly with Obama, as reported by the Washington Times: “Service Employees International Union head Andy Stern was the most frequent White House visitor in the first nine months of the year. The union chief met with top officials and attended events some 22 times, according to White House logs.”
Ironically, while Barack Obama has been welcoming Stern with open arms, he has been churlishly snubbing one of Stern’s minion’s favorite targets: the Boy Scouts of America. In fact, until just days ago, Obama was the first President in nearly 100 years who had personally refused to allow his signature to be affixed to Eagle Scout Award certificates.
Reported the Grand Junction Sentinel on Saturday, November 21st, “Certificates received by Boy Scouts achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting, traditionally are signed by the president of the United States, but they have yet to be signed by President Barack Obama… Adam Abrams, White House regional communications director, said Obama’s signature will be on the certificates of Eagle Scouts going forward.”
Now, perhaps it’s just a coincidence, and it had nothing to do with Obama saving face in light of the Boy Scout bashing by his bosom buddies at SEIU. Or, perhaps not.
