Fighting Bob: The Flame Still Burns Bright In Wisconsin

September 11 now has a special historical significance in our nation given the events perpetrated by extremist Muslim fundamentalist that thought the best way to make their point was to fly airplanes into the symbol of America’s economic and political power. Life has not been the same for everyone since that cowardly and dastardly act.

Thom Hartman addressing the crowd

However, this September 11, 2010…while honoring those who lost their lives and saluting their families for soldering on, Wisconsinites also took time to gather to address societal issues and advance progressive direction for the benefit of all.

Fighting Bob fest is a feature of southern Wisconsin, precisely in the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo, about 45 miles north of Madison. The political festival carries on the tradition of Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette, who was a very liberal Wisconsin Governor and also a US Senator. The fest is a rally for progressive ideas on issues facing Wisconsin and the nation. This year’s event and attendance was surely a sharp rebuke to the Tea Party movement that we have grown tired of hearing about their lies and racist tactics. US Representative Gwen Moore, aptly demonstrated that the Tea being served by these folks was just as lethal as the Kool-Aid served at the Jonestown.

According to the organizers, ‘Freedom and justice are defended through education, and the exchange of ideas, promotes solidarity among progressives. To this end, Fighting Bob Fest strives to provide citizens with a forum for democratic participation where frustrations with current policies can be constructively molded into calls to action”; a sentiment I endorse intoto.

Progressives paying attention

It was a leisurely drive up to Baraboo, as it was always fun driving up and through the Baraboo Hills that often looked insurmountable on approach from a distance. Arriving the fairgrounds about noon, the huge stadium-sized crowd showed right away that a lot more people attended this year than the previous years that I have always attended. Nothing could be as exciting as beholding a sea of progressives talk shopping, discussing issues at break-out sessions, gathering petition signatures, drawing attention to various causes while also reviewing and questioning various candidates running for political offices for the up coming primaries on September 14.


I spent my first hour staffing my Amnesty International local group’s table collecting signatures on petitions for various human rights defenders and prisoner of conscious individuals that have been locked away from the freedom most of us have to go about our business without fear or deprivation.

Wisconsin Progressives listening intently

 

 

On ending my shift, I went over the larger open field area to enjoy the progressive choir of the Raging Grannies, which satirize various political events or lack thereof in biting songs that are at once entertaining as well as doling out hardnosed progressive political messages. They are an all-women social justice activist group who dress up in clothers that mock stereotypes of older women and use their songs to protest or draw attendtion to various causes.

Their very well received performance was followed by various key speakers and lined up for the afternoon. With Thom Hartmann, a well known national radio personality heard 3 hours every day on Mic 92.1 around southern Wisconsin. There were such well known speakers as Jim Hightower, Congressman Dave Obey, Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin and Gwen Moore, Reverend David Couper, Reverend Jesse Jackson who also received a lifetime achievement award, among many other speakers.


The enthusiasm of the progressive forces that gathered at the Fighting Bob Fest gives a lie to the media panic about America turning away from the changes that are occurring for the benefit of all in these troubling times.

It was indeed a great afternoon well spent.

Glory Bound in Janesville

It was a perfect summer evening in Southern Wisconsin. The sky was crispy blue with streaks of incandescent rays of the soft evening sunlight. The temperature moderated well in my nicely air-conditioned car as I cruised Highway 14 towards Janesville.

Jerry Oscarson and Deb Grenzow could not have chosen a better evening for the Dinner and Concert they hosted among adoring fans, friends and lovers of contemporary inspirational music.

They appropriately described the experience folks will take away from the concert as inspirational, Christian, upbeat, touching, heart warming, uplifting, easy listening and encouraging, and indeed no one left unfulfilled as they lived up to the billing all through the evening.

 

Jerry and Deb were quite a pair whose musical collaboration is infused with Christian charity, love, respect for each other and abiding faith in the power of the divine spirit, have been making inspirational music for several years both within their church community at First Christian church in Janesville and around different venues in southern Wisconsin. They have also cut a great album titled 'Glory Bound' that is out there for purchase if you want that uplifting feeling smoothing out your worries and calming your frayed nerves or self-doubt.

The venue of the concert was the VFW hall perched atop a hill by the Rock River, with an unmistakable presence in the neighborhood given the majestic air force plane mounted in the front yards.

Chuck Philyaw their accompanying keyboardist must have grown up as a musical wiz kid as he learnt playing the keyboard and piano with no musical training and yet could pick up any key or note and accompany any musical rendition as a pro that he definitely was that night.

Living up to the theme of the evening, Bob Maciulis, the compeer for the evening wove aspects of his own life story as he guided the audience through the program. His story demonstrated the love, Christian charity and hope that Jerry and Deb sang about. Bob was not just the master of ceremony but also pulled his family human resources together including his daughters, nieces and close friends to help cater and serve the dinner for the evening.

The audience packed the hall to its maximum capacity, men, women, young adults and some members of First Christian Church. I did attend with a bunch of karaoke and country western dancing friends from Madison.

While the main event was at one end of the hall, the Dessert Extravaganza was laid out in an island separating the two large halls. Was that heavenly? The desserts basically pulled you in right after dinner and begged that you heap your plates so high. You would think it was the first meal of the evening as everyone had plateful of assorted colored yummy mounds of the tasty treat. Jerry had earlier warned everyone who was on diet to suspend it for the evening.

The dessert was not the only treat for the audience. Gary stepped in there after to hand out door prizes through an instant lottery. The infectiously hilarious Gary did not disappoint, as he ran commentaries on the gift items and had good suggestions on how the lucky winners could use them. Oh, he was also the brain behind the ‘killer’ dessert extravaganza.

It was indeed a great night of charity and fundraiser and everyone that attended felt it was very well worth it. We were indeed glory bound in Janesville.