Wisconsin, the home of progressivism and Robert La Follette, Sr. a century ago, came through today in a proud tradition of backing labor rights and public employees, with thousands of people descending on the state capital, Madison, in peaceful protests against Governor Scott Walker’s threat of employing the National Guard, as he works to force through the loss of workers’ rights and heavy cuts in pay for state workers to cover health care and pension benefits guaranteed by contract! 🙁
High school and college students joined their teachers and professors, and other state employees, including firefighters, paramedics, police officers, prison guards and others joined them in a massive protest against the strong arm tactics being utilized by Governor Walker.
This may be the equivalent of an American “Egypt”, a beginning of public protest against a Republican Party on the state and national level attempting to destroy everything that has been gained since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal! 🙁
If Wisconsin is able to move ahead and destroy workers’ rights, then it will happen in Ohio, New Jersey, Florida and everywhere. This reminds those of us who remember what it was like in the 1960s when the American people marched for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam.
The quality of public service, and particularly of education of the future generation, will rapidly decline if the attack on workers’ rights by GOP governors is allowed to stand.
This is a battle for the future, while the GOP only is concerned about the elite upper class and the corporations! The country will never be the same if the right wing wins this struggle to return to the past of the 1920s and the Gilded Age! 🙁