>>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
I'M MARISA WOJCIK, MULTIMEDIA
JOURNALIST WITH "HERE & NOW" ON
PBS WISCONSIN.
TODAY IS MAY 19.
LAST THURSDAY, MARATHON COUNTY
RESIDENTS CONTINUED DELIBERATION
OVER WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCLAIM
THE AREA "A COMMUNITY FOR ALL."
ON ONE SIDE OF THE DEBATE, A
RESOLUTION TO DECLARE THIS AS
SIMPLY AN OFFICIAL COMMITMENT TO
DIVERSITY AND CONDEMNATION OF
HATE MOTIVATED ACTS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DEBATE,
THEY SAY THE RESOLUTION SEEKS TO
SEW DIVISION AS RACISM SIMPLY
DOES NOT EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY.
JOINING US TO EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT
THIS DEBATE AND SHARE HIS
PERSPECTIVE IS A PROPONENT OF
THE RESOLUTION.
HE IS A MARATHON COUNTY BOARD
SUPERVISOR AS WELL AS A WAUSAU
ATTORNEY.
WILLIAM HARRIS JOINS US NOW, AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, AND
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE OUT THERE
WATCHING.
>> I WANT TO START BY ASKING,
HOW IS DECLARING MARATHON COUNTY
"A COMMUNITY FOR ALL" IS
DISCRIMINATORY ACT AS OPPONENTS
TO THE RESOLUTION ARE ARGUING?
>> I THINK FOR THEM, I THINK A
LOT OF IT HAS BEEN PEOPLE
ALLOWING SORT OF THE NATIONAL
PROPAGANDA TO SORT OF GET INTO
WHAT SHOULD BE A LOCAL
RESOLUTION REALLY TO ACKNOWLEDGE
MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE BEEN CHANGING AS A
COMMUNITY, AS MOST COMMUNITIES
ARE, MARATHON COUNTY, AND THE
CITY OF WAUSAU.
IN 1970, THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT
SIX BLACK PEOPLE.
BEFORE THIS NEW CENSUS COMES
OUT, I THINK THE COUNT IS 576
BLACK PEOPLE, AND THAT'S NOT
COUNTING HISPANIC AND NOW LGBTQ.
OUR DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE CHANGED A
LOT, AND SO PEOPLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY NOW, THEY DO WANT TO
FEEL THAT THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGED,
THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS MATTER, BUT
ALSO PART OF THAT IS
ACKNOWLEDGING DISPARITIES.
IT IS NOT TO SAY THERE'S OVERT
RACISM TO LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT
THERE'S CLEAR DISPARITIES WHERE
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OTHER
COMMUNITIES WHEN IT COMES TO
HEALTHCARE AND HOUSING AND
EMPLOYMENT, WHETHER THE NUMBERS
PAN OUT, WHICH THEY DO, AND SHOW
THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF THE
COMMUNITIES, IT IS REALLY
LACKING IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY
ARE.
I'VE ALWAYS SAID IN TERMS OF
BEING A SUPERVISOR, YOU HELP
EVERYONE, BE BUT DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES HAVE DIFFERENT
CHALLENGES.
WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH
PROBLEMS WITH ACCESS TO
BROADBAND OR HEALTHCARE ACCESS,
OR COMMUNITIES IN THE MORE URBAN
AREA THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW,
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OTHER
COMMUNITIES THAT MAY HAVE
PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE OR SOCIAL JUSTICE
ISSUES IN TERMS OF CRIMINAL
JUSTICE OR OTHER THINGS.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH
DIFFERENT COMMUNITY AND LOOK AT
THE NEW CHALLENGES IF WE'RE
GOING TO REALLY TACKLE PROBLEMS.
YOU HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM SO
WE CAN LIFT EVERYONE UP AND MOVE
FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY, AND I
THINK THAT JUST MAKES SENSE.
NOW, SOME OF THE RHETORIC FROM
OPPONENTS HAS BEEN THAT THIS IS,
I'VE HEARD CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
NONE OF THAT IS IN THERE.
THAT IS A NATIONAL PROPAGANDA
LINE.
