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November 02, 2005
Climate of Fear Part 32
Deroy Murdock has a good in depth article on the threats and violence coming from the California Teachers Union against supporters of proposition 75. These threats have included threats of prosecution for daring to speak out in favor of teachers controlling their dues as well as anonymous letters threatening violence placed in the school mailboxes of teachers who support the proposition. The prosecutors have so far declined to prosecute people for speaking because even after McCain_Feingold speaking about politics is not always a crime. However, the threats of violence have led many supporters of the proposition to remain silent. Murdock writes:
"This is a freedom-of-choice issue," Sandra Crandall, a Kindergarten teacher in her 36th year of service in Fountain Valley, said in the September 18 Los Angeles Times. "The issue is so simple, my Kindergarten children understand it. Ask permission. Ask permission on how to use my hard-earned money."That innocuous comment triggered a rabid response to Crandall, who was selected last year as both Moiola Elementary School's and the Fountain Valley School District's Teacher of the Year. "You are a scab and a traitor and don't deserve to be a teacher," read an anonymous letter she received September 21 in her school mailbox from "Four Pro-union teachers who think you and the governor and the Republican party stink." The writers continued: "You not only deserve to be shunned by your colleagues, you deserve to be bitch slapped in public by all the teachers you work with for demonstrating such a high level of right wing drivel and stupidity." They added: "Do us all a favor, shut your mouth and stop providing ammunition to the enemy."
"This is what happens when someone speaks out," Crandall tells me. "That's why so few teachers speak out even though there are so many who think like me . . . There is an intimidation factor that causes teachers to stay quiet."
Previous Climate of Fear post.
Posted by Pete at November 2, 2005 07:46 AM
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