Dennis Kucinich Correct To Not Attend Closed Session Of Congress

Something does not smell right over the closed session of Congress tonight, as the members talk over controversial electronic surveillance legislation. If the Democrats cave in to the President on this issue, who will be so silly as to give more money to the House Democrats this fall?  How would even Howard Dean spin that House fiasco into a silk purse?

To his credit, Representative Kucinich, and a few other members made it known they would not attend the session.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said debating such an important issue behind closed doors “raises questions about the constitution of the U.S.” arguing that the House floor is “the citadel of free speech” and should not be closed to public view. Kucinich said he would not be attending the session.

House Republicans called for the session—which will be closed to the media and all but the highest level staff–to discuss classified information relating to an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Democratic leaders agreed to go along with the session earlier in the day.

Congress has been deadlocked for weeks over the measure, arguing over whether or not to grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies who aided the government in the wiretapping program after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Republicans have argued that if members are able to learn more about the program, they will grant the immunity to the telecoms.

It is just the sixth closed session in House history and the first since 1983 when the chamber discussed aid to Nicaragua. 

Prior to the closed session, several Democrats took to the House floor to express their disappointment with the decision.

“I smell something, and I don’t like being manipulated,” said Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.).

Technorati Tags: DennisKucinich, FISA, Congress, Republicans

Hillary Clinton ‘Win-By-All Means Possible’ Campaign Must End

UPDATE…Thanks to reader Justin for editing.

I think Chris Mathews on MSNBC was the one to say something to the effect, after hearing the victory speech by Senator Hillary Clinton, that Howard Dean was probably going to have a heart seizure upon hearing her words.  The hope of starting a general election, and moving ahead with the process of a fall campaign has been stalled by a candidate that can’t win the nomination through the normal allocation of delegates, but only through making her opponent, Senator Barack Obama bloody and messed up.  Which leaves the Democratic Party in a real mess.

This was supposed to be the election that was a no-brainer for the American people. President Bush started a needless war in Iraq that resulted in thousands of Americans being killed.  A foreign policy was constructed that has only brought ridicule and disgust from the world community. The resulting economic effect of the war is the recession we now face.  Republians gleefully use civil rights and the Constitution as toilet paper.  Yes, this was the year for Democrats to reclaim the White House.

Instead we have Senator Clinton using negative campaign tactics that will only insure that should Obama become the nominee, he will be a weaker candidate.  When the New York Senator did not denounce the ‘religion issue’ on “60 Minutes” this past weekend concerning Obama when offered the chance to do so, she chose her path.  Last week when Clinton said that both she and John McCain were qualified to lead the country, but that Obama only knew how to make speeches, she not only gave an endorsement to the GOP nominee, but also bloodied Obama who will most likely be the eventual nominee.  It was a shameful move on her part.

When Clinton wants the White House so bad that she will destroy her party and the chance of a Democrat from winning in November, it is time to do a second look at her candidacy.  Hillary Clinton is hoping that the voters, along with the media, might take a second look at Obama, and decide that perhaps he is not the person for the job.  I think her desperate style, actions, and statements have forced many of us to take a second look indeed.

That second look will be at Senator Clinton.

It was Clinton who so misunderstood the goals of the oil-loving Republicans in the White House that she voted for their Middle East war.  That look will include the reckless vote she took regarding military methods to deal with Iran.  As we look we will see that ‘experience’ is often a word that she uses on the campaign trail, but not always applied when it makes a real difference.

It is imperative that the regular Democrats unite and shut the ‘Clinton win-at-all means campaign’ down.

Our nation must change our course and correct our misguided and harmful policies both at home and abroad.  This election is too important to allow the Clinton forces to undo the Democratic Party, and in the end harm the nation.

Technorati Tags: HillaryClinton, BarackObama, Election08, Democrats,

Fellow Blogger In Saudi Arabia Needs Our Support After Being Detained

The idea that anyone would censor my thoughts or try and limit my views from being posted on my blog is impossible for me to consider.  The idea that I might be held for interrogation by my government for ideas I post is something I may joke about given the climate in the White House, but it is nothing I seriously am concerned about.

