It sure has been busy, sorry I haven't blogged recently.
 
I had a great fund-raiser in Manitowoc on Monday night.  On Tuesday, I became a candidate with a line on the ballot when I dropped my signatures off in Madison.  Wednesday was spent protesting Bush.  Yesterday, I was back at work trying to catch up, then on the Fondy for the Dems meeting and tour of the new office for the election - they got a great one!
 
I would like to talk about the protests and the difference between the Bush & Kerry campaigns when it comes to the treatment of dissent.
 
Dissent and disagreement are truly the building blocks of democracy.  The whole point of our government is to balance the needs and goals of the different groups.
 
Bush does not seem to believe that it is important to allow dissent.  We were pushed a half a mile away from Mid-States in Fondy, with two dump trucks parked between us. 
 
People were asked if they were Bush supporters before they were given tickets to any of the events.
 
In line at the Bush event in GB, people were asked to open their overshirts, to ensure that they were not wearing secret Kerry shirts underneath.
 
At the event in GB, there was a line of busses between the protesters and the venue.
 
When Kerry came to GB, I was a volunteer that worked the whole event.  When people came for tickets, they were given out, all we asked was for people to sign their name - no questions.
 
We left the Republican rally alone in front of the building.  I was working parking, in fact, and helped many of the attendees find the proper place to park for it.
 
We did not do pin or t-shirt checks.  We did not allow signs of any sort, pro- or anti-Kerry.
 
This is a democracy.  We should be polite to dissenters.  We should also give everyone a chance to speak at their event.  I got into the Cheney event in Wrightstown, and listened quietly.  After, I crossed the street and joined the protesters.  It is important to make sure you listen to the side you disagree with.  You will need to work with them.
 
This, I think, is the problem with the Bush Administration and the current Congressional Republicans.  They are not willing to work with anyone across the isle, not even to listen.
 
I hope that I would be different, in fact, I know I am.  While I may disagree, I will always listen.
 
Here is a story about the protests:
 
By Paige FunkhouserFor The News-ChronicleA wall of empty school buses lined the entrance road to the Resch Center, hiding the group of protesters from the long lines of those waiting to see President Bush. The line of people with free tickets to the campaign rally were sheltered from the large cluster of President Bush protesters by both a line of buses - paid for by the Republican Party to sit empty all day - secret service agents and volunteers from the Republicans of Brown County group.
The long line of chanting, sign waving, Bush-hating protesters crowded Oneida street to voice their opposition to the President and the way he has run the country for the last four years.
"Bush has taken away our freedoms," said Vietnam veteran John Baraniak. "We're no longer the guiding light in the world, as we once were. John Kerry will restore respect to America."
Even though the protesters each had their own slogans and reasons for opposing President Bush, several groups made efforts to unify and direct the chanting crowd towards issues they felt the president is neglecting.
One fledgling group, Americans Coming Together, was trying to direct people toward focusing on the issue of jobs and unemployment. ACT, a grassroots group trying to mobilize and engage new voters, organized the protesters around an out-of-work electrician who spoke about the perils of his life without a steady income.
"I've been out of work since March 2003," said IBEW union member and electrician Craig Miller. "I have three children in college, $54,000 in hospital bills that need to be paid, and I'm living credit card to credit card. That's no way to live.
"We have to start punishing companies for going overseas," Miller continued. "We need to increase wages so people here can afford to buy things ... show us the jobs, Bush."
On the other side of the street, Republican volunteers were checking the shirts of those waiting to enter the rally. Several Kerry/Edwards supporters were turned away, their tickets ripped up after a volunteer found them wearing a shirt supporting John Kerry.
"I had my buttoned shirt on, and they made me take it off," said Jayson Nelson, who was forced out of line from seeing Bush. "They took away my ticket and ripped it up."
When questioned why people were being turned away from seeing the President, Joann - a volunteer who refused to give her last name - explained that the rally was a private event. "We wouldn't want to do anything to embarrass the president," she said. "Yes, the tickets are free, but it's private, so we can turn people away."
The protests, which the police said were mostly peaceful but for a few problems started by republicans trying to push their way through the protesters, didn't phase many of those who came to see the president.
"I find this all very interesting," said Roger Wood, a Sturgeon Bay school board member. "How this whole rally works and everyone comes together. It's just great to see a sitting president."