Last Wednesday evening, State Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was at the Inn on the Park with a group of fellow legislators when protesters decided to crash the party. Racine native Miles Kristan and an accomplice with a video camera allegedly barged into the establishment and began shouting at the group of lawmakers, swearing loudly and calling them criminals, according to a bartender. Kristan allegedly said something about “money” and “damn Republicans,” and, after asked to stop filming, took a glass of beer and poured it over Vos’ head, splashing a few other legislators.
Beer dousing is a new low – one of the most pathetic displays of political activism Madison has seen this charged and divisive year. In my book, it is rude to pour beer on somebody in the same way it is impolite to spit on people or throw tomatoes; it demonstrates a profound lack of respect and adult rationality. Regardless of what Kristan and friends were accused of shouting in the bar, the protesters were the criminals in this case.
Protest is a perfectly valid form of political expression, and, at times, it is completely justified and historically effective. However, the goal of protest is to influence the decisions of lawmakers through a direct display of democracy. It would be unrealistic to expect that being soaked by beer will inspire Vos to change his ways and warm up to the wants and desires of Kristan and radicals who think like him.
If anything, this sorry spectacle will galvanize conservative lawmakers against the never-ending waves of protesters and frame such activists in a negative light. Spilling a beer on the powers-that-be wasn’t an act of free speech, political activism or protest seeking to change the status quo. Kristan’s actions were nothing more than a sad attempt at petty revenge, a frustrated protester finding someone to blame for all of his problems and retaliating with public harassment.
According to Madison police, the beer-soaking citation is no isolated event. Vos said Kristan has been harassing him since February. Kristan was arrested in March for throwing a pink nightgown at the lawmaker during a Republican fundraiser. “I’m so used to them following me everywhere,” Vos said of Kristan and his fellow protesters. Referring to the possibility of a restraining order, he added, “I hope it doesn’t get to that point.”
I see nothing political in Kristan’s actions; only a pattern of obsessive and criminal harassment.
It is disappointing that childish and uncivilized harassment such as this finds support in a community of radical protesters who see Kristan as a hero for the cause, and consider him completely justified if he rudely invaded Vos’ personal bubble and ruined a good suit. When interviewed, one protester told The Capital Times she thought that “(Vos) deserves everything he gets and more.” Such protesters make a mockery of lofty ideals like free speech and direct democracy and are contributing to a divisive political climate. By hanging on to partisan grudges and relentlessly harassing conservative legislators, they do more harm than good.
If these radical political activists are so upset with Vos and so eager for change, they ought to go home, find candidates who they agree with and support and start planning and building for the next elections. In the past year, Madison has seen far too much complaining and a lack of positive politics. Rather than criticizing those in office, protesters should start finding representatives they approve of and begin working toward the future they want to see.
Lawmakers aren’t the only ones who suffer the beer-stained consequences of protest run amok. A divided and partisan atmosphere – exacerbated by the overzealous antics of people like Kristan – has had a negative impact on all Wisconsin citizens. A recent Politifact report found that in the past legislative session, Republicans accepted one of 376 amendments proposed by Democratic representatives. I’d venture a guess that if Democrats had the majority, we would be looking at similar statistics the other way around.
Mordecai Lee, a UW professor of government affairs, said these figures show that “these people despise each other.” Unfortunately, he is correct. A bitter partisan divide has become an unpleasant part of daily life in Madison, yet it doesn’t have to be. As we move forward, it is imperative that the citizens and politicians of Wisconsin give up long-standing grudges, give up their deadlocked game of tug of war and find constructive ways to coexist and seek out compromises that benefit the state as a whole.
Charles Godfrey ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in math and physics.
CORRECTION: The Sept. 19 article “When protest doesn’t work: The beer incident” did not firmly state that the actions of the man charged in the disturbance on South Carroll Street are alleged. He was cited with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, but not court appearance has taken place. The copy of the article has been updated to reflect this. We regret the error.