That however is not the case for Fouad al-Farhan, a blogger in Saudi Arabia who is being detained for posting about political prisoners in that country.    Mr. Farhan had written to his friends recently alerting them to the fact that his arrest was coming.

“The issue that caused all of this is because I wrote about the political prisoners here in Saudi Arabia, and they think I’m running an online campaign promoting their issue,” the letter continued, saying that Mr. Farhan had been asked to sign a statement of apology.

“I’m not sure if I’m ready to do that,” he wrote. “An apology for what? Apologizing because I said the government is a liar when they accused those guys to be supporting terrorism?”

I urge my readers and fellow bloggers to show support for this man by posting entries on his blog (www.alfarhan.org)  (or the English version http://en.freefouad.com/) to show that there is international support for freedom of speech and political debate.  The blog can be found under a banner that reads “Free Fouad” and features his picture. 

At the top of Mr. Farhan’s blog is a call in Arabic for “freedom, dignity, justice, equality, public participation and the other lost Islamic values.” People from around the world need to step up and address this detention in strong words.

Far too often we spout the virtues of democracy and freedom of speech, but then do too little to advance those causes in real and meaningful ways.  Without ever leaving your computer chair you can make a statement and a difference.

Speak up for a fellow blogger than cannot do that for himself at this time.

Technorati Tags: SaudiArabia, Fouadal-Farhan, Blogger, FreeSpeech

Wisconsin Online Court Records Should Remain Open To Public

In the old days, such as those in the Snuffy Smith cartoon, the town gossip and local information was passed over the backyard fence.  Then as times progressed the best news came from the ‘party lines’ that most every home was hooked up with for a period of time.  Now it is the internet and a variety of sites that allow for public dissemination of news and public information. 

While there is a difference between gossip and public records, I admit the line, at times, can be thin.  But having said that, there is still an overriding and just concern about the right of the public to have unfettered access to open court records.  One such site that provides for this type of information becoming public in an easy manner has come under attack recently by some in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

Representative Marlin Schneider, a longtime champion of privacy issues, is just wrong to suggest that the public isn’t capable of using the circuit court records in a responsible way.  The system is known as Consolidated Court Automation Programs  (CCAP) and for now is open for all to view.  At a public hearing this month most everyone who testified argued that it should remain open to the public.  Only those who think the public is irresponsible thought CCAP needed to be limited in who had access to the records.

The reason the public has a right to this information is most obvious.  These are open public documents that belong to us!  The Wisconsin Rapids Democrat should not prevail in his attempt to stifle the flow of information in order to shelter some, and thwart others from easily obtaining information.

I used the system to quickly evaluate applicants for a mentorship program at a non-profit in Madison.  A lady friend of mine used the system to check out potential dates.  I might add since I think she does not read my blog, that the guys she didn’t see do not know how lucky they are!  But for whatever reason, the site serves a purpose, and needs to remain open to the public.

Marlin Schneider, in this case, has too little faith in the public.  I think most Wisconsinites understand how to use the system.  I think most people are not looking for ways to discriminate against their neighbors, or harbor misconceived ideas about those who appear on the site.

For the record I was on the site once for speeding.  Real fast.  Not my finest day, but I would not want my record kept secret as I know the public has a right to view such documents.  (Though I still think the balding overweight three-thumbed Deputy Sheriff in Waushara County wanted to make a point with a guy from Madison.  If that is what he needed, I was happy to oblige.)  The record has since been removed due to the time factor.

The system (CCAP) has worked well and need not be undermined by a politician with perhaps too little to do while serving in the minority.  Even if the public only looks at the site for gossip is not enough reason to lock public records up.

