Oh, the Bleeding Hearts

I've been out of commission for a few days after some minor personal health issues, so I might have a little more angst than normal. In an attempt to be as educated as possible, I took the time to check out a local rally. About 150 people gathered to "Kill the Bill" on the campus of UW-River Falls. They were there to protest the Wisconsin bill proposal that would affect state employees in a variety of ways.

I won't be taking a stance on this issue in this post. I do have an abundance of opinions about this bill and Scott Walker, but I'm not going to share them here. For the record, I did vote for Walker. I'm also a 31-year old licenced teacher who has never had a teaching job. This post is not about any of that or any of my thoughts about this bill.

What caught my attention most about this rally was the lack of professionalism that was displayed by nearly every individual who took the pulpit. The language certain individuals chose to use during the discourse was appalling. The clotting of the "emcee" was offensive and the overall tone was very disrespectful and rude. The attitude of these individuals did not soften my heart for any of the opposition in attendance today.

My best guess is the teachers and state union workers, particularly David Harswick, would not have approved of the representation they had on the campus at UW-RF today. I heard the phrase, "this is what democracy looks like" a number of times. Really? Is democracy about disrespectful, offensive complaining? Because that's what this protest was. I didn't see it as productive.

A local alderman who spoke against the bill is a graduate of UW-RF in Marketing Communications. How ironic is it that he stood on the steps of the University Center and did more harm for the marketing of his product and communicated in an obscene way that is sure to "turn off" the people who are on the fence? The "emcee" wore t-shirt of an obscure band with an image of a baby doll skeleton with blood draining out of the eyes. She made a choice to wear that shirt on a day that she would likely be on television. Disgusting. There were a few other local politicians who looked far less than unkempt. This was an opportunity to be heard, to be liked and to make a difference and, instead, they made a mockery of it by not taking it seriously. They were extremely unprofessional.

All opinions aside, I expect someone trying to sell me something to be professional about it. Take a shower, put on some respectable clothing and look like you're taking your position seriously. It didn't happen today at UW-RF.