“We Are One” A Day of Solidarity” April 4, 2011

 They thought we were sleeping. They thought we were lulled into complacency with reality TV, cable television, DVR, fast food, and the latest tech gadgets. They were wrong! Gov. Scott Walker thought no one was paying attention. He thought he could scale back collective bargaining rights of state workers, and no one would notice. Shhhh!

 However, the sleeping giant awakened, and proved that America was still the land of the free. I am proud of the teachers in Wisconsin. Taking over the capital? Who would have thought? Hundreds of thousands of protestors filled the halls, and stayed there! Others tried to guilt them. Why aren’t they teaching? What more do they want? The Union has too much power! They stayed. Gov.Walker blocked new protestors from joining, they stayed. He went as far as creating “decorum rules” for the capital. No sleeping bags, signs, balloons, etc…, they stayed. He even threatened to arrest protestors. Does he know what they do for a living? Jail didn’t scare them. They stayed. And as they stayed, others joined them. The police officers and firefighters joined their fight, even though the law didn’t affect them.

While watching the news, a sign was displayed that said, “Gov. Walker, the whole world is watching!” Can anyone say social media? What happened in Wisconsin didn’t stay in Wisconsin. People from all over the country have joined this protest, this fight, because they know, if Walker gets his way in Wisconsin, other states will not be far behind. The Union is not our enemy. I read an article which mentioned an old Union bumper sticker that said, “Like Your Weekend? Thank A Union!”

 Months later, the protests continue. And although I have not left Delaware, I have done my part in supporting my brothers and sisters in Wisconsin. April 4, 2011, the day Dr.Martin Luther King was assassinated while fighting for rights of the sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, has been designated as “We Are One”, a Day of Solidarity. I will wear red, and I will continue to help our union in the fight to protect our rights!

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