In 2011, Wisconsin citizens were liberated from Democrats’ reign of terror and replaced by Republican adults, who quickly took charge of the state. Governor Scott Walker and the Republican majority in the legislature took on the public unions to level the playing field for Wisconsin taxpayers who had been shouldering public employees’ benefits and pensions for years to the tune of $156 million in debt and facing an insurmountable $3.6 billion budget shortfall. While the state of Wisconsin was facing a dire financial crisis, its citizens were also struggling to support themselves and fund their own less-fortified health insurance and retirement accounts. The public unions had held the citizens of Wisconsin hostage for far too long and standing up to them was long overdue.
Based upon the left’s violent reaction, they were not going to give up their Cadillac benefits without a relentless temper tantrum and massive meltdown. They stormed and occupied the Capitol, trashed and vandalized the building and grounds and threatened and committed acts of violence against Republicans.
At the time of the left’s occupation of the Capitol, my young family and I were new to Wisconsin. I was compelled to get involved because I believed it to be the right thing to do for the future of my children. I traveled to Madison to participate in a rally in support of Governor Walker and the resolute Republican legislature. What I witnessed from the left in my first visit to the Capitol was shocking – thousands of adults behaving like unhinged and violent thugs. We were escorted through the building by armed Wisconsin State Troopers and instructed to remain in a cordoned off space because as we were told, law enforcement “could not guarantee our safety beyond the restricted area.”
I distinctly remember the grinning AFSCME protestors who proudly held vile signs that glorified the rape of those in the tea party. Other protestors pushed and shoved, unplugged speakers and microphones, attempted to drown out our messages of support to Republicans with shouting, swearing and screaming. It was shameful and disturbingly repugnant.
That Capitol visit left a lasting impression on me – one in which neither I nor my family will ever forget. To witness such atrocious behavior has forever solidified my resolve to stand up for conservative values and principles. 2021 marks the ten year anniversary of Act 10 – the Budget Repair Bill – and although Governor Walker is no longer in office, the legacy of Republican fortitude and strength lives on in the memories of all who lived through that experience.
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