Chicago Teacher Union President Muses Killing the Rich

Reaching the heights of hypocrisy, Chicago Teacher Union official (but hardly a professional) Karen Lewis not only amused the crowd by talking about killing “the Rich,” but hastened to define “lethal working conditions” as schools without air conditioning.  Apparently air conditioning in schools is not considered a luxury, even as far North as Chicago. 

It’s amazing Chicago teachers, forced to fund such half-baked antics from their so-called leader, don’t do some protesting of their own.  Kyle Olson has the sad story in townhall.com.

TU 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.

They’ve 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 Society’s “Salute to Labor’s Historic Heroes from the History Makers of Today,” she didn’t 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 don’t think we’re at that point,” Lewis laughingly replied, without specifying when “that point” might arrive. “And that’s scary to most people. But the key is they think nothing of killing us. They think nothing of putting our people in harm’s way. They think nothing of lethal working conditions.”

She then used schools without air conditioning as an example of “lethal working conditions.”