Don't wait for a hero. Be a hero.

I don't know about you, but, I had extremely high expectations the first time Barack Obama was elected President. I remember looking forward to the "Employee Free Choice Act being passed. I remember with great clarity Obama's successful American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
There were plenty of signs on road projects that stated how the jobs were being funded. I did a commercial for his "Jobs Act". I also spent a day in Milwaukee's "bull pen" (jail) when I went to ask (with 18 others) CEO Ron Johnson what his plan was after he rejected Obama's.

I knocked doors for Obama. Made calls. Attended events. Watched his amazing speeches - the kind of which I hadn't heard since I could remember. The man owned the room.

Obama won. I was happy. Elated. I figured that as a union member, things were about to really get golden for others who didn't yet belong to a union. I mean...Employee Free Choice was going to happen. I shook his hand on Labor Day in Milwaukee!

Well, it didn't happen. In Wisconsin, Banana Republicanism invaded us. Like a perfect parasite, they convinced just enough of the host that they were being helpful.

Let me ask you this. Who did you look to for help after Act 10? Who actually showed up to help?
I was there. For those who weren't, let me help you out.

WE showed up.

WE had each other's back.

The same people that are arguing now about who would be best to lead us stood together in frigid temperatures and shook the planet.

Sure, it took some time for people further away to feel it, but, they did.

"Doing laps" around the Capitol made every single person both a leader and a follower. It didn't matter what you were doing - you were there. You were action. You were filled with righteous anger, yet, happy to be among brothers and sisters.

I understand the arguments taking place today about who would be the better President. I get it. I already voted. Most of us have. If you want to help, I'd suggest finding out where to place some phone calls to people who have yet to vote. Be proactive. I've personally found out that even if you post simple positive things about either candidate, you're going to get some ugly comments. Trying to ask for unity only divides.

I'm sick of division. And almost feeling conquered.

Yes the election is important. It's huge. Regardless of who wins, we need to stay in touch with those who we know that we can count on - those who have been there, and, we have seen/heard/hugged with our own eyes/ears/arms.

Whoever wins the Presidency will either make what we do easier, or, next to impossible, but, the winner will not come to Wisconsin and hold our hand helping us to win our state back. I don't care who wins, I know who I have counted on in the past.

You.

There isn't one election on this planet worth losing the reason for doing what we do - fighting for each other - that I would jump into and feel like a winner if it meant losing some family as a result. To me it would be like taking one of those prescriptions that list "death" as a side effect. ("but my, what a beautiful corpse")

Come on people. The harder we fight each other now means the more difficult it's going to be to come together after November.

If the recent past has taught me anything, it is that we will not be saved by any outside hero paying us a visit.

We will be saved by the multitude of heroes among us teaching our next generation of heroes how to fight (peacefully of course!) Things are moving in our favor. May not happen tomorrow, but, it's coming.

Are you coming along with us?

~Solidarity