A year ago I was preparing for surgery at C5/C6 on my neck, surgery for an injury from twenty years previous when I was in the Army, surgery I was too proud to get even though it had caused me to lose most of the strength in my right arm. Governor-elect Walker was demanding that Governor Doyle and the democratically led Legislature not do anything that would tie his hands in fixing the state budget. Little did I know what was ahead, both in terms of my recovery from a major surgery and how Governor Walker would change my life.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6594643505_0c7eb2f785_z.jpg)
January 11th, 2011 the day after my surgery - at this point, I honestly did not care who the governor was, I just wanted Vicodin and my furnace turned up to about ninety.
During my time off my beloved Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl - then, just a few short days later, Governor Walker killed the states Super Bowl buzz when he announced that he was introducing a bill to end collective bargaining in the state. One week before I was scheduled to go back to work the protests started - on February 16th I made my first journey downtown to the State Capitol.
![IMG_0355](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5051/5454896994_2cd92e856a_z.jpg)
A lot more below the fold....
On February 16th, 2011 - I had never attended a protest rally in my life. Up to that point of my life I scoffed at protesters - wondering why they were wasting their time. That notion died on February 16th, 2011, I was now a protester. The photos of that first protest are not the greatest especially inside the Capitol as it was so crowded it was difficult to get a good photo (I switched to my iPhone at one point because it was easier to take photos with it)...but I do think the convey the feelings of those involved in the protests:
![DSC09278](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5255/5454897602_c36bf6798f_z.jpg)
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Students from my Alma Mater, Madison East High School, walked out that day to show their support for their teachers:
![East High Pride!](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5059/5454905084_67394189e1_z.jpg)
![On the way pack from Parthenon...(Protesting makes you hungry)](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5095/5454905374_b2c4e2c1a6_z.jpg)
On February 18th Ed Schultz came to Madison for the first time and the Capitol was still being occupied:
![DSC09314](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5134/5457848684_0cf476c339_z.jpg)
Hey, the guy went to play for the Vikings...so it is possible he had a hand in this:
![DSC09323](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5294/5457850100_3dcc7a2b58_z.jpg)
Jesse Jackson stopped by Ed's Show that night:
![DSC09357](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5140/5457855126_48c20ceaeb_z.jpg)
![DSC09361](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5019/5457249139_a7fd3444bc_z.jpg)
Did I mention I met Ed that night:
![DSC09365](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5300/5457855896_5e5cba3cca_z.jpg)
February 26th, 2011 - the first really large protest.
Even though Walker exempted Police and Firefighters from his draconian proposal - police and firefighters joined in us in solidarity:
![DSC09370](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5299/5479987134_96b1d14e51_z.jpg)
![DSC09388](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5180/5479992570_c064b5f997_z.jpg)
This photo is in the 2012 Peace Calendar (May) put out by Syracuse Cultural Workers:
![DSC09392](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5017/5479393541_27f061f5f1_z.jpg)
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March 2nd, 2011 - The blog post that was the most difficult for me to write. Even today when I re-read this post I get teary eyed - it was the day Democracy died in Wisconsin:
![DSC09551](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5055/5492625747_2e48115f0c_z.jpg)
![DSC09526](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5131/5492619187_a3e667bb12_z.jpg)
The day the Capitol Grounds became a police state:
![DSC09537](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5135/5493214078_6059e083b7_z.jpg)
And our legislators were forced to have office hours outside:
![DSC09539](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5220/5493214546_513405f2c6_z.jpg)
March 5th, 2011 - A smaller protest with one big guest:
![DSC09580](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5295/5500947050_b22ab6f8f8_z.jpg)
Fighting Bob - this is not his Wisconsin anymore:
![DSC09589](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5214/5500948588_febe596ab6_z.jpg)
I think it was easier to get on an airplane than it was to get into the Capitol:
![DSC09590](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5093/5500948844_bf9d3ca76d_z.jpg)
My ex-wife and my son:
![DSC09592](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5299/5500354095_060ba5418d_z.jpg)
![DSC09622](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5137/5500362083_41c4ffa1c8_z.jpg)
Contrary to what Governor Walker said - the vast majority of people protesting were from Wisconsin:
![DSC09657](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5097/5500966772_7b44816894_z.jpg)
A fellow Kossack Giles Goat Boy:
![DSC09696](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/5500381725_e1ca9d55d4_z.jpg)
![DSC09722](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5293/5500983970_ec0a640242_z.jpg)
You would think Fox would get the hint...
![DSC09733](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5099/5500395585_562b3bac1e_z.jpg)
Dirty Union Thugs!
![DSC09734](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5211/5500395817_cc9c47f508_z.jpg)
March 9th, 2011 - the night the bill passed illegally - these photos were taken directly below the windows of the conference room where this illgal act occurred:
![DSC09771](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5091/5513177493_86c3415481_z.jpg)
![DSC09779](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5019/5513776964_4c779beebd_z.jpg)
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![DSC09786](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5015/5513781408_8ecf4ccc84_z.jpg)
March 10th, 2011
It is like a police state:
![DSC09796](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5016/5516501046_72740a90d3_z.jpg)
![DSC09812](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5253/5516504082_f298f91c61_z.jpg)
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The photo that went viral:
![DSC09875](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5131/5516535184_8b0182e114_z.jpg)
March 12th, 2011 - the largest protest Madison has ever seen.
![DSC00060](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5299/5519986897_00f525e5bc_z.jpg)
I still feel that this was the most powerful sign I saw during the protests:
![DSC00064](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5252/5519987621_b34d0b6dc8_z.jpg)
This photo had the most views of any photo I have ever taken - and I have no idea why:
![DSC00074](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5292/5520581212_123d304545_z.jpg)
![DSC00076](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5053/5519990507_43ccaa19e0_z.jpg)
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![DSC00101](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5292/5520587598_e861c06c5a_z.jpg)
It never was just about collective bargaining:
![DSC00114](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5135/5520591002_01455b4057_z.jpg)
![DSC00150](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5135/5520600600_7fd21151f7_z.jpg)
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![DSC00256](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5011/5520038909_39624a47eb_z.jpg)
Note to Walker - you lose the farmers, you have lost the state:
![DSC00291](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5219/5520049053_919c262e2e_z.jpg)
![DSC00341](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/5520064173_51c1bfb40f_z.jpg)
![DSC00385](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5096/5520075365_1eb6c0f1bd_z.jpg)
The night of the first recalls:
![](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6208/6027794107_76a1f8b418_z.jpg)
As the protests wound down, I was awarded a scholarship from Democracy For America for my blog posts about the protests to attend Netroots Nation. I have fully recovered from my surgery and I was invited to write for Daily Kos Labor - None of this would have happened without Governor Walker's actions (Well, the neck would have healed)...maybe I should send him a thank you note:
Governor Walker - We are not going away, we are not going silently - WE WILL TAKE OUR STATE BACK!
RECALL WALKER! RECALL KLEEFISCH!