One day after denouncing "extreme radicals" and calling for a more civil discourse regarding President Obama's plan to overhaul the nation's health care system, members of the Service Employees International Union utilized those same aggressive tactics to spread their own message, critics of the union say.
SEIU Healthcare Chairman Dennis Rivera has blamed radicals and "corporate front groups" for the recent confrontations at town hall events, including one last week in Missouri where an SEIU staffer was among six people arrested for misdemeanor assault and other crimes.
"At the same time that America's families are seeking relief from fast-rising and unaffordable health care costs, extreme radicals and corporate front groups are trying to derail health insurance reform by disrupting public meetings," Rivera said in a statement last Thursday.
"While SEIU and allies across the country are staging more than 400 events to promote a real discussion on the country's need for healthcare reform, these 'Astroturf' organizations are spreading ludicrous, discredited myths designed to scare people away from much-needed reform."
Rivera challenged anyone attending the public meetings to sign a pledge to "learn and contribute" to the public discourse without being disruptive or disrespectful.
But later that day, a St. Louis man was attacked, allegedly by an SEIU staffer and another man, outside of a town hall event with Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo.
Kenneth Gladney, 38, was handing out "Don't Tread on Me" flags for the Tea Party movement, when he says he was called a racial slur and struck. Gladney, who is black, suffered injuries to his knee, back and shoulder. - FOX News Story
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