Nickolas Butler, a writer in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, remembers the Wisconsin of his childhood and wonders why the current political leadership wants to destroy everything that was beautiful about the state. The schools, the dedicated teachers, the world-class university, the precious environment and landscape.
He writes:
“I remember, my days and years in Eau Claire’s public schools, well-kept buildings populated by teachers that I truly adored and admired, like heroes. My parents stood in lockstep with these educators and on those days when I arrived home with a substandard report card (and there were many such dismal report cards), I never thought to blame my teachers, nor would have my parents entertained such nonsense.
“When I left for college in Chicago, I volunteered at an inner-city elementary school. The furnace often malfunctioned, and the school was very cold in winter. One day, I waited on the school’s front steps for…