We were many! The true believers and patriots!
It's been a while since The Invisible Woman, or I (Mister Fantastic) have posted. But given the new, but expected jackassery in Wisconsin, it is time to post anew. Enjoy!
To the strains of Bruce Springsteen & The Dropkick Murphys, supporters of the working people of Wisconsin (and by extension, those EVERYWHERE) gathered outside the capitol building and in the rotunda to voice their opposition to the Fitzgerald/Walker/ALEC right to work legislation. More after the jump! See the Pics!!
Union leadership and assorted charismatic speakers told us what we mostly areadly knew: That the Right-to-work (RTW) legislation being ramrodded through the Wisconsin Legislature with speed more commonly associated with the Road Runner was horrific, and had repercussions for ALL Wisconsin workers and families, and that its passage would turn us all essentially into Wile E. Coyote (I paraphrase but you get it)!
There was good and bad to be observed today. Let's get to it:
The GOOD:
1) We were about 2,000 strong! While we did not have the sheer numbers and force in evidence in 2011, the fact is we didn't need it today. I believe wholeheartedly that having 100,000 people in the streets would only serve to give Walker a national boost. Think of it. If we mobilized that many people again, that would mean national attention and national cameras. When the Legislature passes the bill (and they WILL), big media would create and broadcast the "Walker defeats unions" meme, again. Avoiding such, that is, adding any kind of momentum to Walker's bid for the presidency is a good thing. What we did today was to simply come together and voice our opposition. All of us! And while you can cynically say, "so what?", I submit that in coming together and raising our voices, we (and those of you in Kosville) fighting the good fight and setting in place the potential for real future opposition and action! We cannot and will not be silenced!
Indeed!
2) The rotunda was nearly filled! We had about 300 people joining in solidarity, singing songs of inspiration and union strength. Note the banners and the cute kid in the lower right hand corner. He was cuttin' a rug to beat the band!
Solidarity Singers!! Whoo-hoo!
The Bad
1) Yes, there was snow and music in the 15 degree air, but underneath the chill and the vibrancy of our gathered lot was a much colder reality. The damn legislation will pass. We all know it. It is a simple, but metaphorical fact that ALEC/KOCH and the 1% that they seek to bolster, have sent us ACME products in the attempt to, like with Wile E. Coyote, hurt and eventually break us. I know that I feel as though a boulder might be falling on our heads!
The ALEC/KOCH umbrella…
2) The crowd, while robust, articulate and certainly macho as Iron Man himself, was decidedly male, white, and over 35. While not a terrible thing, and socioeconomically understandable…it is still well, disappointing. Where were the millennials? Where were the women? Sure there were some…but we really should have had a truly DIVERSE 2K in evidence to show that all people from all walks were represented. Not the biggest deal… but it is an observation worth noting.
So yes, it was a good day for raising our voices loudly and proudly! I was thrilled to be there among the UAW, AFL-CIO, MTI and brothers and sisters! Even the non-human ones!
Augie Doggy says "No!" to RTW… sounded like "Woof!", but I know what he meant!
Listen folks, the powers that be have won a few battles here in WI, and elsewhere. We need to embrace that, own it, and at the risk of pointing out the obvious…find a way to fight more effectively. My personal belief is that we need to get big $$ out of politics a la the Tom Hartman model. Be a google monkey and read about it. I think we need to redefine the war. We will never capture the Roadrunner using the normal ACME products!
To better days,
Mr. Fantastic & Invisible Woman