For over a week, I spotted countless anti-Walker T-shirts in Madison. Protesters scribbled angry phrases on white cotton and lampooned the Wisconsin governor with ironed-on parodies. But when one student wore a pro-Walker shirt to school last week, a teacher/labor leader attempted to intimidate the local business that produced the garment. It’s a chilling story:
B&D Embroidery & Screen Printing in Two Rivers made the shirt for the student on request, said Bridget VanGinkel, owner of the business with her husband, David. The shirt says “Scott Walker My Hero!” on the front and “He’s Got Nads!” on the back.
On Feb. 24, VanGinkel said the business received what they perceived as a veiled threat of a boycott in an e-mail from Wes Glenna, president of the TREA and chairman of the technical education department at the high school.
Bridget VanGinkel forwarded to the Herald Times Reporter Glenna’s e-mail, sent from his school e-mail address after 10 p.m. It said:
“I was recently informed that you have plans to print pro-Walker shirts for some of the students in the Two Rivers School system. After checking out your website, I noticed that a great deal of your business comes from providing apparel to the Two Rivers, Manitowoc, and Mishicot school systems. I, really, don’t know what you’re thinking of.
“We, all, greatly appreciate the fact that you established your business in our community. However, have you taken the time to figure out how your recent decision could result in the loss of profits to your business?”
It was signed Wes Glenna, President, Two Rivers Education Association.
Glenna also sent the e-mail to all members of the teachers union in the Two Rivers district, VanGinkel said.
The T-shirt shop owner fired right back at the pushy educator:
David VanGinkel sent to Glenna an e-mail reply the next day. It said, in part:
“If you, or the teachers union were to come in here and order a Pro-Union, or Anti-Walker shirt, and wanted to get some for your friends, I would do the exact same thing for you. That is what I am in business to do.
“I am proud of all the students standing up in this crisis. Doesn’t matter which side they choose to support. I commend them all for educating themselves, and standing up for what they personally believe in. It’s been ‘ok’ for the teachers to voice their opinions, and it’s ‘ok’ for the students to do the same. That is what this country is all about.
More from the Herald Times Reporter.
> I, really, don’t know what you’re thinking of.
> We, all, greatly appreciate
> a Pro-Union, or Anti-Walker shirt,
I, really, wish, they, would, teach, the, proper, use, of, commas.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIsn't this just the way Capitalism is supposed to work? People have a right not to buy from someone for any reason. I don't think threatening to pull business is "intimidation" -- it's simply an outgrowth of supply/demand. He can choose to do business with certain people and other people have a right not to buy from him.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuseart.the.nerd:
While they're at it, these illustrious educators could learn not to dangle their prepositions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDang you, art.the.nerd, you beat me too it. This is a teacher?? Really??
Derb is correct. We are DOOMED!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGlenna and his minions are thugs. They act like thugs, they talk like thugs, and from people I know in Madison, I'm told they strongly smell like thugs, too.
This is what thugs do - they intimidate others to not criticize the thugs. Putin, Mubarak, Quadaffi, Ayatollahs, Chavez, public sector unions. ETC! ETC! The news would be if Glenna or someone in a similar post DID NOT threaten the printing business.
With thugs who poorly pretend to be teachers so busy to advance their political agenda, either in the classroom, or the union meeting room, or the city sidewalks, there's no time or energy or desire left to teach unimportant things like commas or spelling.
But don't worry, art: These thugs who parade themselves around as teachers can teach your young child how to "agitate" or "protest" or even "organize" the "community". And that will qualify your child to be President someday!
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuseart and Funeral Guy:
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou didn't even mention that the sentence ends with a preposition.
lolercoasters, you are correct with respect to supply and demand. That is why I hereby ask NRO to publish contact information here on the corner for the T-shirt business in question, and encourage any corner readers with a need for bulk T-shirt orders to use it.
I'd like to order a 50 t-shirts from the business in question. Nothing fancy, just a little printed gratitude to business owners for their risk taking and hard work establishing lines of commerce which employ those who work for them.
And, I'd like them all to be hand printed by the person in his business who reported to the teachers union the production of the pro-Walker t-shirt.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuselolercoasters:
I hope you are kidding.
What is obviously wrong is that the union thug (I know, redundant, right?) is basing governmental purchasing decisions on his own personal politics. He has no right to do this. It is immoral and probably illegal. Beyond that, he is trying to leverage his governmental purchasing power to intimidate a private citizen from accepting business from people with whom the union thug has political disagreements. Again, immoral and probably criminal.
The union thug should lose his job but probably won't because lefty voters and politicians tend to be very accepting of political corruption so long as it is of the lefty persuasion.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTactic is as expected for a Lib - would you expect anything less? Remember, to them the end justifies the means. They will intimidate, deceive, lie, whine et al to acheive their goals. The Right needs to match their play to remain viable; no more Mr. Nice Guys in this battle for the nation.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI also operate a small custom embroidery shop. I'll be happy to make "Wes Glenna Is A Leech" shirts for students at Two Rivers High or their taxpayer parents.
Someone needs to tell Mr. Glenna the old saw about debates with those who buy ink by the railroad carload. It's not a good idea to get in a rhetorical war with folks who put slogans on t-shirts. Blank white t-shirts cost about $1, maybe a dime or two more now that cotton has gone up. If Mr. VanGinkel and his partner really want to stir up some trouble for Glenna and his teachers' union thugs, for a couple hundred bucks worth of shirts and a couple dollars worth of ink they can flood the high school with shirts critical of Glenna and the Three Rivers Education Association.
Ronnie Schreiber
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAutothreads.com
Is the TREA a government organization? If so don't the have to go to the low bidder?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Funeral Guy RE: "Dang you, art.the.nerd, you beat me too it. This is a teacher?? Really?? Derb is correct. We are DOOMED!"
One must be very careful to make sure one's house is in perfect order when making statements like yours.
"too"? ;)
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@ Order66
Hahahaha! I just noticed that two. (tee hee) My bad.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBoy, that Wes Glenna is subtle, isn't he? Might as well have said "Nice little T-shirt shop you've got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy do I envision this owner waking up to a ripped at the neck/head,running red ink tee shirt next to him in bed? "Neigh" I say to these union thugs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThose of you who are criticizing the teacher for putting a preposition at the end of a sentence need to know that it isn't wrong, and it has never been wrong, to end a sentence with a preposition. That's a very unfortunate myth created by John Dryden in 1675.
Now, regarding the misuse of commas, you are 100% correct.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFor those wishing to patronize the VanGinkels and their fine establishment: External Link
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@ Dr. Tim Hadley
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat is the sort of literary nonsense up with which I will not put.
What's the difference between a mob-boss and a loyal member of the Wisconsin public employees unions?
Mob bosses don't usually threaten the public at large or try to intimidate their children.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWinston:
You beat me to it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse