If you turn on your television you will see Japan's trifecta of disasters with the earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear meltdowns. But if you go to Twitter and search the hashtags #wiunion, #solidarity, or #wisconsin you'll find out what has been going on right here in our own nation.
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| Michael Sears ~ Milwaukee Journal Sentinal |
Yesterday, Saturday, March 11, massive protests were held in Madison Wisconsin around the capitol building as teachers, firefighters, police officers, farmers, and several other groups surrounded the building on all sides, blocking the streets. Estimates for the number of attendees range from 80,000 for a low number, to 150,000 on the high side. Twitter reports indicate that they already have 150,000 signatures for a petition to recall Governor Scott Walker.
Union supporters have been outside the building for the past few weeks protesting the governor's intent to gut the unions' collective bargaining rights through a supposed budget repair bill. Democratic representatives from Wisconsin, realizing simply voting against the bill would be futile, fled the state in order to buy time for Wisconsin citizens to become aware of what was going on and to act on it. These efforts worked, not only in alerting Wisconsin citizens, but in gaining the attention of the entire world.
Who is Covering News on the Protests?
While major news outlets in the US focused on the horrific news coming from Japan, Al Jazeera managed to spare air time for the news coming out of Wisconsin. Although American conservatives are unlikely to recognize the new revelation, the unequal coverage is a clear indicator that the concept of a “liberal media” is only a myth. More information is coming from bloggers and Twitter than through conventional news outlets.
This lack of coverage was noticed by protesters and Tweeters, but it did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm. Farmers arrived on tractors, holding a “Tractorcade” and speakers included Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Rev Jesse Jackson, and Susan Sarandon.
Tucked away in the bill Walker pushed through were provisions not only stripping teachers of their collective bargaining rights, but also cutting funding to BadgerCare, Wisconsin's public health care program, aid to public schools, and clauses that prohibit the citizens from recalling an elected official until they have served in office for a full year. Clearly Walker thought ahead enough to cover his own posterior.
You may be asking yourself what Gov Walker was doing while his office was surrounded by protesting voters. He was clearly avoiding Madison, posting casual tweets about getting a haircut in Wauwatosa, visiting a mall in Milwaukee, and speaking to a group in Washburn. He even made the claim that “they couldn't fit anymore people in” while in Washburn, but Tweeters noticed he didn't say how small/large the room was. What his tweets made abundantly clear was that he had no interest in the concerns of thousands of his constituents. This was construed by Twitter readers as Walker's modern-day version of “let them eat cake”.
How Does This Happen in America?
We were made aware of this union busting legislation in Wisconsin because of the actions taken by the “Wisconsin 14”, but Wisconsin isn't the only state this is happening in. Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania all have similar legislation on the floor in their state capitals. Republicans are going on a full attack on unions so that government can have sole authority on what middle class workers are allowed to receive, stripping workers of their voice.
In Michigan there are also provisions granting the state the right to strip away a local government if the state deems it necessary. Yes, you should read that again. The state of Michigan can now remove elected officials in towns, cities, and municipalities and replace them with officials of their choosing at their discretion. They are bringing Big Government into full swing in the state of Michigan.
All of the things the conservatives have been accusing the liberals of trying over the past couple of years are the exact things conservatives are doing right now. They are stripping rights from smaller governments, stripping rights from unions, and stripping rights from citizens. They are pitting the middle and lower class against each other, union vs. non-union workers, while the horde the power and money for corporate tax breaks and political power grabbing.
Unions have given the working class a voice, helped pass laws to create more reasonable working conditions, and given us an organized movement for 50 years, and they are still there for us now. Even if you aren't a union member, you can contact any local union to find out what you can do to help ensure we don't move backward into serfdom.
My final thought, why do you think they are focusing on teachers? I think it's because the information nugget that David Frum shared with us is something most Republican politicians hold as a sacred truth:
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Find out what is going on in...
Indiana (VERY similar to what happened in Wisconsin!)
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