I HEARD "SOCIALISM" AND
"COMMUNISM," YOU KNOW, IN TERMS
OF REFERRING TO THE WORD
"EQUITY," AND I BELIEVE THE WORD
"EQUITY" CAME OUT BEFORE THOSE
WORDS ACTUALLY WERE EVEN, YOU
KNOW, THOUGHT OF, BUT NONE OF
THAT IS IN THERE.
REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLACK
AND WHITE, THE ACTUAL
RESOLUTIONS, THERE'S NO PATHWAY
TO ANY OF THAT, BUT IT SIMPLY
SAYS IS, YOU KNOW, WE, AS A
COMMUNITY, WANT TO BE DIVERSE,
INCLUSIVE, AND WELCOMING TO
EVERYONE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE
PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT
FACE CERTAIN DISPARITIES.
MY APOLOGIES.
>> I WANT TO GET AT THAT A
LITTLE BIT.
THE WORD "EQUITY" HAS BEEN
DRILLED INTO A LITTLE BIT DURING
THESE DEBATES.
THEIR OPPONENTS ARE SAYING
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
EQUITY AND EQUALITY, AND SOMEHOW
THAT MEANS THAT WEALTH WILL BE
TAKEN AWAY FROM ONE GROUP IN
ORDER TO BE GIVEN TO ANOTHER.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY, THERE IS A
DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF WORDS
"EQUITY" AND "EQUALITY."
EQUITY, IF YOU LOOK IT UP IN THE
DICTIONARY, MEANS FAIR AND JUST
AND IMPARTIAL.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS.
THE WORD EQUITY, I'M IN LAW, I'M
A LAWYER, WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL
THE TIME, COURTS OF EQUITY.
USUALLY, WHEN I ASK FOR THINGS
OF MY CLIENTS, AT THE END OF IT,
I SAY WHATEVER THE COURT FINDS
IS EQUITABLE AS WELL.
THINK ABOUT EQUITY.
EQUITY MEANS MEETING THE NEEDS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN EQUAL OUTCOMES.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU SEE THE WORD
"EQUITY" A LOT IN TERMS OF
HEALTHCARE.
NO DOCTOR WITH ANY MERIT GIVES
EVERYBODY THE SAME MEDICATION,
THE SAME DOSE, RIGHT?
EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT
CHALLENGES MEDICALLY, SO YOU
HAVE TO TREAT THE PATIENT AS YOU
HAVE TO TREAT DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF FACING,
YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THEIR
PROBLEMS OR ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, AT A BASE LEVEL, YOU
KNOW, I'VE TALK ABOUT, TOO,
OTHER EXAMPLES IN TERMS OF, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU GIVE A RIDER THE
SAME SHOEINGS RIGHT, IF YOU GIVE
THEM THE SAME SIZES SIZES, THAT'S
EQUAL, RIGHT?
NOT EVERYBODY WEARS THE SAME
SIZE SHOE.
YOU HAVE TO FIT WHAT WORKS IN
TERMS OF FACING THOSE ISSUES AND
PROBLEMS.
I'M THINKING OF TWO, MARTIN
LUTHER KING TALKED ABOUT BOOT
STRAPS, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW,
WE ALL WOULD LOVE TO PULL UP OUR
BOOT STRAPS, BUT IT IS CRUEL TO
SAY TO A BOOTLESS MAN TO PULL UP
YOUR BOOT STRAPS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT
WORDS ACTUALLY MEAN, AND THE
CLEAREST WAY TO LOOK AT THEM IS
ACTUALLY LOOK UP THE DEFINITION
IN THE DICTIONARY AND LOOK HOW
THAT'S BEEN APPLIED.
AGAIN, COURTS OF EQUITY AND IN
THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, BACK
IN ENGLISH COMMON LAW, SO BEFORE
THERE WAS EVER EVEN, I BELIEVE,
SOCIALISM OR COMMUNISM AS A
THOUGHT, SO IT WAS NOT MEANT TO
DIVIDE OR TAKE.
IT IS NOT TAKING AWAY FROM
ANYONE FROM GROUPS THAT ALREADY
ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE TO SAY
WE'RE GOING TO WORK TO, YOU
KNOW, LIFT YOU UP IN TERMS OF
MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS
EQUAL ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES,
NOT EQUAL OUTCOMES.