Technorati Tags: Marlin, Schneider, OpenRecords, ConsolidatedCourtAutomationPrograms, , CCAP, WausharaCounty, ThreeThumbs
Technorati Tags: Madison, Wisconsin

I Applaud The Actions Of Columbia University And Its President, Lee Bollinger

Do I think Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, has made many outlandish and historically incorrect statements?  Yes.  Do I agree with his worldviews and policy ideas for the Middle East?  No.  Do I think he should be addressing a university crowd in the United States?  Yes.  Would I attend if I could?  Yes.

I can not ever recall opposing the idea of a national leader, politician, or anyone else holding opinions that vary from mine, a forum in which to speak and express ideas and thoughts.  And I know I have always opposed  the notion that a college setting should be limited in pursuing a healthy robust debate on a wide range of issues. 

Therefore I am perplexed how so many seemingly intelligent people have their undies knotted today over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at Columbia University.  It would seem that the obvious answer to the complex foreign policy morass that we find ourselves in would be more dialogue, not less.  In the midst of a push by President Bush’s administration to perhaps even engage in military measures to quell the nuclear threat that Iran might pose, I suggest that talking and exchanging ideas might not be a bad way to start the opening of this session of the United Nations.

(It might be important for my newer readers to know that I have voiced support to the idea of limiting the ability of Iran to possess nuclear weapons. I prefer the diplomatic route to achieve this aim, and would only accept full Congressional approval for any more energetic initiatives by this White House.  For years I have viewed Iran as the real problem nation in that region, and not Iraq.  The fact that we started a needless war and wasted resources in Iraq undermines our standing in the world to deal effectively with Iran.)

Colleges are a natural place to host a forum where leaders, like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, can talk.  The whole mission of any college or university is to expand knowledge and engage in robust debate with multiple points of view being expressed.  Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the event?

I applaud the actions of Columbia University and its president, Lee Bollinger.  In the face of some very misguided politicians and community activists he has understood the purpose of his school, and the rightness of expanding horizons through higher education.

One of the many advantages to living in Madison, Wisconsin is the fact we can participate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in so many events featuring speakers that hold so many different ideas and views on a wide range of topics.  For anyone to be scared or reticent about the idea of an open debate, or full illumination of issues, might have an incurious mind, or a shaky set of foundations that form the basis for their thinking.  But to use any of these to undermine the free flow of ideas on a university setting in ludicrous.

Technorati Tags: MahmoudAhmadinejad, ColumbiaUniversity, LeeBollinger, FreeSpeech, Debate

Would A President Use Terrorism To Undermine The Constitution?

There have been many callers over the past few months on Air America radio that have strongly suggested that President Bush has no intention of leaving office in January of 2009.  Those of us who follow the news, and care about our fragile democracy well know there has been no limit to the creative use of executive authority during Bush’s time in office.  I think all of us can create the neo-conservative scenario where ‘national security ‘ would trump the constitution, and ‘require’ Bush to remain in the Oval Office after the election.  Think it seems far-fetched? 

In the past few months I have been surprised at my conversations with state workers in both political and non-political jobs, private sector employees and employers, who have echoed these concerns.  And all for the same reasons.  Bush and Company is to be feared.  Their track record proves it. 

It was with this mindset that I recently bought from Barnes and Noble, ”Chain of Command” the first work of fiction by Caspar Weinberger, the former Defense Secretary under President Reagan.  It is a fast wicked read, and one that drives the point of this post straight home.  The book depicts a fictional United States president who uses a trumped-up terrorist threat to undermine the Constitution and institute a quasi-fascist military state.  The fact the book was released in 2005 suggests to me that the Republican author and keen strategist, may have thought about the long-term consequences of President Bush’s threat to our constitution.  And what he saw he did not like.  And I think even feared it.

Weinberger’s book creates a President Boyd, who much like our President Bush during 9/11, sees opportunity in disaster.  Boyd declares a state of national emergency, and puts the entire nation under martial law.  I strongly suspect that after reading and absolutely loving this fast paced, tightly packed wonder of a book, that Weinberger along with co-author Peter Schweizer, wanted to make a strong point.

