Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Scott Walker and the Ghost of Giggles the Fawn

Over the weekend, the news broke that nine DNR agents and four sheriff deputies raided a no kill shelter in Kenosha to apprehend and execute  an orphaned fawn named Giggles.  And the little guy wasn't even singing songs of solidarity in the rotunda of the state capitol.

The news quickly grew and became a national story.  The reaction from the people, as one might imagine, was that of disgust, abhorrence and outrage.

Reaction to the killing of the fawn was so strong that Scott Walker had to respond:
Gov. Scott Walker says he has ordered top officials in his administration to study ways to avoid another situation like the one that led to euthanizing a fawn from a no-kill shelter.

The fawn, named Giggles, was brought to the Saint Francis Society shelter near the state line by an Illinois family who believed the animal had lost its mother. But state Department of Natural Resources officials took the animal from the shelter and euthanized it, saying state law required it to prevent the spread of disease.
What comes next from the story is what sets this whole thing over the tipping point (emphasis mine):
Walker said today that he asked members of his cabinet earlier in the day to discuss the issue and present him with options. Says Walker, “I don’t ever want to see something like that again.”
Wow. Just wow.

My first reaction to that was to wonder if he didn't want to "see something like that again" because it was so wrong or because it made him look so bad.  Knowing Walker and how image is everything to him since he has nothing of substance, I would bet my last dollar on it being the latter.  Sadly, this is reinforced by the fact that he is the same way whether the victim is a fawn or a fifteen year old boy.

My next thought was how similar Walker's reaction was to the one that he had three years ago when Darlene Wink was busted leaving political comments on JSOnline and other blogs while working for the county:


My third thought was regarding the hypocrisy of his statement.  Lest we forget, Walker had his Teapublican allies and fellow ALEC acolytes pass a law giving Walker final say on all administrative policies, such as the one of doing SWAT raids on animal shelters in order to bump off Bambi. For him to criticize the policy is the same as his admitting that he is not doing a good job (which he isn't).

If there is any good to come from the unnecessary demise of Giggles the Fawn, it's that it came when Walker was in the national spotlight.  Maybe Giggle's ghost will haunt Walker through the rest of Walker's political career.

47 comments:

  1. Maybe you could convince Giggles ghost to run for governor as a pro public union candidate.

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    1. A dead Giggles would do better for Wisconsin than the current governor bought and paid for by out of state special interests.

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    2. IMBAR! Last time we heard from you, you were telling us how the construction business was booming, even though it was the second worst in the nation.

      Now you come with more words of wisdom, admitting that a carcass would be better than Walker. Thank you for that.

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    3. And thus the reason I have no time to comment anymore. But I check in from time to time in hopes of seeing you eat crow with the new Philadelphia fed report out. But I am left to read about 1 dead fawn. Didn't Doyles DNR try to eradicate deer from the state?
      Anom, to many skeletons in giggles closet, he'd better wait until the last minute to get in the race like the rest of the dems.

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    4. imustbe....:

      No. Doyle's DNR did not try to eradicate deer from WI, but rather keep CWD under control.

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    5. I missed Mr. IMBR.

      Hey, Mr. IMBR, while you're here, how do you feel about the state law broken by the State, GTAC, and Bulletproof?

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    6. My posts do seem to stir the beehive a bit, don't they? Thanks for the kind words, to quote a legend, "we can disagree, but do we have to hate each other?" As far as mining in WI, I was waiting to read Shanes post on the matter, before I formed an intelligent opinion. The private unions seem to be pushing pretty strong to the hoop on this one. Apparently he is to busy trying to represent the Palermos workers.

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    7. “As far as mining in WI, I was waiting to read Shanes post on the matter, before I formed an intelligent opinion.”

      You don’t form opinions, you parrot talking points. You cheerlead for your chosen political party. You fluff for your tribe. It is nice however, to see you admit that you have to wait to be told how to think before you can respond to questions. Oh, and for the record, you’ve never formed an intelligent opinion. At least, never formed one and espoused it here, publicly.

