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As the state budget moves to the state senate and assembly for debate and probable passage in the next couple weeks, protesters are again expected to ramp up their voices at the capitol. I'm all for expressing your opinion in any way, shape or form, but there is a limit.
Last week students dressed as zombies interrupted a Special Olympics event at the Capitol, standing silently between the audience and Gov. Scott Walker as he spoke. Many were wearing white T-shirts with bloody hand prints and fake blood dripping out of the corner of their mouths. Prior to that the group held a a "die-in" protest on the State Street side of the capitol.
Also in the past few weeks several protesters have attracted negative attention for disrupting meetings and press conferences, with some being arrested in the process.
I'm not sure what the point is of these disorderly protests, but they can have the opposite effect. Even Democrats are starting to get concerned. Over the weekend State Senator Tim Carpenter, Milwaukee, said of recent protest action, "It takes away from their message. Right away when someone sees that on TV ... the message gets lost."
Also raising eyebrows is a statement by the Wisconsin Education Association Council--the state's largest teachers union. WEAC President Mary Bell says her group has no plans for organized protests during the budget.
According to an interview Bell conducted with reporters last week, teachers "have already committed to part-time jobs or have gone back to school themselves"--and therefore don't have time to protest. These are people who left their full-time jobs back in March--forcing some districts to shut down for as many as four days. Now you're telling me they feel a responsibility to stay on the job for their part-time employers?
I have talked with several teachers who even think Bell is way off base with her comments and it's bad PR for them.
Anger about an issue is motivating and can catalyze political change. That is hard to disagree with if you look at the civil rights and anti-war movements. Anger expressed by the Tea Party movement has already had an impact on American politics.
Everything in politics is about timing. The public and voters can be fickle and it doesn't take much to turn them off or on to an issue. Overplaying an issue can have the opposite effect.
Those protesting in Madison would be wise to remember that while they want to make a statement, they need to look how it plays out in the public. Sometimes in the moment, you forget you aren't in a bubble and people are watching.