SO I THINK THAT'S USED AS A WAY
TO DIVIDE PEOPLE, AGAIN, MOVING
WITH SOME OF THE -- REMINDING
PEOPLE THIS IS REAL LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS.
WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS.
YOU KNOW, FAMILY.
WE GOT INTO THAT BECAUSE WE JUST
WANT TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY DO
BETTER.
WE'RE NOT WASHINGTON.
WE'RE WAUSAU.
I TRY TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THAT.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE FACT THIS
KIND OF PARALLELS SOME OF THE
NATIONAL DEBATE.
HOW MUCH OF THIS DO YOU THINK
THE NATIONAL DEBATE IS PLAYING
INTO THE ARGUMENT OF OPPONENTS
TO THIS RESOLUTION?
IS IT FEAR BASED?
IS IT POLITICAL BASED?
AND HOW DO YOU PLAN COMBATING
THAT IN YOUR OWN LOCAL
COMMUNITY?
>> I THINK IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF
A NUMBER OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE JUST COME OFF A YEAR IN
THE PANDEMIC, AND SO A LOT OF
PEOPLE -- WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, OUR
COMMUNITY, AS I MENTIONED, IS
WARM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ATTRACTED
ME TO OUR COMMUNITY WAS WHEN
WITH I FIRST MOVED HERE, AND
GOING OUT THERE, AND PEOPLE WERE
GENUINELY INTERESTED, SAYING
HELLO, COMING UP TO YOU, AND
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
ATTRACTED ME HERE BECAUSE I COME
FROM A DIFFERENT AREA, AND NOT
THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT WELCOMING
FROM WHERE I COME FROM, BUT
COMING FROM LARGER CITIES, YOU
KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM LIKE
THEY ARE ALWAYS IN A RUSH OR
BUSY, BUT HERE, YOU KNOW, A MORE
TIGHT-KNIT GROUP COMMUNITY JUST
FELT LIKE HOME, BUT A LOT OF
THAT GOT MISSED IN THE LAST YEAR
WITH THE PANDEMIC, AND THAT
PEOPLE WERE ISOLATED FROM EACH
OTHER.
THERE'S A LOT LESS TALK IN TERMS
OF JUST SITTING DOWN, TALKING
WITH EACH OTHER, AND TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
WHAT DID A LOT OF PEOPLE DO?
THEY WERE AT HOME, THEY WERE
WATCHING TV, THEY WERE IN THEIR
SILOS, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW,
THEIR BUBBLES, IN TERMS OF JUST
GETTING, SOMETIMES, A LOT OF
DIVISIVE AND HARMFUL INFORMATION
COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND OTHER PLACES, AND SO PEOPLE
HAVE APPROACHED PEOPLE WITH A
SENSE OF CYNICISM FROM THE
START.
SO THAT IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO
COMBAT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE
WAUSAU OR MARATHON COUNTY THAT I
KNOW, AND I THINK A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT HAVE CERTAIN AGENDAS
HAVE USED THAT TO PLAY ON
PEOPLE'S NOW FEARS AND CYNICISM
TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU KNOW, AN
AGENDA THAT REALLY IS NOT ABOUT
OUR CITY OR OUR COUNTY.
SOME INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, I FIND
QUITE OFFENSIVE TO WHO WE ARE
AND WHO WE WANT TO BE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC
INSECURITY AS WELL.
PLAYING ON THOSE FEARS, YOU
KNOW, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS
I DO IN MY LEGAL WORK IS HELP
PEOPLE WHO, BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC, MAYBE NEVER HAVE
FACED, YOU KNOW, REAL FINANCIAL
INSECURITY, BUT NOW THEY ARE,
AND IF YOU TELL PEOPLE THAT THE
REASON THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING A
JOB IS BECAUSE SOME MINORITY
GROUP OR THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO
TAKE AWAY OPPORTUNITIES FROM
YOU, IT PLAYS INTO THOSE FEARS
WHEN ACTUALLY WHAT I'M SAYING IS
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HITS, THE
GROUPS ALREADY DISADVANTAGED ARE
NOW MUCH WORSE AND ACTUALLY NEED
MORE HELP, AND SO I THINK WE
HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH OTHER AS
NOT AS ENEMIES, BUT CONNECTED AS
A COMMUNITY WITH UNIQUE
CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS AND WE
WORK TOGETHER AND TALK TO EACH
OTHER, SO THAT WE CAN HELP EACH
OTHER AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
THAT'S REALLY THE COMMUNITY THAT
I CAME TO GROW TO LOVE AND WANT
TO BE A PART OF.