      I’ve mostly taken a step back from political dialogue. The reasons for that choice are myriad, but mostly due to people like yourself. There seems to be no point in trying to engage in honest discourse with people like you. You are not interested in outcomes. You are not interested in prudent policy with results in mind. You don’t even seem to be driven by ideology. You’re like a rabid, fanatical, sports team fan. Everything your team does is great, everything the opponent does sucks. That attitude is fine in sports, but politics isn’t about a final score. At least, it shouldn’t be. People’s lives are affected by the choices we make at the ballot box. The future of our communities, states, and nations are at stake. Lives literally do hang in the balance. None of that seems to matter to you though, at least not more than scoring some cheap points against what you perceive as a political opponent. This statement is the perfect example, “But I check in from time to time in hopes of seeing you eat crow with the new Philadelphia fed report out.” Really, why would anyone have to eat crow? Is anything substantially changed by that? Did you eat crow last quarter when the report had Wisconsin bringing up the rear in the Midwest? Or the quarter before that? Or the one before that, ad infinitum? Or, did you regurgitate every excuse you heard Sykes or Belling puke out over public airwaves? I would love to see the Philly Fed report be the start of a new trend. I would love to see Wisconsin turn around, and the entirety of its citizenry (not just wealthy campaign contributors) start to prosper. That seems unlikely to happen though, as the overall trend paints a rather different picture.

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    8. (Cont'd)

      See, the problem with America isn’t politicians like Walker, they’re a given. They’ve always been a part of our political system. The problem with America is people like you. You’re interested only in supporting your tribe, regardless of whether or not that tribe is damaging to community as a whole with their attempts to further their own power. This is made worse by the fact that you’re intelligent enough to be able to see reality, and honestly assess what is happening. You choose not to. You choose to remain willfully ignorant, crawling out from under your rock once every few months to carry on about some factoid you think helps support your tribe. You ignore the overall picture. You ignore any information that contradicts your bullshit. You ignore results. You ignore reality. Politicians like Walker exist solely because of voters like you. It’s that level of willful ignorance that has led to things like Citizens United, overturning portions of the VRA, wholesale elimination of constitutional amendments, re-institutionalized voter disenfranchisement, perpetual war, perpetual state of fear, wholesale sell off of the commons for private profit, and the corporatization of our media and political process. It’s that desire to support a political party, regardless of the harm that party does in its insatiable quest for power and profit for its financiers. That’s why I don’t bother to engage in political dialogue that often anymore. It, and you aren’t worth my time. Logic, facts, history, and appeals to rational thought are not something you’ve demonstrated having an interest in. As such, your only value in engaging with is as entertainment, and let’s face it, you aren’t that entertaining.

      “The private unions seem to be pushing pretty strong to the hoop on this one. Apparently he is to busy trying to represent the Palermos workers.”

      I see. Apparently you think “private unions” are some monolithic entity, that share a single collective mind on all issues. Again you show your inability to even conceive of the possibility that someone could belong to a group, support that group, yet disagree with some views that that group advocates. To you, if you suggest that you agree with a single tenet of a belief system, then you must adhere 100% to that system. This shows the limitations of your thinking, not mine. My position on the mine hasn’t substantially changed since our last discussion. Put simply, (complexity and nuance aren’t really your cup of tea after all) the long term risks don’t justify the increase in jobs.

      As always, interacting with you has left me feeling like I’ve wasted my time. I probably have, so I’ll try to at least make it worth something:

      Just wanted to send a shout out to Capper, Jeff, and the rest of the contributors and regular commentors to the page, thanks for making this the great blog that it is!






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    9. Well said, Shane. I hope to read your comments more frequently.

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    10. Yes, I'll bet he's a ton of fun at a party! It annoys him so if I dare to stereotype him according to his union affiliation, but he will go on and on only doing the same to me. Just to bad I don't have a union to tell me how to think, since I apparently can't do that for myself.
      He doesn't seem to be able to accept differing opinions, spends quite a bit of time trying to belittle anyone who offers them. I read quite a bit of differing opinion, even listen to progressive radio. But I also read and listen to opinion he doesn't agree with, I guess that makes me willfully ignorant. I have been spending more time with my old local 8 friends this summer, and I still think your a square peg in a round hole. That is why I called you out here. But thanks for belittling me, I enjoy the effort you put into it.

