What Are You Going To Do When Paul Ryan Walks By You?

Monday is the big Labor Day parade in Janesville. It is in fact the biggest Labor Day parade in the Midwest.  And who is going to walk close to the front of the parade this year?  That's right, our very own Congressman Paul Ryan.  Now last year, Paul walked in the back of the parade and though this was not his first Labor Day parade in Janesville and he surely knew that Democrats and Republicans took turns, Paul still took a shot at UAW saying “The UAW picks the order we walk in,” Ryan said, chuckling. “So of course I’m way in the back. But it’s all in good fun.”  http://gazettextra.com/news/2010/sep/07/janesville-parade-popular-politicians/?print.  Ah, politics.

This year it will be Paul Ryan's turn to walk in front and if anything like years past, Paul will be pushing a stroller, though the children in it won't be his as they are older now.  So the question is: what are you going to do when Paul Ryan walks by you?

Are you going to chant "shame", hold up signs of protest, throw tomatoes or cheer him on?  I doubt it will be the latter and I think that holding up signs is great, but the best way to greet Representative Ryan when he marches down the Janesville Mile is to simply turn your back on him and other Republicans as they turned their back on labor, small businesses, public employees and pretty much everybody else save for a few large corporations that provide Paul and the rest of the GOP with the bulk of the money they so desperately need.

Few days ago I wrote that Congressman Duffy should be allowed to walk in Wausau's Labor Day parade and I'm glad to see that he will be walking.  I also strongly oppose any sort of expression of opinion that can lead to physical harm to anyone.  Democracy may be messy but if we want people to engage, we have to be respectful about how express ourselves, even if the other side isn't.  

That is why I urge you to think about how you will greet Congressman Ryan when he walks in the Janesville Labor Day parade on Monday, as well as any other politician in any parade.  Just because someone walks in the parade does not mean anything other than an application was filled out and approved.  Be respectful but be firm and let Paul Ryan and the GOP know how you feel by turning your back on them like they turned their back on the rest of us.  And I hope someone records it with a video camera.