I find it’s sometimes hard not to become discouraged when we take a look around at all that is happening in the world today. It can overwhelm us and make us feel powerless in our ability to change or readdress the issues that confront us. We can even forget or lose track of the miracles that happen every day right under our own eyes. Take for example, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and his regressive policies and tactics. In January, when his corporate-funded attacks on everyday, working people first grabbed headlines, it appeared as though nothing could stop him.
Thank You Wisconsin
But then comes today’s announcement that enough signatures have been gathered for a 5th Wisconsin state senator recall election. Think of all the work, the grass roots organizing, the determination it took to get the work done. The “will of the people” could not be stopped. What a tremendous miracle all that effort has been.
I recall something I read from Howard Zinn, the great activist, writer, and teacher who was the recipient of both the Thomas Merton and Eugene V. Debs awards.
“If there is some serious problem in the society it is not going to be solved by the initiative of the government or by what the law says; it is going to come from what the people themselves do. Democracy is what the people do; it is not what the government does.”
We owe a debt of gratitude and a hearty congratulations to all who worked in Wisconsin to get these recall efforts started. Let’s support them in anyway we can as they work to finish the efforts to put Wisconsin back in its rightful place as a progressive state — a state who understands that its people and its resources cannot be overtaken by power that seeks only to line the pockets of the rich. It will be a long and continued struggle, but anything of value comes with a price tag associated with it.
Thank you Wisconsin for leading the way for so many of us.
