Pat, Kathy and I want to send out a big note of appreciation to the large team that pulled it all together. A big "Thank You" to Chris who designed the graphic and to Milt and Joe and his team who restored the shed and setup our new display hardware. A big "Thank You" to the folks who staffed the booth at various times over 4 1/2 days: Kathy, Mary, Lynn, Diane, Pat P, Linda T, Valerie, Marissa, Mike, Lisa, Dan E, Ginny Brian , Jeanette, Jeneane, Sam, Linda K, Judie, Carol O, Jackie, Dan M, James, Carol S, Helen, Tim, Michelle, Harold, Dale, Lana, John, Deb and Candace. A special Thank You to the five teenage gals from Chetek who brought a special light to our booth on Friday night: Marissa, Jonja, Zandria, Jerica and Lauren.
Our booth was all about unity, the strength of a democracy whose founding document, an homage to the essential dignity inherent in each and every one of us, begins with the words "We the People". Our message was inclusion, acceptance, diversity, voting rights, and the joy of families and friends out for a nice summer event.
In contrast the Republicans, or more accurately, the Trumpers, have got nothing. Their booth messaged guns, gun rights, and resentment. There was nothing about better public policy or tax policy or infrastructure or anything that we might expect from a responsible political party. It was all darkness and gloom teetering on a pile of lies about the election and the Democrats. The only call to action there was to get more guns--for what purpose we can only imagine.
Many folks stopped by our booth to comment on the contrast and shake their heads. Some were of a Republican bent, which mades the point that the Trumper booth did not represent the larger Republican electorate. Instead it did a good job of shaming it. Let that be their problem on election day.