good news, bad news
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What a great week we’ve had! First came the announcement that in just 12 days, Wisconsinites collected over 300,000 Recall Scott Walker signatures. Then came the unveiling of the new Solidarity Sing Along Holiday Songbook full of carols with creative lyrics, like “Wintering in a Walker Blunderland.†Followed by a Recall Walker light show on the Capitol steps courtesy of some inventive folks who traveled here from Milwaukee.
This article explains in detail how the signs were created for a massive night time rally to kick off the recall on November 15Â http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/11/15/1036886/-Walker-Recall-Day-1:-Night-RallyMassive-Success!?via=blog_461110)
Inspired by their fancy light-up signage, I illuminated my own “Recall Walker Here†petition-collecting sign. My technique:
1. Buy two-for-$5 necklaces at Walgreens
2. Tape to sign
3. Go into the night with light bulbs at steady, flashing, or fast-flashing speed!
After all this good news came the bad. Yesterday the Walker administration radically restricted the use of our Capitol building and grounds, cracking down on freedom of speech, especially protests, and on what is possibly the world’s longest running labor protest, the Solidarity Sing Along. It has been going strong for almost 230 days.
The 22-page document specifies, among other things that:
•All “events†must have a permit except for “spontaneous†events, and spontaneous events must occur in response to a “triggering†event that occurred in the previous week or is occurring. [NOTE: I consider Governor Walker a “triggering event†every day of the week.] Events that are advertised by social media and other means 7 or more days before the event are not “spontaneousâ€.
•Events held during working hours, 8-12 and
1-4, will be under 90 decibels.
•Extra law enforcement will be charged to the protesters at $50/hour for Capitol police and at whatever other law enforcement charge for reimbursement and the charges incurred may be required up front before the permit is granted.
So much for free freedom of speech. As of December 16, our Solidarity Singers may be arrested.
Please contact your state representatives and write a letter to the editor of any of the Wisconsin papers to make sure they know about this and encourage them to take action to protect our free speech.
