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Message to Teachers in Wisconsin: Leave the Governor's Kids Out of It!
Filed under: Opinions
On February 15th, more than a thousand protesters gathered outside of the Wauwatosa, Wis., home of Governor Scott Walker to protest his proposed state budget bill. But Scott Walker doesn't live there, and the teachers in that community know that.
Walker lives at the governor's residence in Madison. His Wauwautosa house is home to his wife, Tonette, who is living there while their teenage boys finish out the school year. Having your home surrounded by a thousand chanting protesters in the post-Gabby Giffords era is frightening. For high schoolers, it can also be, well, embarrassing!
Back in Madison, where the protests in the Captiol rotunda continue in full force, some protesters couldn't resist the urge to make it personal. In addition to signs depicting Governor Walker as Hitler and comparing him to deposed dictator Hosni Mubarkek, several teachers held up these homemade signs:
"Scott, your son is in my class. I teach him, I protect him, I inspire him."
"Scott, I taught your son algebra. My son just turned 5. Does he deserve a good education?"
Is this really necessary, or professional, for that matter? Can't these educators see the hypocrisy in claiming to "protect" a child that they're simultaneously using as a pawn for political gain? Surely I'm not the only parent appalled by this violation of trust in the student-teacher relationship.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue of unions, collective bargaining rights, government spending or billion dollar deficits, we are all called to use our common sense and decency in our political expression. It shouldn't be hard for teachers to imagine that it's probably tough being the governor's teenage sons during these contentious times in Wisconsin. Teachers and their unions ought to publicly denounce these tactics that so clearly undermine their claims that these protests are all about "the kids."
Whether it's the Obama girls or the Walker boys, politicians' kids deserve to be off limits. It's a good civic rule of thumb -- one our public school teachers shouldn't need to be schooled on.
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 3)
2-25-2011 @ 8:35PM
Sifrina said...Agreed 100%. This hits way too "close to home," literally and figuratively. By targeting the children, these protesters crossed an important line, especially in this "post Gifford" era as you point out (and for the record, I absolutely detest what Governor Walker is doing, which will backfire politically, I predict).
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2-25-2011 @ 8:37PM
Sifrina said...Ooops - I meant "Giffords."
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2-25-2011 @ 10:04PM
spudlovr said...Walker had no problem sending state troopers to the front doors of 14 senators whom they knew were out of state.
And this is not just about teachers - it effects librarians, corrections officers, sanitation workers, EMTs, district attorney offices, county nurses, nursing home staff, DNR wardens, parks workers, snow plow drivers, et al.
Further, all communities will lose fed funding for public transportation, which make up 55% of my city's bus system. If this bill passes, we will no longer have city buses. With rising gas prices, this will be devastating for the working poor.
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2-25-2011 @ 11:08PM
Suz said...Hello? The big/major/HUGE difference here being that the Democraps didn't show up for work, were trying to impede the legislative process, and need somoene to tell them to get their rears back to work just like the teachers. The Governor was at work, doing his job. But typical Libs always take the side of the morally lacking in favor of the people who do things the right way. I would be ashamed to call myself a liberal. Synonymous with scumbag.
2-26-2011 @ 4:19PM
rosepomplun said...Suz- Had you been informed in what is going on, the unions have AGREED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR HEALTHCARE ohh and their pension fund. All they want is their right to remain a union which has absolutely nothing to do with our budget.
2-27-2011 @ 7:11PM
Suz said...Whatever they agreed to or did not agree to is not the issue. These teachers that supposedly deserve to be able to stay in a union are willing to get really ugly with the kids they are charged to teach. This doesn't seem like a problem to you? I wouldn't want any of those teachers ever teaching a child of mine, and I would pull them out of the school before letting that happen. Those people make me sick.
2-25-2011 @ 11:08PM
Suz said...People that are saying it is fine for these teachers to skip school, get fake doctors notes and then go to a student of theirs home and protest, have got to be out of their minds. I would rather homeschool my kids than to have them taught by such self-serving/morally lacking excuses for humanity. I don't ever again want to hear that "it's for the kids" crap. It is clearly "what's in it for me", and "I don't give a S*** if I hurt the kids in the process". Who are supposed to be the adults here? What is worse, the president is not only supporting this, but enabling them. He doesn't care about the kids, either. The whole thing makes me sick. Cutting a teacher's pension, or adding a co-pay to health insurance has nothing to do with the quality of education that a child receives, unless the teachers are threatening to hold that hostage. That argument rings very false.
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2-26-2011 @ 9:13AM
Traci said...I was in Madison last Saturday for the I Stand With Walker Rally. The teachers certainly put on a display. I was disgusted and embarrassed that our educators could have such disrespect for the taxpayers, those elected and our state capitol. The signs were vulgar, profane and violent. I'm almost positive the people holding the signs would certainly not feel comfortable displaying in their classrooms or stand in front of their school with. The mob-like setting was obviously feeding off itself, giving the teachers a sense of superiority and untouchable power. I commend Rachel for calling out the teachers of the Walker boys. They should be embarrassed for being shallow enough to use these children to get a few high fives from the other crazy protesters. Like everything the liberals do, they didn't think of the long term effects of their actions. I hope the teachers were identified.
One sign the unions passed out I liked, "Governor Walker: The Whole World is Watching". This applies to the teachers as well. Like the Governor, their reputation is on the line. The teachers have not carried themselves with the same dignity as our Governor and win or lose, the teachers display will be in the minds of taxpayers for quite some time.