>> AND IT HAS BEEN A YEAR SINCE
WE'VE BEEN IN THIS PANDEMIC, BUT
NEXT TUESDAY'S ALSO THE ONE-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF GEORGE FLOYD'S
MURDER BY A MINNEAPOLIS POLICE
OFFICER, AND SINCE THEN, A
RESURGENCE OF BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTESTS AND RENEWED EXAMINATION
OF SYSTEMIC RACISM HAS SURFACED
IN MANY ARENAS OVER THE LAST
YEAR.
IS THE ARGUMENT IN WAUSAU
HAPPENING AS A BIT OF A REACTION
TO THAT?
>> I WILL SAY NO -- I MEAN, PART
OF IT TOO, I MENTIONED, JUST
THAT WE'RE A GROWING COMMUNITY,
AND SO YOU HAVE SEEN CHANGES NOT
JUST IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS
OUTSIDE, BUT INSIDE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AS WELL BECAUSE NOW
YOU HAVE MORE DIVERSE BOARDS,
PEOPLE GETTING MORE INVOLVED IN
TERMS OF COMMITTEES, AND SO THE
MAKEUP OF PEOPLE IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT LOOKS DIFFERENT, AND
SO YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND
VOICES, SO THAT TENDS TO IMPACT
HOW THINGS GO.
ONE THING THAT WE DID THIS YEAR
THAT, I MEAN, THAT HAD NOT BEEN
DONE BEFORE, AND I KNOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE MIGHT THINK IT IS SORT OF
NON-CONTROVERSIAL OR COMMON
SENSE, BUT ACTUALLY WAS
CONTROVERSIAL, WAS BLACK HISTORY
MONTH, PASSING THAT IN TERMS OF
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THAT.
COUNTY HAD NEVER DONE THAT.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THERE
WERE NOT REALLY ANY DIVERSE
VOICES FOR THE MOST PART FOR A
LONG TIME ON THE COUNTY, AND SO
IT IS HARD TO SEE PEOPLE
SOMETIMES IF THEY ARE NOT IN
FRONT OF YOU IF YOU DON'T TALK
TO THEM AND HAVE INTERACTION
WITH THEM.
SO NOW HAVING THE BOARDS AND
SOME OF THE COMMITTEES CHANGING,
IT IS CHANGING SORT OF THE SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT, OBVIOUSLY,
WE'RE DEALING WITH AND THE
ISSUES BEING MUCH MORE
REPRESENTATIVE, I THINK, IN
LOOKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF
THE REST OF AMERICA IN TERMS OF
MAKEUP NOW AS WE CONTINUE TO
GROW, WHICH I THINK IS A
POSITIVE THING BECAUSE YOU WANT
TO CONTINUE TO GROW YOUR
COMMUNITY.
THAT'S HOW YOU SURVIVE, AND I
SERVED 33 NORTHERN COUNTIES IN
TERMS OF LEGAL CAREER, AND A LOT
OF THE COUNTIES, THE REASON WHY
WE TRAVEL SO FAR IS BECAUSE
THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE
ESSENTIALLY AGING OUT.
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE LEFT.
THERE IS NO LARGE AMOUNT OF
DIVERSITY.
THE PEOPLE THERE NOW THAT ARE
MUCH OLDER ARE HAVING ACCESS TO
JUSTICE PROBLEMS.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO
OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
STATE, WE'RE TWO AND A HALF
HOURS FROM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING
THAT YOU WANT TO GO TO,
MINNEAPOLIS, GREEN BAY, MADISON,
A NUMBER OF THE BIG CITIES, AND
WE HAVE A VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LOT TO DO IN TERMS OF
ACTIVITIES BOTH IN THE SUMMER
AND WINTER, AND IT IS A GREAT
COMMUNITY.