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    11. Imustberacist,
      You have Charlie Sykes to tell you what to think. Does Imustberacist want a cracker?

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  2. Walker takes control of his people, then washes his hands when they screw up. Power without accountability is the signature of his political career.

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  3. Walker killed Giggles...and Singing and Public Schools and Honesty and Integrity and Fish and Hope and Pride and....

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  4. How about a picture of giggles next to Cathy Stepp and her trophy fawn kill.

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  5. How small and petty can you get? Using the death of a innocent animal to make an extremely questionable political point!

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  6. The outrage by Walker over a fawn execution is greater than his politically calculated moves with respect to the killing of a boy due to infrastructure neglect under his administration.

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  7. Commando raids on animal shelters. Assault weapon toting mercenaries in the northwoods. Grandmas and Vietnam vets arrested in the capitol. Just some of the images in Walker's photo album -- and not one of them is a pretty picture.

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  8. Rescue Mom hit the nail on the head. Trying to pin every headline on Walker shows that you're out of ideas. And frankly, it's a mental illness red flag. You may want to reverse course on "community based care" BEFORE you become an unwilling participant.

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  9. According to Walker, he doesn't want to see another fawn killed, but taking food, healthcare, and shelter away from poor people is expected and encouraged.

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    1. I am sure the poor in Wisconsin are doing fine. Nice use of hyperbole.

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    2. So which part of Wisconsin are you living in? Have you been paying attention?

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  10. Replies
    1. And then you link to a piece about Cathy Stepp shooting a doe. Brilliant! I can see why you hang out here.

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    2. Because I like interacting with cowardly anonymi?

      Go ahead, tell me how much Cathy's deer weighs, or its age, and how proud she should be, as compared to the pride of other deer hunters in Wisconsin.

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    3. I'd rather tell you that Cathy and Scott Walker are two different people. But let's not stretch the elastic of your understanding.

      Secondly, authors of dishonest, clunky narratives should stick to living cowardice rather than defining it.

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  11. How dare you blame Governor Walker! He is clearly mentally ill and incapable of planning anything. Mike Huebsch, a graduate of Oral Roberts University --majored in Faith Healing with a minor in Fleecing Suckers-- is clearly the one behind all the brutality.

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  12. Before any more folks get all knotted up about this, the wardens did the right thing, and had to deal with a ready-made PR nightmare. I'm by no means going to defend walker for what he said, but as a professional biologist for 30+ years I'll say the state acted correctly. The folks at fault are the people from IL that brought the fawn into WI (they are the stupid parties in this drama) and the operators of the shelter that took it in. Anyone with ANY knowledge of wildlife and especially deer would know that you don't pick up a fawn that "appears" abandoned. Call the professionals and have the situation dealt with correctly. If any of you are concerned with deer, read up on CWD and then re-think your position.

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    1. Hankdog, you make a lot of sense, but I think it is the combination of what seems to be overreactions (like the solidarity singers arrests and the highly armed guards up north) that make this one the icing on the cake for some people.
      I wish there was more info out there on CWD, in the papers.

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    2. Good point. I have seen "abandoned" fauns myself. Mom is just out getting food. That is why they (fauns) have the spots, so they can hide while mom is away.

      Didn't know the back story.

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    3. "Before any more folks get all knotted up about this, the wardens did the right thing"

      "but as a professional biologist for 30+ years I'll say the state acted correctly."

      Yes, exactly. Very astute analysis. The state absolutely should have officers make an armed, tactical entry into a no-kill animal shelter to serve a warrant for a fawn. Then, when called to question as to whether or not they over-reacted, compare the shelter to a drug dealer. Totally and completely the right thing to do. I mean, how else are we going to justify the furthered militarization of our police force? How else are we going to increasingly intimidate the citizenry of the state? How else are we going to subdue a potentially armed and dangerous fawn in a facility staffed by people who've dedicated their life to violence and the killing of living creatures. I sincerely hope you're a better biologist than a political analyst.

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    4. Then as a "professional biologist" you know CWD is > 16 months and is not transmitted to humans (BSE aka mad cow). Therefore, this couple of month old fawn which was not in captivity with other deer had better odds of being hit by lightning twice than carrying CWD. So what's your point?