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2-26-2011 @ 4:08PM
rosepomplun said...Traci, you couldn't be more wrong. Apparently you had your eyes closed and didn't see all different sorts of public workers. It isn't JUST teachers! You should be embarrassed that you stand with Walker! I have to say I WAS a republican until Walker came along. Luckily I was smart enough to vote for a candidate that graduated from college! You bet my signature will be on the recall- man I can't WAIT until Jan 2012! :)
2-27-2011 @ 7:14PM
Suz said...I am proud to stand with Walker. He is on the side of good. Just look at the libs here. Lying, cheating, harrassing....they don't deserve a dime of taxpayer's money any longer in my opinion. They forget who pays them, and it is reallly time for them to be taken down a few notches. I would say, fire each and every one of them that didn't show up for work. The ones that use fake doctor's excuses? Charge them with fraud and send them to jail.
2-26-2011 @ 9:19AM
Kent Hadley said...His high school age students were getting an education about what happens when a politician refuses to allow debate. Yes, it was their father and maybe they can ask him why he does not allow debate? Gov. Walker has been successful in pitting the middle class worker's , public and private, against each other. This is sad. Workers are not demons. We are in this together and the Governor needs to be working to unite the state behind the problems we face and not separate us and have us fighting each other. Public debate is healthy and if it has to be in front of the governor's house, that was his decision.
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2-27-2011 @ 7:15PM
Suz said...He is the Governor. Those losers need to get over it. Don't you remember, as your fearless leader said, Elections have consequences. If the people didn't agree with this, he wouldn't have been voted in. You really might try using your brain sometime. There is absolutely no reason to go after his kids. That is what terrorists, criminals, lowlifes, oh yeah, and liberals do.
2-28-2011 @ 2:27PM
Ashley said...Refusal to debate? The Joint Finance Committee held a 17 hour public hearing, and the State Assembly was in session for over 60 hours debating amendments to the bill. That's over three full days of debating! At some point legislators need to stop debating and do what they were elected to do...VOTE!
2-28-2011 @ 9:18AM
rachelbel said...Suz...
I love how Republicans always accuse Democrats (or "libs"in your case) of being morally lacking and not having any family values and then get caught cheating on spouses, soliciting sex, or alleged violations of the Geneva conventions. So George W. Bush is wanted in other countries for questioning in relation to crimes against humanity and you think that liberals are "scumbags" for forging a doctors note?
Usually when someone's comments are as offensive and aggressive as yours, there is not much intelligence or thought put in to them.
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3-01-2011 @ 10:33PM
Chrissa said...In case everyone doesn't realize, the writer of this article/post/blog Rachel Campos-Duffy is a Wisconsin State Republican Congressman's wife. She has a vested interest in helping her husband's political party's agenda. Just something to think about.
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3-02-2011 @ 12:49PM
Maria said...My thoughts exactly Chrissa! The writer and her husband are former MTV Real World Reality Show Cast Members. He is a freshman, Sarah Palin endorsed, tea party backed republican congressman representing Wisconsin.
3-02-2011 @ 7:18PM
Dawn said...Chrissa and Maria you are both right Shawn and Rachael are both Republicans living in Wisconsin and raising a family like the rest of us. Of course she has an interest in what goes on with the Republican party within Wisconsin. As a resident in Wisconsin (and in Shawn Duffy's district) when the state voted almost a year ago now Wisconsin, which was a prodominately Democratic state, voted Republican!! We wanted change and now we got it.
I don't think we can call this a Democratic or a Republican issue. It is a state issue and what happens in Wisconsin is going to predict and control the history of the nation. I think we get to caught up in Democrats vs. Republicans when we should just vote for the person on their platform.
I am a manager for a regional retailer and my husband and I own a small business. I would shudder to think that my employees would come to my house and yell at the front door about the way I do my job. I make my decisions at work based on what it takes to keep that business running, so I and my employees can keep our business profitable. When I have to roll out a new policy, it may not always be popular but based on the knowledge that I have at the time, I always make it with my employees best interest at heart.
Start voting for the person and NOT THE PARTY. I believed Shawn Duffy when he said during his campaign that he was going to bring physical responsiblity to Wisconsin. Helping out small business members and families. So I voted for him. He has been out at rallies and protests throughout his district even though he does not vote on this particular bill. He is taking a vested interest in what happens in Wisconsin. He could simply go to Washington and act like he cares. Instead he is traveling and seeing first hand what he can do to make this state better. Scott Walker however I had serious reservations about. I did not vote for him.
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3-02-2011 @ 11:37PM
Michelle said...Dawn,
You hit the nail on the head. We need to vote for the person and his/her policies, not the party! I find frustrating when so many people only listen to one side of things. And I find it hard to believe that so many people either call themselves Democrats or Republicans. I mean, if you are truly one or the other, that means you have to agree with everything that party says. As soon as you disagree with one policy or another, you are labeled a moderate, etc. We need to stop the labeling and do what is right. Part of doing what is right, is giving people the opportunity to speak their opinions, something that Walker does not do. I am a WI resident, right-leaning, and like you, did not vote for Walker. I too, had serious reservations about him.
3-03-2011 @ 12:24AM
Julie said...Walker is a puppet for the Koch brothers. It's disgusting that anyone, democrat or republican, would support Walker. I'm actually shocked that anyone supports him, and I say that sincerely. Rachel, use your brain - you are well educated, and I'm sure you have done your research on what's in this bill. Why would you support him? This has nothing to do with balancing the budget, and if you've done your research, you'd know it.
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3-10-2011 @ 12:11PM
Corwin said...Your a republican and you worry about *teachers* having a destructive ideology?