Reaching Across.....No More.

I find myself at one of those times in life, when I am at a loss.....a loss for words to explain my feelings about an issue. This issue is something that I have seen growing, spreading for a while now. We are changing here in America. Politics has divided people like I have never witnessed. It actually hurts when I read or listen to all of the rhetoric. It seems we can no longer reach across the aisle, shake hands with the people we don't see eye to eye with, and find a compromise.  We can't even agree to disagree.

I usually don't dare to tread into politics. There are many beliefs, and who am I to say what is right and what is wrong. Sure, I have beliefs, and while I stand by them, they are also changing and growing as my experience and learning changes and grows.  Still, I try not to thrust my beliefs on others, and when some feel the need to bluster theirs upon me, well, I try to smile and politely listen until there is an opening for my escape. Not that I can't listen to those I disagree with, I just don't care much for empassioned political talk. It ends up with hurt feelings, mine or others.....and....well, I try to avoid that. Much of my beliefs lie in what is good for people. We all need to find joy and happiness in life, and our beliefs should not restrict those things for others. But since we all have differences in opinion we tend to find issues that separate us.  Topics that can drive us apart as passions and beliefs can run deep.

What is sad is that we appear to have lost the skill of compromise. The ability to find middle ground is apparently lost. Politics in America has come down to win or lose. No middle, no compromise, no working together, no give and take.  The latest evidence of this is shared in the resolution shared below that took place here in Wisconsin. Two Wisconsin Government leaders were given a resolution of non-support and no-confidence simply because they acted on the best interest of the school districts in Wisconsin. Why did they do this? Because they have actually had long and meaningful discussions with educators. Because they cared about all the time and money already invested in district's aligning to the Common Core State Standards. Because they decided not to support a move to rename the standards, to change little, but to change enough to make it a pain in the neck and the pocket book of districts (and taxpayers), and to allow the Governor to put his stamp on the standards in Wisconsin and rename them as better standards, his standards. This appears to be just another stake in the heart of compromise.....

2014 –Resolution of non-support and no-confidence for Sen. Luther Olsen and Rep. Steve Kestell

WHEREAS the Republican Party of Wisconsin adopted a resolution calling for the rejection of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at the 2013 state convention, for numerous reasons listed therein and

WHEREAS the Republican National Committee at its 2013 spring meeting adopted a resolution rejecting the Common Core State Standards for all the reasons stated therein and

WHEREAS Common Core State Standards are nothing more than a continuation of the past failed programs of the Federal Department of Education and the Wisconsin State Department of Public Instruction that sought to indoctrinate students instead of educating them and

WHEREAS State Senator Luther Olsen obviously has and continues to act as a biased champion for CCSS in Wisconsin and has failed to withdraw his involvement in educational matters in which he has a conflict of interest as between his and his wife’s interests and that of taxpayers and constituents

WHEREAS Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell have remained manipulative, misleading and unaccountable in their dealings with Wisconsin citizens, even with their own constituents who have repeatedly voiced their wishes and been ignored by Senator Olsen, Rep. Kestell and their office staffs alike and

WHEREAS Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell appear to have personal and independent motives in their promotion of Common Core State Standards which do NOT reflect the views of the members of the Republican Party of the 6th District, the Republican Party of the State of Wisconsin, and the Republican National Committee and

WHEREAS Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell do NOT seem to have the ability, inclination or commitment to represent the views and positions of their constituents regarding education issues in the 6th District, the State of Wisconsin and the Republican National Committee;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell resign their positions as state chairs of the education committee and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican 6th Congressional District of Wisconsin, in caucus assembled, assign Senator Olsen and Rep. Kestell a vote of no-confidence and a declaration of non-support and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be delivered to ALL Wisconsin Republican legislators and the Governor before April 1st, 2014.