Wisconsin voices live from D.C.
It’s history. Whatever you think of the new president, his inauguration Friday is a watershed event. Around 11 a.m., Donald Trump will place his hand on two Bibles, one he’s owned since he was a boy and the Lincoln Bible, and he will be sworn in as the nation’s 45th chief executive.
Reporters for the Journal Sentinel and the USA TODAY Network will cover the inauguration and accompanying festivities in detail, along with protests planned the next day in Washington, D.C., in Madison and elsewhere around the world.
But I also wanted to hear directly from people who decided to travel to the nation’s capital and experience history. Our production team in Milwaukee has created two “live blogs” that will allow those voices to be heard.
We have fed the Twitter streams of more than 20 Wisconsin residents into two blogs: one to cover the inaugural, the other to cover the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday. As our “correspondents” experience the action in Washington, you will experience it right along with them in real time. It’s our way of giving voice to the participants on both sides of the political divide and allowing them to tell their stories in their own words.
Steve Kelly, of Hartland, is one of those tweeting for the inauguration blog. He is a senior majoring in finance at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Steve is head of the college Republicans in Iowa and is excited to be in Washington. Look for his Twitter handle: @SteveKellyIa.
“I came to the inauguration to be able to share the experience with my Dad,” Steve wrote me on Twitter. “He has been the biggest influence on me and my involvement in politics. Plus, I wanted to witness this moment in history firsthand.”
Our live blog from the inauguration will be published from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday. Other contributors include State Sen. Leah Vukmir, a Brookfield Republican (@LeahVukmir), and Milwaukee attorney Sam Hall (@samhall34).
You’ll also hear from Aliza Werner from the Women’s March (@alizateach). In a Twitter message, she described herself as “a teacher, a sister, a wife. … there will be plenty to tweet!”
Our live blog of the Women’s March on Saturday will be published from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., covering what may be one of the largest protests on the Mall in recent years.
Among those joining Aliza will be Sarah Smith of Monona (@sarahfromwisco), who works in quality assurance at Epic Systems in Madison.
“I’m marching to make it clear to the world and our nation that women will not go quietly into the night,” she told me in a Facebook message. “I can’t stand by when women of color and of various religions feel threatened in their own country.”
No matter what side of the political chasm they have landed on (and it truly is a chasm at the moment), these Wisconsin citizens want be engaged in the biggest national conversation of our time. They want to do what’s right for the country, though they may disagree profoundly on the details.
We’ve just come through the nastiest political campaign in memory. But what a great country when the natural impulse of so many citizens is to keep fighting for what they believe in and to keep trying to persuade their opponents.
That speaks loudly to their values and to our strength as a nation. We’re happy to play a small part over the next two days in giving voice to them.
David D. Haynes is editorial page editor for the Journal Sentinel. Email dhaynes@jrn.com Twitter: @DavidDHaynes. To view the live blogs on the inaugural and Women’s March, go to live.jsonline.com