Citizens of this nation should not be confused by politicians who use fear of terrorism to make drastic and perverse policy that undermines the constitutional liberties of this nation.   We must not allow Bush to use his limited intellect to frame the ‘war on terror’ to somehow mirror the years of World War II, something that he delights in doing.  By allowing Bush to pervert what happened on 9/11 by waging war in Iraq, and undermining our constitution with such nefarious policy such as the ‘Patriot Act’, is a grave matter that demands our attention.

This book sizzles, and so I suggest not starting it late at night, as it will keep you up.  I give it four out of five stars! 

And do not be surprised at what Bush might do in January 2009.

Technorati Tags: ChainOfCommand, CasparWeinberger, PresidentBush,

Censoring News In Iraq

There is a firm rule that guides any democracy, and any country hoping to have a democracy.  The rule is that the people have the right to know the truth, and journalists must have the latitude to pursue that truth, and report it.  So it was troubling to learn that the Iraqi government declared that Iraqi reporters would no longer be allowed access to the sites of bombings and other violent acts. 

The Iraqi government paints the move as an effort to protect the Iraqi reporters from follow up bombings that sometimes take place to kill those who aid in rescue efforts.  The fact that journalists understand fully the risks they take as they do their job seems not to matter to the government. The government also thinks that showing the remains of violent acts is not fair to the victims.  A civil war is never a pleasant thing to witness, but the truth of the matter is that a civil war is in progress in Iraq, and the story needs to be covered.

Most people in America often take for granted the right of a free press, and seem uninterested when press freedoms have come under attack.  Coupling that fact with the lack of interest most here have in foreign affairs, I am sure this story is not to be discovered by many.  But it should disturb us that a London newspaper, The Guardian, reports that local police fired weapons in the air to keep Iraqi reporters away from the scene of a car bombing that killed seven people. 

Reporters Without Borders released the following statement about this troubling turn of events in Iraq. 

“It is vital that journalists can report on the security situation throughout the country without it being seen as incitement to violence. When the streets become impassable and the authorities provide no information about the attacks in real time, the role of the reporter becomes essential. Coverage of these attacks allows people to evaluate the security risk and to avoid dangerous areas.”

I think that the United States government should publicly condemn these censorship actions by the Iraqi government.  For President Bush to pretend that we are building a democracy in that country has always been disingenuous.  But it is unconscionable for our soldiers to be killed on the one hand for “building a democracy”, while at the same time allowing freedom of the press which is a foundation of any democracy, to become another causality of this war.

Technorati Tags: IraqWar, ReportersWithoutBorders, PresidentBush, Censorship,

Rap Music Must Evolve

Like many Americans I find the language used in much of rap music to be offensive.  The idea that music should be laced with so much violence and foul language runs counter to my notion of music and civility.  So it was welcomed news to read that the Don Imus affair might have legs, and effect the rap music industry.  And who said firing Imus would not have benefits?

The Washington Post had the following in today’s paper.

On Monday hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, who just two weeks ago was arguing for the rights of rappers to express themselves as artists, did a seeming about-face and called for the voluntary banning of “bitch,” “ho” and the N-word from the lexicon as “extreme curse words.” He called for a coalition of industry executives to “recommend guidelines for lyrical and visual standards.” Then the NAACP yesterday unveiled an initiative to halt racist and sexist imagery in the media, aimed at the record and television industries, recording artists and the African American community. And tomorrow, in a belated benediction, a civil rights group will honor Tucker, the leader of the National Political Congress of Black Women who initiated a national crusade against gangsta rap and took the recording industry to task for putting profits ahead of social responsibility.

I know that there will be cries of censorship but I reject that argument.  There are times when the greater good wins out over the limited benefits of the few.  Banning cigarette sales on TV could be argued as a form of censorship.  The lives it has saved is the stronger more correct point of view.  The same holds true for the rancid nature of far too much of rap music.

