After hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites have dedicated themselves for over two weeks now to a mutually accepted code of respectful activism, the outside agitators have finally appeared – and they've come under the premise of supporting our cause.
The eyes of the nation are not on us just because of the size of our demonstrations. Nor is it that this cause is more just than any other. It's because this movement is unerringly peaceful, absolutely respectful, and it has sustained those nearly impossible standards perfectly over a remarkably long time.
It's likely the robo-call campaign launched by The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America to go "on offense with robo-calls threatening recall against Republicans in Wisconsin" was conceived with good intentions. But it was also done without consideration to the fragile nature of what has been so carefully built here by so many.
This movement is so amazing, in large part, because maintaining the peace requires exceptional balance and concentration on adhering to principles of respect which hold together a very diverse coalition. That's the long way of saying we've given respect, and we've built respect.
Sure, we're outraged! We should be. But you can't bring about positive change by being offensive. Going "on offense" with computerized technology ringing people's phones with no live person on the line when the recipient picks up might be fine for a workplace environment like high-pressure commodity trading, but when boiler room tactics are forced into the homes of a diverse cross-section of regular people who've reacted positively to the dignity of the demonstrations in Wisconsin's Capital, it tears down the respect we've earned, and it hurts our cause.
Robo-calling is rude, and we're not. And I believe a lot of us don't like it, and don't want it representing us or our mission. It's not consistent with any of our actions during this crisis. And many of our citizens want to leave the contentions of last November behind - this brings the divisiveness right back into their homes, without warning.
We may want recall as an option, but we don't want it this way, and we won't get it by alienating those whose respect we've earned.
If you agree, please contact both The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America, and tell them their robo-calls are rude, they're inconsistent with what we have done, and harmful to what we have so carefully built.
If you want to help, do it OUR way! Respectfully place calls with volunteers. We will help with that.