Why I'm Voting Against the Recall

My 11th grade AP US Government teacher, Mrs. Daniels, was fantastic. Her class, over and above any other class I ever participated in, profoundly impacted the way I think. I honestly believe it was the first class in which I was challenge to think critically and independently, and the affinity that I developed there for studying politics (along with an unhealthy dosage of idealism and little practical foresight concerning the usefulness of a degree in political science) would play a large role in my decision to leave Marquette's physical therapy program to study international politics.

Mrs. Daniels and I are as ideologically opposed as oil and water, but I respect her as much as anyone I've ever learned from. She was passionate about what she taught, and constantly dropped bombshells of wisdom that I still hang onto today. I'll never forget her repeating (concerning American Democracy) "It's not a perfect system, but it's less imperfect than the rest."

As the recall looms tomorrow, I can't help but remember her teaching us about the intent of our nation's architects to insulate our system of governance from fleeting popular passions. It was understood by those men that emotions are fleeting and fierce, constantly shifting. The apostle Paul certainly understood this when he penned the book of Ephesians, where he taught that stability was a sign of maturity in the life of someone who follows Christ (Ephesians 4:14). To be tossed back and forth by the changing opinions and passions of those around us was contrary to Christian maturity.

Paul's call to maturity proves especially difficult today. Tweeting, the blogosphere, and the like have made the stirring of popular passions simple. Along with the acceleration of information delivery, social media has accelerated and certainly amplified the projection of opinions and emotion into the public sphere. Now, more than ever, popular passion can explode with a single revelatory tweet or YouTube clip (KONY 2012, anyone?).

It is imperative that, in this age, we insulate our public institutions from he bipolar tendencies of public passion, lest the political process become subject to the same instability as our own impermanent feelings. The Wisconsin recall, in my eyes, is a powerful case study in this truth. This recall has been driven by angry, hyperbolic passion and rhetoric that has incensed many regardless of its lack of substantive factual justification. It has been an exploitation of a legitimate power of the people to achieve specifically partisan ends.

As a result, tomorrow I will be voting against the recall. I desire a democracy in which elections mean something and we do not have to endure the constant campaigning that has accompanied this ridiculous cycle of recalls that has targeted both Republicans and Democrats. I want a democratic process that is not as fleeting and unstable as popular opinion. Regardless of ideology, we all have a stake in the legitimacy of our public institutions, and should fight for the integrity of the systems our federal and state constitutions have put in place. I want a country where the people hold the power, but use it responsibly. That's the kind of Wisconsin I hope for. I hope my fellow voters will have the foresight to see past the political rhetoric and emotion that has dominated the Wisconsin landscape and make an informed choice about issues.