Thursday, March 1, 2012

300 Days Longer, 300 Days Stronger !

Was fortunate enough to witness a little bit of history in the making again at the capitol yesterday.  The event was Solidarity Singalong #300 and it was very inspiring.  Due to some confusion concerning event scheduling inside the Capitol the singing started outside at noon.  After a couple of songs the official tally of days was rolled over from 299 to 300.  The cheering was very loud indeed and the singing was extremely spirited, the singers joined by drums and guitars.

We then were informed that the event that was supposed to be going on inside the rotunda had been cancelled and so we made our way into the rotunda singing all the way.  Camera crews and individuals shot constant footage of #300 and the number of participants continued to grow.  A wedding had just taken place and the bride and groom and others from they're party joined us in song.  The bride holding a red heart shaped balloon, a symbol of the Wisconsin Uprising and the whole thing was rather touching.

On and off through the event different state senators including Hansen and others stopped by in solidarity with the singers.  A theatre troupe that had performed an anti-Walker anti-ALEC  skit outside earlier, dressed in rat costumes, joined the group in the rotunda.  Soon after that a group of young school children piled against the rotunda railing the watch the singers with they're teachers.  We sang the preamble of the constitution for them and quite a few of the kids and one of the teachers sang along, pretty sweet.

We wrapped up as always, by sing "Solidarity Forever" and the cheering as we finished rang throughout the halls of the Capitol building, Our House.  Folks departed slowly it seemed, not wanting the event to end too soon.  History in the making, and the one year anniversary of the first ever Solidarity Singalong at the Capitol is in two weeks.  Folks are really excited about it.

And to top it all off, no involvement from Capitol Police & Security.  On Tuesday, Chief Tubbs informed the Singalong of the possible enforcement of the new administrative policy set out by Scott Walker.  The policy attempts to illegally and unconstitutionally remove the rights of citizens of the state of Wisconsin to peacefully assemble, have free speech and to petition they're elected representatives.  Some rather rabid individuals on the right have been really pushing the Chief hard on this lately, making a big show of a last effort to show their loyalty to Scott Walker.  Even though Walkers own aids are now leaving him regularly as others reach plea deals with prosecutors.

I don't see much potential for a attempted shut down of the Solidarity Singalong as some have said.  I just don't see twenty officers of the Capitol Police arresting two or three hundred + singers every day.  Were in the world would they put all of us?  The cops don't have room for that many folks, maybe they could just pile us all into Walkers east wing office as he is never there.  I'm not sure if he has spent more than a couple days in Wisconsin in the last two months as he is jetting all over raising tens of millions of dollars to try and defend against the recall.........hilarious.

Meanwhile upstairs at the Capitol after the Singalong, Glen Grothman a morally questionable republican senator was preparing to speak on new legislation to dismantle child abuse laws and other insane anti-family agenda items from the GOTea extremists.  But more about all that later.

My best wishes go out to Solidarity Singalong leader Chris Reeder and his young family.  Chris and his wife Lisa had they're first child two weeks ago.  Welcome to Wisconsin and the world August Reeder, you little union thug.

On Wisconsin!    FORWARD!!!!

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