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  13. This is the first time CWD seems to have been a problem in years.

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    1. jeff:

      Have you be off-planet? If you in tune with the wildlife world CWD is still up front. Stay current.

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    2. http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=39799

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    3. Your point? As the article clearly states, testing rate going down, positive tests going up. And every year CWD is found in new places around the state. The passive approach is like sticking your head in the sand. walker, mis-stepp and dr. deer just don't like any adverse publicity. If you are truly concerned about deer in WI, talk to a professional wildlife biologist, not a politician.

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    4. The same thinking that allows people to deny man made global warming also allows them to deny that there is no problem with Chronic Wasting Disease. Just like global warming deniers claim that addressing the problem will ruin the economy, CWD deniers claim that addressing the problem will ruin deer hunting.

      As certain as Earth will warm with rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, so will the percentage of deer with CWD increase if nothing is done to slow down the spread of the disease. The incidence of CWD-infected deer has increased tenfold in 10 years. But there is joy because there is no more Earn a Buck.

      Now let’s celebrate a tax cut that will create a structural budget deficit! That is the logic of Walker’s supporters. Short-term thinking that ignores the big picture.

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    5. HD you just came back around to my point.....Walker has not made CWD a priority until he had a chance to kill a fawn!

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  14. maybe the DNC can hire Bango to heckle him on the campaign trail.

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  15. I am amazed that the WDNR quietly killed Giggles out of sight of the shelter workers.

    Had this raid been conducted by Chief Erwin's Capitol Brownshirts, Giggles would have been paraded in front of the shelter workers, who would have been forced to watch as Giggles' neck was twisted and snapped in front of them to teach them a lesson of what happens when fawns are taken in.

    In light of many ugly incidents that Capitol Police have done to the Solidarity Singers in Madison,(handcuffed veterans thrown down stairs, heart attack victims denied medical attention, etc....) I think that the WDNR showed remarkable restraint in conducting this raid.

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  16. Read Bambo, the avenging fawn on milwaukeecountycorruption.blogspot.com

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  17. God bless you, Hank, for trying to introduce "reason" to this small clan of lap dogs. But as you can plainly tell from the mutterings of Anon-7:31, Jeff and a few others- they aren't interested in it. They don't seek truth and they're averse to protocol. (ie permits, wild life safety procedures, etc.)

    Note: You're the only one who bothered to rebuke the lay persons who abducted this animal in the first place. Or the amateurs who housed it in open violation of state law.

    The mongrels here are looking for sizzle to add to weary themes. They begin with conclusions and work their way back. Do you find it a bit odd that they're trying to tie Giggles to Walker and Capitol protests? You shouldn't! This is the daily M.O. in this insignificant corner of the web.

    Feel free to come back when you've divorced yourself from logic and honor. You'll find it a smoother walk.

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    Replies
    1. I find it humorous here since the coexist crowd is all talk and no action, thankfully.

      BTW, did tou ever read the fine print on that coexist bumper sticker? It says, under my terms and conditions.

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  18. anon 8:48

    I've been walking on uneven ground all my life. Probably too late to change. Thanks for the compliment.

    Hankdog

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  19. Hey Capper! Abele just posted 7 new pics from "National Night Out"! Am I the only one who finds it weird to see him posing with McGruff the Crime Dog after the city's most violent weekend of the year? (16 shootings and counting since Friday.) Not only has he failed to address the escelating violence but still makes time to pet police dogs and pose with men dressed as animals. I hope you'll find time to expose this!

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  20. I realize Chronic Wasting Disease is a real problem, but why not test the animals? Take the deer to a vet, test the deer, if the deer is unfortunately infected with it then kill it (I don't like using words like euthanize because I don't believe in using euphemisms). If not let it live.

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  21. Since mining came up why is no one talking about what they are really looking for up there? Try rare earth metals. China, the most abundant source of these rare and extremely valuable metals has nearly tripled the price and therefore the search is on for other sources. The are most commonly found associated with gold mines, the search is on in California, and iron/ copper deposits. They often search the tailing from other mining efforts. Now does that sound familiar? Might that explain the armed mercenaries? At 3500.00 an ounce this could rake them in a fortune.

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