What's happening in Wisconsin is divisive. Friends and family members are finding themselves on opposite sides of the issue and people feel very strongly about their personal position. My feelings about it all are pretty transparent and I've obviously been an active participant in the anti-reform bill protests. But I also am trying to respect the fact that this blog is not The Huffington Post and there are people who read it just to see Matteo doing cute things. However, this blog is also about us as a family and our life in Madison and with Matt being a teacher and this affecting us so close to home (literally and figuratively) I would be remiss if I didn't talk about it and share photos.
There was a story in the State Journal today about using the protests as a teaching tool. As a former teacher I can't emphasize enough the opportunity this provides families to talk to their kids about current events. Critics of the protests are saying that bringing kids to the rallies is indoctrinating them but I think it's opening their eyes. Not to any particular political position, necessarily, but to the way our government works and the principles it was founded on. Unlike many other countries, we live in a society with the freedom to peacefully assemble and the right to speak up without fear of retaliation and people in Madison are living that freedom right now.
I took Matteo with us yesterday because just like with everything else in his life, I want him to look back through pictures and know he was there, that he was part of this, that he was witness to something he's going to read about in his history books when he's a little older. I want him to see that together, as a family, we supported his Dad and all educators across Wisconsin. I want him to see that his parents are fighters and care about the world around them. I want him to see that from the time he was born, he was always with us in everything we did
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