keep your eyes on the prize
ETA: Monday, April 4, is the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr as he stood in solidarity with sanitation workers in Memphis, TN. Events are planned around the country in honor of Dr. King and in solidarity with union workers in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Click here to see how you can join in.
First of all, we got snow on April Fools' Day, and I'm not joking about that!
Second, you know Wisconsin Republicans think they're above and outside of the law when the biggest headline of day is that they decided to follow the law. Walker's administration finally agreed to comply with a judge's order to halt implementation of the law while they sort out the legal mess created by the 1) senate vote, which violated open meetings laws, and 2) publication of the bill by the Legislative Reference Bureau after the temporary restraining order was issued.
So I took the kids downtown for a short visit to the Capitol Rotunda at noon today. Since the Walker administration has restricted access to the Capitol and ordered police to issue tickets to anyone holding signs in areas other than the designated "demonstration area", someone started sing-alongs every day from 12-1. That building has some really kick-ass acoustics, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join in!
Here are some people courageously holding signs on the second floor balcony, well outside the "free speech zone":
The women holding that blue Wisconsin flag are from a group called the "Raging Grannies." They stated that the flag is upside down on purpose and is meant as a distress call for the state of Wisconsin:
And my kids? Well, I think they enjoy listening to the singing more than other types of protesting. At least, they didn't complain as much as usual!
I know a lot of you must be sick and tired of reading about this, but one reason I keep blogging about the political situation here is that IT IS NOT OVER. Far from it. It's going to be a long, hard fight. It's already a long, hard fight! But if Walker ultimately fails in his efforts gouge public services and strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights, it will be well worth the effort. We must have hope. We must not lose interest or lose our way because there is too much at stake.
First of all, we got snow on April Fools' Day, and I'm not joking about that!
Second, you know Wisconsin Republicans think they're above and outside of the law when the biggest headline of day is that they decided to follow the law. Walker's administration finally agreed to comply with a judge's order to halt implementation of the law while they sort out the legal mess created by the 1) senate vote, which violated open meetings laws, and 2) publication of the bill by the Legislative Reference Bureau after the temporary restraining order was issued.
So I took the kids downtown for a short visit to the Capitol Rotunda at noon today. Since the Walker administration has restricted access to the Capitol and ordered police to issue tickets to anyone holding signs in areas other than the designated "demonstration area", someone started sing-alongs every day from 12-1. That building has some really kick-ass acoustics, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join in!
Here are some people courageously holding signs on the second floor balcony, well outside the "free speech zone":
The women holding that blue Wisconsin flag are from a group called the "Raging Grannies." They stated that the flag is upside down on purpose and is meant as a distress call for the state of Wisconsin:
And my kids? Well, I think they enjoy listening to the singing more than other types of protesting. At least, they didn't complain as much as usual!
I know a lot of you must be sick and tired of reading about this, but one reason I keep blogging about the political situation here is that IT IS NOT OVER. Far from it. It's going to be a long, hard fight. It's already a long, hard fight! But if Walker ultimately fails in his efforts gouge public services and strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights, it will be well worth the effort. We must have hope. We must not lose interest or lose our way because there is too much at stake.
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