Madison WI, March 4-6, 2011

As this last weekend was the beginning of my spring break, I took a much needed break from things and went to visit friends and family in Madison, WI. I'm sure we're all aware of what has been going on in Madison of late, but here's a quick recap for those who aren't aware. To deal with an upcoming budget shortfall, newly elected Governor Scott Walker has put forth a bill which does a variety of things, among others giving him the right to sell off and privatize the state's power plants without having to take bids, and the much contended issue at the moment is the most infamous of all; with his bill in place, almost all government unions (excepting the police, firefighters, and state patrol) will lose their collective bargaining rights for everything except inflation based pay increases.
Because of this, and a few other things, something incredible has happened there, and let me be the first to tell you that you have no idea just how incredible it is until you've been there for yourself. I spent part of my weekend in Madison's Capitol Square, watching and walking with the protesters, and there is a vital force there that is all at once amazing and terrifying. Amazing because every day, even in the midwest still in the grip of winter, and today, almost four weeks after the protests began, there are more then a thousand people out there at any given moment during the day. Saturday morning when we were walking up to the Capitol so I could see, we passed a bus-full of protestors just arrived, and a man informed them that there was a place just across the street where they could grab some food before heading up. I went to have coffee with a few friends from highschool, and as I walked down State Street, I could watch as new protesters walked up one side towards the capitol, and others cycled out to warm up and put their signs down for a moment, grab a bite to eat, then cycle back in. While I was talking to my friends, I received a text from my sister informing me that Michael Moore, well known director and liberal voice, had just given a speech.
When I went past Sunday I listened to part of a speech from the head of the National Letter Carrier's Union, while my sister grabbed a slice of pizza from the dozen or so that somebody was handing out (Ian's Pizza, I'm sure among others, has been receiving orders from all over the US for pizzas to go to the protestors, and the rest of the world as well, as far away as Egypt and Germany). I saw protestors high-fiving police officers as they left the square, which is an image that I'm sure will stay with me for a very long time.
At the same time, it's terrifying, although Governor Walker apparently does not agree with me, as he had announced both publicly (and what he thought was privately) that he will not deal, and that this bill will pass regardless. But when I stood there, listening to the roar of the thousand plus people in the square, I did feel afraid. I will admit, partially because groups of people like that are more susceptible to all kinds of influences, although this is easily the most peaceful yet forceful protest I've ever seen (while I was there, I was told stories of a tea-partier who attempted to start a fist-fight; after he threw the first punch, he was collectively hugged into submission) But mostly I found fear in the fact that we had somehow made it to the place where this could occur.
My sister told me of friends of hers who, although quite liberal, voted for Gov. Walker in the November mid-term election. Why? Not because they agreed with his policies, but because they were angry with what the Obama administration had failed to do thus far. Well I hate to break it to these people, but making his job *harder* isn't helping any. And now they're surprised that Walker is delivering on his campaign promises. Their 'protest votes' are biting them in the ass, threatening them with loss of income and bargaining rights.
There is a quote from American writer Alexander Woollcott which I feel is entirely apropos to this situation:

"I am tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it."

What I saw this weekend was people working democracy. People out showing their colours, taking part in the process. But they're out there now because people allowed their anger and apathy to get the better of them, and rather then working democracy, they sat back and expected it to do what they thought it should. Democracy can't read your mind. It can only respond to your actions and your words, your words to the officials you elect to represent you. And the action you take when, every two years, you go to your local polling station and vote. As citizens of the United States of America, our right to take this part in our democracy is given by Article VI of the Constitution, and by the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments. Of course, if this right is applied inadvisably, being used to voice discontent regardless of possible repercussions, the result is, well, look for yourself. Read about what is happening in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana. And remember.