Bad Behavior and Appropriate Response

By now, the more informed among you already know about this little outburst on the part of a democratic representative after the assembly vote. For those who do not, it is to my sorrow that I must report such goings on.

The facts are these:
After 3-4 days of trying to get their normal work done, despite constant noise and being yelled and screamed at every time they had to walk the halls of the capital building, and after having been dismissed out of fear for their safety, the Assembly held 61+ hours of debate on the budget repair bill. Think about that. That's nearly 3 days, probably without more than a few minutes of sleep here and there. Then they voted.

After the vote, pandemonium erupted in the Assembly chamber, because the union supporters didn't get the vote they wanted and the Assembly republicans marched out quickly to finger pointing and shouts of "shame!, shame!" from their democrat colleagues.

But before they marched out, one democrat Assemblyman, Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, was unable to contain himself and shouted out a threat which appeared to be directed at assemblywoman Michelle Litjens, R-Winneconne, but which she has graciously acknowledged as having been directed towards the group at large rather than as a personal sentiment towards herself.

Now, if you want to know what the threat was, you may click on the links contained in this post as I am disinclined to repeat it here. If you want to see the video, I must apologize for lacking such a link, but, to the best of my knowledge, that video was removed shortly after Mr. Jerry Bader and Mr. Glen Beck picked up on this story.

As though it were not bad enough that our lovely capital building and grounds have been invaded by hooligans intent upon providing such conditions that our legislators were distracted from their duties.

As if it were not enough that our public sector employees are acting as though the taxpayers of Wisconsin are greedy robber barons who are attempting to condemn them to serfdom, when in fact we have given them wages and benefits that are more than most of the rest of us get in our employment.

As if it were not bad enough that Mr. Obama, who should be the first person in this nation to applaud fiscal restraint(Although why I should think he would, given his own reckless spending and policies is a mere nod to courtesy out of respect to the office.)has made more than one statement to kowtow to unions rather than supporting our governor in our time of fiscal reckoning.

As if it were not bad enough that our state has become some sort of leftist battleground where fiscal reality has spewed it's two cents worth into the debate between reality and ideology.

As if it were not bad enough that families and friendships are being strained to the breaking point over this clash between reality and ideology.

As if it weren't bad enough that the media, which was so quick to portray the peaceful and generally cheerful TEA party protesters as violent thugs, now ignores signs with obscenities and far more vile things than I ever saw at any of the TEA parties I have attended. That they ignore the arrests of protesters, assaults and vandalism, by protesters, to our beautiful capital building as well as the use, by protesters, of a veterans memorial as a signboard.

As if it weren't bad enough that our teachers and doctors have behaved in a despicably unethical manner that has been displayed before the entire nation.("our teachers brought us here today"; "We are sick, we're sick of Walker" and let's not forget "These people are stressed, and I recommend that they spend today with like minded people" Or whatever that "doctor's" nonsense was.)

As if it weren't bad enough that our children have been revealed to have had a substandard education despite our high levels of educational funding. ("um, we're trying to stop whatever this dude is doing")

But now, we have to see that the stress of being a legislator in this situation has caused one of them to utter obscenities and threats to his colleagues.

While I absolutely applaud Rep. Litjens gracious treatment of her colleague, I am appalled that it was necessary. Such behavior in the halls of the legislature is unacceptable. I hope that the people of his district take appropriate action to make sure that he will not so shame himself or them again. And while I'm at it, I pray that the Lord will direct our legislators and people to heal some of this damage.

It is time for the out of state agitators to go home now, and let us heal our state.

"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth," ~ Exodus 34:6