IT OFFERS A LOT.
ALL OF THAT IN TERMS OF
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE, YOU KNOW,
HAVE TO OFFER, THE STATE AND THE
PEOPLE, CAN GO AWAY IF WE'RE
NOT, YOU KNOW, WELCOMING, AND
YOU THINK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES
FOR GROWTH IN TERMS OF BUSINESS,
MOST BUSINESSES NOW COMMIT TO
HAVING A DIVERSE WORK FORCE AND
ARE NOT GOING TO COMMIT TO
MOVING TO AN AREA OR MOVING
THEIR WORK FORCE TO AN AREA
THAT'S NOT WELCOMING OF THEIR
WORK FORCE.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, LIKE
MYSELF, THAT CAME FROM OTHER
PLACES THAT HAVE MADE WAUSAU AND
MARY
MARATHON COUNTY HOME, IT WOULD
BE HARD TO MAKE THE PITCH FOR
THEM TO COME IF, BASICALLY, YOU
MADE -- BECAUSE ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER, YOU ARE MAKING A
STATEMENT WHEN YOU EITHER
APPROVE OR DON'T APPROVE OF THE
RESOLUTION STATING YOU'RE NOT
WELCOME IF YOU'RE A PERSON OF A
DIVERSE BACKGROUND, AND YOU
DON'T KNOW THE PEOPLE HERE LIKE
I DO AND NO THE MAJORITY OF THE
COMMUNITY REALLY IS EMBRACING --
IF THAT'S ALL THAT WE SEE,
THAT'S ALL YOU KNOW, AND YOU
PROBABLY MIGHT NOT WANT TO MOVE
HERE.
I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK
AT THOSE CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF
OUR FUTURE, AND OUR KIDS' WELL
GO OFF TO COLLEGE.
WE WANT THEM TO COME BACK AND
CONTRIBUTE BACK TO THE
COMMUNITY, AND WHEN THEY GO OFF
TO COLLEGE, A LOT OF PLACES,
THEY HAVE FRIENDS OF ALL
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, WORK IN
PLACES THAT ARE DIVERSE, AND
THEN TO COME BACK TO A PLACE
THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT
WELCOMING AND IF IT'S NOT
DIVERSE, I THINK IMPACTS A LOT
OF THAT DECISION MAKING ON
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO COME
BACK HERE AND START A FAMILY AND
REALLY GROW OUR COMMUNITY, SO I
THINK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT IS
VERY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF OUR
FUTURE AND MOVING FORWARD.
>> SO PEOPLE ARE SAYING --
OPPONENTS ARE SAYING THAT THE
PHRASE "A COMMUNITY FOR ALL" IS
ACTUALLY DIVIDING THE COMMUNITY.
WAUSAU IS -- OR MARATHON COUNTY
IS MORE THAN 90% WHITE WITH, BUT
AS YOU HAVE SAID, IT IS GROWING
ITS DIVERSE POPULATION.
DO YOU SEE WHY THEY ARE CALLING
THIS RESOLUTION AS MORE
DIVISIVE, OR IS THIS KIND OF
MORE JUST GROWING PAINS?
>> IT IS GROWING PAINS A LITTLE
BIT BECAUSE IT IS CHANGE, AND
CHANGE IS ALWAYS SCARY FOR SOME
PEOPLE.
THERE'S A FEAR.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO CHANGE
BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF --
YOU KNOW WHAT THINGS ARE LIKE
NOW, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE
MORE AFRAID OF WHAT COULD COME
AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, YOU
KNOW, JUST KEEP THINGS THE SAME,
BUT WHAT I TRY TO TELL PEOPLE IS
NOTHING STAYS THE SAME, RIGHT?
WE ARE ALWAYS GROWING.
THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING.
YOU CAN MOVE BACKWARDS OR
FORWARDS.
IF WE CONTINUE TO STAY WHERE WE
ARE AT AND NOT GROW, WELL,
THAT'S GOING TO SHOW ITSELF,
TOO, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE, YOU
KNOW, EITHER GOING TO COME HERE
OR MOVE OUT, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK
AT THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF WHAT
WE WANT THAT TO LOOK LIKE.
