The Whole World is Watching.

The first rally of the day started at 10am, then there was another at noon and again at 4:30pm. Jessi needed the car to go to the boys state swim meet by 3pm, so I got to the capitol at 9:45 and stayed until 2:15. I met up with a couple of good teacher friends and it was pretty exciting. Inbetween rallies we had coffee and talked issues. Tomorrow the union is having a big meeting, not all teachers want to go back to work. Some are ready to stay out in the cold for as long as it takes to make a difference and want more of us out there with them. I've read the state republicans will vote the bill through without compromise. I have seen no indication that all the school closing and union protests have made any difference, but there are many who feel we can not give up. To topple the union here in Wisconsin is to create a domino effect that will reach to both ends of our country. My dad assured me California would be next when I talked with him late this afternoon. I shared with my dad that the teamsters came to support us in their cool, black, leather jackets looking kind of tough (my dad has one of those jackets :) --I wish I had gotten a photo of the group of them walking into the capitol square. Today was the first day Walker supporters, Tea Party folks and general opposers to the protesters showed up in mass. They were not the majority, but still a presence. While there were times of intense yelling, the crowds always stayed peaceful-- nearly 50,000 I heard. 
I could not stay all day and wondered how others did. I went home to let Jessi take the car to watch the Memorial boys swim team take first place at state. Jessi said it was so very exciting. I begged a ride from Erika to a yoga class 45 minutes early and waited for Jessi to pick me up half an hour after my class. Monika had a soccer game tonight and then there was clean up-- not nearly enough time to get it all done.