Evidence: Madison Police Defy State Constitution, Subvert Democracy

The local Madison, Wisconsin, daily is reporting evidence the Capitol police have violated the state Constitution by barring most of the public from the Capitol building today. I waste no time in saying, Shame on any one who would limit general public access to a state Capitol, particularly on a normal day of business! This is an egregious and most serious breach of democratic principles. What is this, Qaddafi's Libya? After all, what gives any police force anywhere in America the right to pick and choose who gets to enter the building of the State Assembly?! Under the circumstances protestors in Madison, who have been peaceful, should feel under no obligation to obey any kind of order to exit the Capitol since they know they may not be allowed back in, and particularly since they are not interfering with meetings. In fact, in the report linked to here, it was the police who temporarily blocked entrance to a member of the Assembly!

It is time Gov. Walker came down off his high horse and started seeking genuine solutions to his state's budget crisis, which appears, after all, to be caused or exacerbated by ideologically-driven decisions of his own.


N.B. This blog has always decried violence and will continue to do so.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_549b88ea-4359-11e0-bf9e-001cc4c002e0.html