NOTHING CAN JUST STAY IN TERMS
OF STATUS QUO, AND WE HAVE TO
REALIZE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT IT
IS WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO BE
IN TERMS OF BUSINESS, IN TERMS
OF PEOPLE, IN TERMS OF
OPPORTUNITIES, AND I THINK MOVE
FORWARD ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO GO BACK QUICKLY
TO GEORGE FLOYD.
OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AS MANY
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
WERE VERY SADDENED AND IMPACTED,
YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE
WERE HURT BY WATCHING THAT.
ALL TOO OFTEN WE WITH SEE A
NUMBER OF THESE INCIDENTS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
IN OUR COMMUNITY, BEING THE
LOVING AND EMBRACING COMMUNITY
THAT I HAVE COME TO KNOW, STOOD
UP, AND WE HAD A LARGE MARCH IN
OUR COMMUNITY, LARGEST GATHERING
OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF WAUSAU,
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN ITS
HISTORY.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE.
THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM ALL
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
PEOPLE COMING SAYING THEY WANTED
TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT AND
SOLIDARITY WITH DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
WE HAD A NICE EVENT.
I WANT TO SAY, TOO, YOU KNOW,
OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POLICE
FORCE IS GREAT.
THEY WERE THERE AS WELL.
, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE IN SUPPORT
HANDING OUT BOTTLES OF WATER SO
THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER.
ONE OF THE THINGS AND THE REASON
THIS FIRST CAME ABOUT, THIS
RESOLUTION, IS BECAUSE OUR
COMMUNITY, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID,
HEY, WE WANT TO DO MORE.
WE WANT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO
SHOW AND MAKE A STATEMENT OF
SUPPORT THAT WE SUPPORT ALL
PEOPLE HERE, AND WE ARE
WELCOMING, THAT THE THINGS THAT
ARE HAPPENING THERE, WE DON'T
WANT IT TO HAPPEN HERE, AND WE
WITH WANT TO MAKE A REAL
STATEMENT ABOUT THAT, AND SO
THAT'S HOW IT INITIALLY STARTED.
NOW, THE PROCESS HAS TAKEN
AWHILE, BUT THAT'S SORT OF --
THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS OF SORT
OF ANY PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
ALTHOUGH, YOU WOULD LIKE THINGS
TO MOVE MUCH FASTER, YOU KNOW,
MEETINGS ARE ABOUT ONCE ABOUT,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE
LIMITED IN THAT.
THERE'S USUALLY A NUMBER OF
DRAFTS.
THIS HAPPENS IN OTHER THINGS,
TOO, WHETHER WE TALK ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, BORING ZONING ISSUES,
WHICH PEOPLE FIND BORING, AND
THEY DON'T GET A LOT OF PRESS OR
CONTROVERSY, BUT THIS ONE WE
WANTED TO DO THE RIGHT WAY AS IT
IS A COMMUNITY FOR ALL
RESOLUTION SO WE WANTED TO GET
THE COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK AND
INVOLVEMENT AND, YOU KNOW,
SUPPORT, AND PART OF THAT CAME
WITH EDUCATION, TOO, EDUCATING
THEM ABOUT SORT OF THE
DISPARITIES BECAUSE FOR SOME
PEOPLE, AS YOU MENTIONED, MAY
HAVE THOUGHT THAT THERE IS NO
RACISM, BUT IT IS, REALLY, I
THINK, A LACK OF INTERACTION
BECAUSE BASICALLY, YOU LIVED
YOUR LIFE ONE WAY, HAVE NOT HAD
INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE OF
COLOR, YOU HAVE NOT REALLY SEEN
THAT, THEN YOU MIGHT THINK THAT
THERE IS NOTHING THERE, BUT I
ALWAYS SAY A LOT OF
UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE IS TALKING
WITH PEOPLE, LOOKING AT ACTUALLY
DATA, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT
THERE ARE ISSUES AS I MENTIONED,
AS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES HAVE, AND SO IT
EVOLVED IN TERMS OF THAT
PROCESS.
