Dear Tell All: I was among the protesters at the Capitol when Gov. Scott Walker busted Wisconsin labor unions. I went door to door trying to get him recalled. I was horrified by his rise as a Republican presidential candidate this year, and I watched both GOP debates hoping he would fail. When the news broke that his support had literally dropped to zero percent, I rejoiced.
But a weird thing happened on the night Walker suddenly pulled out of the race. I felt sorry for him. He looked crushed, and I couldn’t help sympathizing with a guy whose policies I truly despise. I’ve made gaffes myself, as Walker did during the campaign, and I imagined how it’d feel to be nationally mocked for them. Although I wouldn’t say this to my liberal friends, I recoiled from their snide, cruel comments on Facebook and Twitter. It seemed like dancing on someone’s grave, and how classy is that?
True, the governor is an ideological foe, but he’s also a human being and a fellow American. It’s ugly when conservatives wallow in scorn and sarcasm, and it’s just as ugly when liberals do.
Loyal Opposition
Dear Loyal: I see where you’re coming from, but let me try out a counter-argument on you. (Sorry, occupational hazard.) One could blame Scott Walker for bringing such ridicule on himself. He’s been a divisive leader, treating half of Wisconsin as the enemy. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican: When you govern that way, you probably can’t expect widespread sympathy when you stumble.
I’d also argue that scorn and sarcasm are an appropriate response to Walker’s style of politics. Satire is the perfect way for citizens to cut powerful people down to size, especially those who go around calling themselves “Unintimidated.” Walker even handled his campaign-ending speech in a self-aggrandizing manner, saying he was “called to lead by helping to clear the field.” It’s practically a civic duty to mock a man who puts a messianic spin on abject failure.
So I think you should give your liberal friends a break, Loyal Opposition. But I also think you should give yourself credit for your humane instincts. Our country would do well with less hate and more love, and there’s no better place to start than by feeling empathy for those with a different vision of the American Dream. I believe it was another Republican who counseled “malice toward none” and “charity for all.”
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