Technorati Tags: Rapmusic, DonImus, WashingtonPost

Bush Will Be The One To Watch In 2007

The quest for the White House in 2008 is well underway with candidates forming exploratory committees, stockpiling cash, and hiring the brightest political operatives in the business.  In fact, the race is so far ahead of where we normally are at this time that one candidate, Senator Bayh of Indiana, not only took the initial steps towards a campaign, but has already withdrew from the race, correctly understanding he was more a potential V.P. pick than a presidential nominee for 2008. 

While there is plenty of action to follow in the wide-open presidential race in the months to come as both Democrats and Republicans scramble for attention and money, I really think the best story to follow in 2007 will be President Bush.  Really.  Since being re-elected in 2004 Bush’s poll numbers have continually eroded due to his foreign policy decisions, and the erosion of our civil rights.  All national polling strongly proves that the pitfalls produced as a result of the Bush Administration’s actions over the last six years demand corrections.  The question I have, and what I will be watching during this coming year, is whether Bush has the ability to extricate himself from his self-inflicted damage?

From the war in Iraq where a military ‘victory’ is now long past possible, to his war on the U.S. Constitution, the President has many issues he can work on, and correct in 2007, if he has a desire to make a change.   Bush could just embrace the noble ideas that were found in the Magna Carta, and uphold the rights of those accused of crimes in this country, and his critics would have to admit an earthquake was taking place within George Bush.  I admit it very sad that we would even need to remind any President about the need for fair jury trials, having lawyers for the accused, and a full understanding of what charges were pending against the accused.  But such is the state of the American Presidency that today any movement towards those enlightened ideas would actually be news worthy.

As one who enjoys watching how any President leads the nation, and positions himself for the history books, I am going to be most interested this coming year in what Bush does, and how he communicates to a very nervous and anxious nation.  The fact that Bush actually won the 2004 race proves he is an effective politician.  In 2007 I will be watching to see if  he is able to shift his footing politically, and succeed with changing those policies that today are collapsing all around him.  Can he pivot his administration in a new direction through action and words, demonstrating an understanding for the need of a workable foreign policy? Can he start to revive his poll numbers?  Can he still play to the history books?  Will Congress treat Bush like a lame duck President, or respect any newfound Presidential luster should it emerge?  How far will his fellow Republicans distance themselves from an Administration that can’t right the ship of state?

Needless to say it is a daunting task for Bush, the former head cheerleader of an all boys high school.  Eighty percent of the most notable historians when polled in early 2004 for the History News Network already then viewed the Bush Presidency as a failure.  Recent polls of historians in the past weeks have again found Bush being relegated with the likes of Andrew Johnson and Warren Harding.  While it is true that decades must pass before one can see history from a more proper perspective and evaluate the effects of any President, the dire facts today from the Middle East, to the red ink in Washington, paint a legacy that does not bode well for Bush.

Ronald Reagan knew that in his final term he needed to be guided by the larger themes that would dominate the history books.   His bluster was blunted with more stable policy choices as evidenced by his work with the Soviet Union, along with the firm guidance of his wife, Nancy Reagan.  If Bush has any friends among his close advisers they will urge a sea change in direction, and a total removal of the arrogance that has prevailed for far too long in this Administration.  Laura would be wise to follow Nancy’s lead and use firmness in counseling her husband.

All the Presidential contenders will create interesting stories in 2007 but the real action will still take place, as it always does, with the current residence of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Election2008, CivilRights, RonaldReagan

Banned Book Week

September 23-30 is Banned Book Week 

I have never felt so wise that I would consider telling someone else not to read a particular book because I felt the content was not suitable.  Conversely, I have never met anyone so learned that they could tell me what I should not read.  Yet every day there are struggles around the nation to suppress books that people should be able to freely read.  I find this unconscionable.

