Can you tell I'm stoked? I spent most of the day yesterday in Madison, WI at what was the biggest, most unified, peaceful protest I've ever attended and I've been doing this since my parents dragged me along in a backpack to the Civil Rights Marches of the early 60's.
For once the mainstream media got a few things right, the attendance numbers, which tend to be greatly underreported, seemed fairly accurate at an estimate of at least 100,000 people. Probably even more relevant is the demographics of the group; in addition to the usual activists there were Police, Firefighters, representatives from every Union, parents, grandmas, kids, babies, dogs, people of all races, economic status, educational levels and career paths. And they all got along, clustered in small groups of conversation, offering each other food, water and help staying warm. The local businesses were very accommodating by allowing people to come inside and warm themselves or use the bathroom. The weather was quite cold and snowing, beautiful big fluffy flakes. Despite the freezing damp cold the atmosphere was energized, but completely peaceful. After two weeks of protests/peaceful assembly there have been no arrests, no serious incidents and the town is amazingly clean.
As I write this I'm clicking back and forth between writing and checking updates on twitter and facebook. I have contacts with people who are there in the Capitol tonight and it's both exciting and amazing to me how technology has evolved to the point that we can organize internationally and within minutes if not seconds. The transparency and real life stories that are overlooked (or repressed) by the mainstream media allow for citizens to make informed choices based on real life situations and consequences.
On a personal and professional level I can't tell you how encouraged and grateful I am for this. It is fulfilling my dream of bringing the voices of the "invisible" into the public sphere.
On a political and spiritual level, my mind is spinning with the implications of the Unity and Solidarity as we witness enormous changes and uprisings in support of Human Rights and Social Justice, not only here in Wisconsin and America, but in Egypt, Libya and worldwide. Perhaps we are in the sunrise of the Age of Aquarius.
Peace and Solidarity,
Jenny
© 2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard
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