I THINK WHAT ENDED UP MAKING THE
PROCESS SORT OF TAKE LONGER WAS
IN THAT PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET
EVERYBODY INVOLVED AND GET
INPUT, THAT'S WHEN WE DID HAVE
SOME OF THE MORE DIVISIVE
FACTORS COME IN IN TERMS OF
PEOPLE WANTING TO REDEFINE THE
RESOLUTION, TALK ABOUT THINGS
THAT WERE NOT IN THE RESOLUTION,
AND MAKE IT A DIVISIVE ISSUE.
I MEAN, I HEARD EVERYTHING FROM
IT TAKES AWAY PROPERTY RIGHTS,
PRIVACY, AND ALL OF THE OTHER
SOCIALISM AND OTHER THINGS, AND
THAT, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU READ THE
RESOLUTION, JUST ISN'T THERE.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT
WE ARE DOING OR WHAT WAS THE
PURPOSE.
AT THE BASE LEVEL, WE ARE
SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE
IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER YOU
ARE LGBTQ, WHETHER YOU ARE, YOU
KNOW, A WOMAN OR COMMUNITY OF
COLOR, YOU HAVE A PLACE HERE
TOO.
WE'RE ALL -- WE'RE A COMMUNITY
THAT WELCOMES EVERYBODY.
WE'RE ALL PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE SOME
CHALLENGES, BUT WE WANT TO DO
WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE
EVERYONE, THAT WE MEET THOSE
CHALLENGES, AND THAT EVERYONE
HAS A PLACE AND FEELS A PART OF
THIS COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT
THE RESOLUTION SAYS AT BASE
LEVEL.
WE OFFER OTHER STATISTICS TO
BACK UP, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE
GETTING THIS FROM, AND REPORTS
THAT STATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE
BENEFIT FROM HAVING A DIVERSE
WORK FORCE IN TERMS OF MOVING
FORWARD, IN TERMS OF
BUSINESS-WISE, AND OTHER THINGS
TO NOT JUST MAKE A STATEMENT,
BUT SAY WHY WE ARE MAKING A
STATEMENT, AND RESOLUTIONS FOR
SOME PEOPLE, THEY SAY, WELL,
WHAT'S THE POINT OF A
RESOLUTION?
DOES IT REALLY DO ANYTHING?
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE
CALL IT NOTHING SANDWICHES.
SOME RESOLUTIONS, I WILL SAY ARE
NOTHING SANDWICHES, BUT THE
POINT OF RESOLUTIONS AND THE
REASON WHY YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION
IS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE WHY TO
THE HOW AND THE WHAT THAT MAY
COME LATER.
YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE THE REASON,
THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF WHAT --
WHY YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING,
AND WHY YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH
SOMETHING, BUT I JUST COME OUT
WITH SOMETHING, SAYING WE'RE
DOING THIS, AND MOVE, AND SPEND
MONEY HERE AND DO THIS, YOU SAY,
WELL, WHY?
WHAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION FOR
THAT?
SO RESOLUTIONS OFFER THAT
JUSTIFICATION.
THEY START THE CONVERSATION.
THEY BUILD THE FOUNDATION SO
THAT THEN MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN
DO OTHER THINGS LIKE, FOR
INSTANCE, THERE'S NO -- YOU
STRUGGLE TO FIND ANY BLACK
BUSINESSES IN WAUSAU, AND I LOOK
AT THAT AS A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY,
BUT HOW DO WE GET THERE IN TERMS
OF INVESTING IN OUR BUSINESSES,
AND, YOU KNOW, BILLING LOCAL
MINORITY OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES,
WHICH COULD REALLY BOLSTER OUR
ECONOMY?
WE START THAT BY HAVING
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE GET
THERE.
ARE THERE DISPARITIES AND
OBSTACLES MAKING THAT DIFFICULT
FOR PEOPLE TO DO BECAUSE,
OBVIOUSLY, THEY DON'T EXIST.
IT STARTS -- IT HAS TO START
SOMEWHERE.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY, TOO, ON A
BASIC LEVEL, I ALWAYS TRY TO
GIVE EXAMPLES ON A VERY BASIC
LEVEL TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.