I grew up loving to read and still consider books to be ’friends’ and so have a very difficult notion with censoring books.  I loved my little home town library, where as a kid starting in fifth grade, I would go every Friday night after dinner to get a new book.  The neighborly lady who sat in that tiny building soon understood that Ian Fleming was more to my liking than the Hardy Boys.  I recall she tried to steer me to the younger section but when James Bond calls, you must respond.  In short order she and I were friends, and it was understood I had reading interests that were unique to my age.   She never told me I could not read any book I wanted to check out.

The urge to suppress what others read is something I have never felt, though history shows the consequences of such actions.   The scenes from Hitler’s Germany come to mind instantly, but the censors of today are often those you might find in your city.  How do you think books like Ulysses by James Joyce was actually banned in the United States for being obscene?  It happens when some people feel it is their right to mold society to their puritan beliefs.

When we talk today about censors, we are talking about parents who complain about books in the public schools, or public library.  They generally feel that they have some higher moral authority, and some mission based on their religious beliefs, to be able to censor what books others can read.   I find this so silly as I type these words I am really just shaking my head.   

News reports from places around the country (but more frequently in the ‘Bible Belt’) pit education and modern society against irrational thoughts.

In Savannah, Georgia high school seniors had to have permission slips to read King Lear and Macbeth by Shakespeare.  In Merrimack, New Hampshire his work, Twelfth Night, was actually pulled from the shelves as one of the female characters disguises herself as a boy.  Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have much to say about race relations and should never be pulled from any school shelves and yet they are under constant attack.  Books ranging from Of Mice and Men, The Catcher in the Rye, and Blubber have all either come under attack for being in schools or public libraries.

As of late the push to ’save the children’ has resulted in many children’s books about same sex parents coming under attack.   Books like Daddy’s Roommate is but one of a huge number now in publication that is lathering up the book burning crowd.  What amuses me is that the number of same sex couples with children is growing, and those kids are playing quite nicely with the kids from the families who love to censor.  Exactly what are the censors hoping to accomplish here? 

Those who wish to ban books, at the very core of the issue, are nervous and afraid of the unknown.  The world is moving too fast for them and so lashing out by restrictions and censoring seems to them a smart thing to do.  For the rest of us, the vast majority, we enjoy the confrontation with reality and the pricklier topics that through exploration opens our horizons for a stronger and healthier society.

Mitt Romney, Free Speech, And Education

Maybe it is because I live in a city with a major university and  attend lectures and speeches every year by a wide range of men and women.  Maybe it is because I am naturally curious.  Whatever the reason,  I find the Governor of Massachusetts to be so very wrong in his current rift with Harvard University.  Mitt Romney, more a Presidential wannabe than a statesman, has ordered state agencies not to participate in safeguarding Iran’s ex-president during a national visit, which includes Boston.

Mohammed Khatami, the former leader of  Iran is visiting for a United Nations conference and therefore is a foreign guest. He is in our country as a private citizen and with his status should be afforded scurity measures which are provided in part by local authorities.  While Romney found it impossible to lend his state agencies for security, the Major of Boston replied affirmatively to the State Department when asked to provide police escorts.   Romney is an example of what is wrong with conservative politics in the Bush era of militarism. 

I always smirk at those like Romney who fail to understand the art of dialogue and conversation.  As a nation we are scared to talk with our enemies and have frank discussions with those who strongly disagree with American policy.  Bush will not meet with Korea or Iran for talks on differences of opinion.  Well, lets face it, Bush does not even talk with Americans he disagrees with.  One heck of a way to ’lead’ a nation.

Khatami will speak Sunday at Harvard University in Boston and also has spoken in Chicago and visited New York on his swing through America.  But to hear Romney tell it Khatami should be barred from making speeches as Iran is trying to get a nuclear weapon.  Let us be clear on one thing before we go further.   Romney, and those who think like him are fools.

To think that there is something foul about Khatami’s invitations from places like Harvard speaks volumes about the lack of understanding the Governor has about the value of education.  There are too many conservatives who like to censor debate and control the lively and frothy intellectual vigor of a university setting.  They like to stifle differences of opinion and shut down routes of potential consensus building that can lead to resolutions which do not require military might. And finally, sadly, too many conservatives disdain education and so have no knowledge of the electricity that builds during a speech of the kind that Khatami will deliver. 

