union rallies.

Day 1
~1,000 people

It has been over a month now, and as I watch the rallies around the Capitol wax and wane, I am just beginning to wrap my mind around what I-- and all of us in Madison, Wisconsin, the US, and the world-- have been part of for the past four weeks.

Day 2
~ 25,000 people

Day 6

The community of Madison has been transformed by this movement, and the impact won't go away quickly with the protesters. Every one of us has been affected by it, whether because we slept in the Capitol building for two weeks straight, or because we were late for work 3 out of 5 days every week because of swamped city buses, or because we suddenly have something other than Wisconsin winter weather to talk about with every single person we encounter throughout the day.

Day 7
~70,000 people

Tom Morello kicks off Week 2
with Rock for Your Rights

Our local pizza place, Ian's Pizza was absolutely swamped with business for two weeks because of hundreds of calls from around the US and the world with donations of pizza to be delivered to the protesters around the Square. Inside their store, Ian's has a board that lists all of the countries calls had come from, and a note that says "All 50 states!". They received more donations than their employees could keep up with, so many so that they started to donate their donations to other local businesses and to refer callers to other businesses to make donations.

Sit-in Feb 27

I attended the sit-in at the Capitol on February 27, fully prepared to be dragged out of the building and arrested. I was there as much for the experience as for the statement. I was moved and impressed by what the people had transformed our state Capitol into, perfectly organized chaos; a huge open communal living space that was both a statement of solidarity against the bullying of this government and a testament to the ability of people to coexist and care for each other when they are driven by common goals and not restricted by the pursuit of money.

I climbed to the second floor of the building with the number for my lawyer in magic marker on one hand and the number of a friend prepared to bail me out of jail on the other. I milled about with around 500 people as the announcement was made overhead that the building was closing at four p.m., then waited with them for the small number of police officers from counties around the state to ask us to leave. When we weren't asked to leave, or dragged out of the building, I was disappointed at first. I had come for the experience, and it was, frankly, a little boring after awhile to just mill about the Capitol listening to a drum circle and protest chants. But, then I was reminded of our reason for being there and realized that we had won this one. It was suddenly interesting to be a part of that, and I slept that night with a sense of pride for my city and my state.

"WE ARE WI"

That sense of pride was completely deflated the next morning when authorities started to restrict access to the building. That was the first moment, after attending more than two weeks of protests, that I realized that we were just going to lose.

The greatest blow, of course, came last Wednesday, when the Senate sneakily pushed through the anti-Union legislation. Although the move re-lit the fire that was threatening to burn out under the protesters, it was still completely disheartening. What are we fighting for anymore? The fight continues, but with each victory for the other side, this inspiring community is looking more and more like an angry mob to me. It seems that no matter how right we are or how loud we shout, the powers that be are not listening.  I don't know what to do to make them listen, and I know we can't possibly stop shouting.  I'm just trying to exist in my city now, witnessing this historic event without being swept up in false hope or heavy disappointment at every turn.

SOLIDARITY
Friday, Feb 18

Rock for Your Rights, Monona Terrace
Monday, Feb 21

Monday, Feb 14
Headed to the Governor's office

Tuesday, Feb 15
Teamsters arrive

Serving Ian's Pizza outside the Capitol

Rock for Your Rights
Tom Morello invites us all to join him on stage

Rules of etiquette inside the Capitol

Sneaking a moment away from work to
check out the action
Saturday, Feb 19

the evangelist.

I was writing a lovely piece about my night in the city when I was interrupted, approached by a young and friendly-looking Evangelist.  I was compelled to indulge him.

I was waiting at a bench to have dinner with friends, and he apparently found me vulnerable and sell-able and approached.

"Do you have the Son?"  he asked, rather than greeting me.

"Um, I don't think I do,"  I answered.  No idea what he was talking about.  I glanced west toward the sunset, then questioningly back at him.

"The Son," he repeated.  "Do you know Jesus Christ?"

Oh!  "Well, I know of him," I answered.  "I was raised in a Christian family."  Thinking that if I answered, yes, I do know this Jesus, this guy would not need to keep talking.  I was wrong.

I enjoyed chatting with him from a philosophical point of view, but I quite resented his salesman attitude, trying to determine why I had "left the faith" and to rope me back in.  Pretty annoying.  Also, he wasn't actually as friendly as he put on in conversation.  When I warmly said goodbye--it was nice meeting you--and have a good night, he simply walked the other way without a word, presumably to find another lone and lost soul.

I am upset with myself for not being more assertive; I told him I was finished talking shortly after I told him that, no, I, in fact, do not "have the Son", but allowed him to continue the conversation after that.  I didn't mind talking; I don't know why I feel I have to give these people a chance, but I always listen to what they have to say.  But he was quite disrespectful of my time and initial assertion that I was finished talking, and it makes me feel a little weak that I allowed him to have my time.  I could never go buy a car alone.  Well, he didn't sell me on Christ or sin or anything like that; my atheism is steady.  It's my cajones that need some work; I need to develop the asshole in me that would allow me to call this guy a jerk and then walk away.

As usual, I won't delve into the utter ignorance and fallacies of the beliefs of yet another aggressively faithful character to cross my path.  But I will say that he was quite ignorant and/or disrespectful of the fact that I was kindly acknowledging, accepting, and allowing to exist the beliefs that he held so dear, while he was not doing that for my own.

Also, he told me he thought I was pretentious to think I don't need a Savior, as if I'm not a Sinner like everyone else.  That was pretty damn rude.

to the dudes who invaded my bench space while I waited for a cab at 1am yesterday:

It was nice to meet you and to hear your stories, however incoherent at the time.  I am sorry that I have to treat every drunk guy who approaches me assertively when I am alone at night as if he's a total creep, but c'est la vie.  Most are.  Good luck with the wedding on Sunday, and the marriage that follows.  Best wishes for sharing  your art with the world.  Thanks for dropping in to this artists' life.

---the Editor