Photos » Recent Photos » Photo-a-day #49: February 18, 2011 - Child of Protest

Taken on: 2011-02-18 12:10:39
Tags: Capitol, Scott Walker, democrats, governor, labor unions, madison, protest, protests, republicans, strike, teachers, union, wi, wisconsin
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I went down to the Wisconsin Capitol over my lunch-hour today to check out the protests, when this scene most caught my attention.

In a side corridor on the ground floor, I noticed a small child writhing on the floor with his fingers in his ears trying to block out the noise (at mid-day, the crowds were big and the chants were loud). An older woman near the boy told me that the boy had been there for the last 3 days that the protests were going on. I did not know if the woman was the boy's parent or guardian. I also couldn't tell if she was proud of this or concerned.

Check here for my other photos I shot of the protests on both Thursday 2/17 and today.

See this photo on Flickr

Comments:
LoriLorita
Oh dear. This was a concern of mine after visiting the Rotunda on Thursday. I saw many very small children there, and even a small baby in a stroller. The chants were deafening. I understand wanting to expose your children to this historic time but some people are just being irresponsible.
cndewald
Please consider adding all of your rally photos to the group Madison Rally Feb 2011... www.flickr.com/groups/madisonrallyfeb2011/ and spread the word!

Lets get thousands of the photos in one place so that people can see what we are seeing when we are there!
lkeapproth.photo
I've been covering Madison protests for years and I've never understood why people bring their kids. Not only do the kids have little to no idea what is going on, but a protest inside a hot, loud and cramped Capitol building is no place for a child.

Thanks for posting this. Parents need to find babysitters or daycares...not bring their kids with them.
cndewald
maybe we can say that parents need to know the line when it comes to bringing their kids. This is a great teaching moment for everyone to educate themselves about democracy. I agree that a child spending hours at a time inside the capitol building this week is not safe, both because of the noise and the heat! (man it is hot in there). But parents walking around on the capitol grounds, and talking with their children about what is going on - especially if they are explaining both sides of the debate - is a valuable experience.

But there is a line, a very big, clear, important line between the teachable moment and abuse!
msthang29
Dr. King had children in protest marches. There were children in South Africa protesting apartheid .There are children among the 'Arab Spring' protesters. In Russia too.
msthang29
Gov. Walker, when he erroneously assumed he was talking to David Koch in sending 'troublemakers' into the crowd of 'peaceful protesters', Walkers response was "We thought about that", knowing there were children present.

To me, the shameful issue is, he has people who describe themselves as, 'God Fearing', that support Gov. Walker.

'Think about that'.