If the United States had adopted the purely political mindset of Romney we would have never talked with the Soviet Union.  We would have never ventured to China in hopes of a mutual relationship.  America at it’s best is when we know there are various views in the world that run counter to ours but still are big enough to sit and hear what they have to say.  I know conservatives enjoy militarism over dialogue but given the mess the Bush Administration has created it might be time to sit and talk for a while.

As Americans we must never cower to the likes of Romney and others who would push their stale and unimaginative visions  upon students in our nation’s colleges.  Our history proves we fight our battles best with reason and cerebral power.  If those who do not understand (like Mitt) would be quiet, take a seat, and listen to what is being said from the lectern they might view how other people in the world think.  Perhaps something can be learned and incorporated into our collective thinking if we all take a deep breath and listen to others.

Finally, our nation’s colleges will brim with all sorts of speech this fall with the mid-term elections underway. I look forward to the dynamic and controversial words that will flow from the UW-Madison and other campuses around the country. It is stimulating for me and it is healthy for our country.

Suck it up Mr Romney.

Madison, Wisconsin Understands Free Speech

I really laughed hard.  It was a satisfying and heartfelt laugh.  Next to me was a father from Madison who brought his two young children to witness the event and see democracy in action.   There was a lot for them to see and hear and I am glad to say that the real winner was free speech.

God started the rain just a few minutes after the neo-Nazis started to speak on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capital Saturday afternoon.  The prefect choreographer from above made the point for all who live in Madison and share the values of diversity and inclusion.  The message for the Nazis was twofold and straightforward.  We respect your right to speak but find your speech to be harmful and absurd.  About three minutes of a cold rain can really take the bite off a hate filled speech.

Saturday mornings in downtown Madison are the place to meet and mingle as thousands converge for coffee drinking and pastry eating while purchasing fruits and vegetables (and famous preserves) from the Farmers Market.  It has been a part of my spring and summers for nearly 20 years.  Today however the market had to shut down two hours early so the streets could be cleared, the barricades erected, and the police could put on their riot year.

One quarter of the State Capital was barricaded off with high wire fence near to where the Nazis would speak while the sidewalk area was cordoned off with double row snow fence and traffic barriers as seen on the roads during construction season.  The hours of work that went into preparing for the safety of the speakers was amazing to witness. 

While the press and many others all this week told the public to ignore the Nazis and give them no attention, several thousands of protesters of all ages found the need to stand up to them and state their objections directly.  (Your blogger was there to report the events for this post.)

At 2:00 P.M. with well over 50 riot gear clad officers on the lawn of the Capital, some on horses with the animal’s eyes protected against any eventuality, the Nazis took the top steps of the Capital.  Just a few feet from the window where I had my office in the past they marched and saluted as if they were actually in front of an adoring crowd.  While they used slogans about bringing the troops home from Iraq they talked disparagingly about immigrants, Jews, and a whole list of people they deem inferior.  For drama and flair they walked on an Israeli flag.  (To be honest, Nazis have very little stage presence.)

While the city and state paid for the protection that the Nazis required, the fact that their rants and hallucinations were able to be made shows the underlying strength we have as a city and a nation.  While many protestors (I estimate a thousand or more) united in loud boos and other vocal retorts no one can say the Nazis did not have an opportunity to speak and have their message heard.  Likewise the citizens who felt the need to stand up to the small-minded idiots giving the Hitler salutes also were able to openly vent and yell.

For the two small children if was a real taste of the inner turmoil that still grips our nation about free speech.  Both those children were able to see firsthand how the vilest of speech needs protection (in this case literally) so that all speech can be free and uncensored. 

The public square today was for more than selling fruits and vegetables at the Farmers Market.  Today democracy was center stage and Madison and the Constitution were the winners.  I think that father was a winner too as he took his time to bring his kids to see free speech and democracy at work.