Madison's Police Chief Couper (ret) on Newtown

A.J. Muste [1885-1967]

Strongly recommend reading David Couper's thoughts.

Intro:

"I have restrained myself from commenting on the Newtown tragedy until I have had some time to listen and think. And what has come into my mind in my life experiences as both police officer, sociologist and pastor is a number of thoughts and images(.)"

I think Couper's contributions to spreading love over his career, what I read as radical pacifism, into the world will live on, perhaps unparalleled from law enforcement. The relevancy to Newtown is obvious.

But peace seems alien to our political culture.

I do not see, virtually anywhere outside of the narrow sphere of progressive writers, the accusation that GOP politicians are engaging in a massive deception sustained by hate. Plenty of examples in Wisconsin. Lies and hate lead to tragedy.

Commitment to truth seems alien to our political culture.

Next April, we have a state Supreme Court race coming up, a race for the top appellate court that above all ought to decide what the law is, without regard to the station of any litigant.

Fidelity to the rule of law, and a candid job description of what a supreme court justice ought to be have been virtually absent from Wisconsin's supreme court races, with two recent exceptions.

We have an opening for peace, truth and the rule of law becoming part of our politics, perhaps given a push by the sickness.

All Hillary and Obama Events Canceled Today - Updated

Updated: Hillary's people just said all events are postponed until tomorrow.

Update: Both candidates' events canceled. Hillary's campaign said all events aer canceled and postponed until tomorrow.

Madison, Wisconsin - There is water everywhere over Madison street intersections that have a crushed snow bottom layer, even as snowplows try to open storm drains.

It's began snowing at about 11:30 AM local time, with at least several inches expected today and tonight.

The water will freeze to ice.

Campaigns ought to cancel today's and tonight's events and stay Monday for a full day of campaigning. Safety first, politics second.

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Dumb and Dumber

A 100-car crash on the I-90/39 interstate in dense fog near Madison,Wisconsin, resulted in at least two deaths, critical injuries, and numerous minor injuries yesterday. Reports indicate that the accident scene looked and sounded like a war zone.

That's the good news.

It could have been much worse.

Lt. Lauri Steeber of the State Patrol was quoted: "What I want to emphasize over and over again is that you need to slow down. ..."

And the reports of people driving over 70 mph without their lights on in dense fog? All too believable.

What is it about cars that makes normal, sane people act like idiots in dangerous weather?

From the Capital Times:

Town of Blooming Grove (Wisconsin) Assistant Fire Chief Jay Salvo admitted that it's a cliche, but he said it looked like a bomb went off. ...

Many people, injured or just stuck, left their vehicles and tried to flee the carnage by walking into fields and medians, sometimes walking in waist deep snowbanks, Salvo said.

"They were scared. They kept hearing these crashes in the fog and didn't want to get injured. That's why they left their cars," he said.

One of the first scenes he came upon were two vehicles T-boned into a semi-trailer. A number of people waved the fire trucks down and alerted them to a car that was severely damaged and contained one of the fatalities. It was in a ditch by itself with other vehicles around it, he said.

Officials have not released the names of the dead. ...

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