YOU KNOW, WHEREVER YOU BUY
SOMETHING OR WANT TO DO
SOMETHING, YOU START WITH A
PLAN.
YOU JUST DON'T START BUILDING
SOMETHING, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE
A PLAN FIRST.
THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION
OFFERS.
IT IS A PLAN.
IT IS A WAY FORWARD IN TERMS OF
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IN TERMS OF
OUR FUTURE WHILE MAPPING OUT
AREAS TO DISCUSS AND DEAL WITH
FOR A BETTER UNITY AND FUTURE
MOVING FORWARD.
>> SO YOU DESCRIBE THIS
RESOLUTION PROCESS AS A LITTLE
BIT MORE BORING THAN IT MIGHT
SEEM HAVING TAKEN A YEAR TO KIND
OF DISSECT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE
IN THERE.
YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE FOR
WAUSAU IN WAYS IN WHICH IT HAS
BEEN VERY WELCOMING TO YOU.
DO YOU SEE THAT AS YOUR PATHWAY
FORWARD?
HOW DO YOU KIND OF PLAN TO
COMBAT SOME OF THE
MISINFORMATION, AND IS THIS JUST
A VOCAL MINORITY OF PEOPLE IN
THE COMMUNITY?
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY
PEOPLE ARE OPPOSED, OR HOW MANY
PEOPLE ARE FOR THIS RESOLUTION
BEYOND JUST THE SUPERVISORS ON
THE COUNTY BOARD?
>> I DO.
I THINK A MAJORITY OF THE
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THIS
RESOLUTION AND WANTS TO SEE IT
PASS, AND WE HAD A TOWN HALL,
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED
UP SUPPORTED IT.
22 PEOPLE SPOKE.
OUT OF THOSE, ONLY FIVE BY
DISSENTED, AND IN TERMS OF
MENTIONED BEFORE IN RACISM AND
CRITICAL RACE THEORY, THINGS
THAT ARE NOT EVEN IN THERE, THAT
SEEPED INTO OVERALL PEOPLE'S
THOUGHTS OF FEARS, AND PEOPLE
PLAY OFF PEOPLE'S FEARS, AN I
TALK WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND
I THINK MOST PEOPLE WANT TO SEE
OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO MOVE
FORWARD OWN GROW.
SO MOST PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED
TO OR INTERACTED WITH, A LOT OF
THEM ARE SUPPORTIVE, AND THERE
ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DO HAVE
CONCERNS, AND, YOU KNOW, I TALK
TO THEM, AND PART OF THE PROCESS
IS WORKING THROUGH THE CONCERNS,
TOO, IN TERMS OF RESOLUTIONS.
AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T BE
JUST ABOUT WHAT ONE SET OF GROUP
OF PEOPLE THINK.
THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY A
RESOLUTION THAT RESINATES WITH
ALL, ALL, OR THE MAJORITY,
REALLY GOT TO LISTEN TO EACH
OTHER AND TALK TO EACH OTHER,
AND SOMETIMES YOU LEARN MORE
WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE NOT
TALKING OR TALKING AT EACH
OTHER, BUT LISTENING TO EACH
OTHER, AND YOU ARE HEARING WHERE
PEOPLE COME FROM, THEIR
EXPERIENCES, AND TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FEEL THE WAY
THEY DO, AND THEN, ALSO, TELLING
THEM WHY YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU
DO, AND GAINING SOME
UNDERSTANDING.
I THINK WHEN I'VE DONE THAT
PROCESS, MYSELF, WITH PEOPLE,
AND I HAD SOMETIMES TWO AND A
HALF HOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH
PEOPLE, WE GET TO A PLACE OF
REAL UNDERSTANDING.
THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN MISSING, I
THINK, OVER THE PAST YEAR.
AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, FOR A
NUMBER OF REASONS, PANDEMIC AND
OTHERWISE, AND SO MY FEAR HAS
BEEN THAT A LOT OF THESE EVENTS,
PANDEMIC AND OTHER THINGS, ARE
IMACCOUNT PAGE -- IMPACTING OUR
COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT'S NOT
WHO WE HAVE BEEN AND WHO WE HOPE
TO BE, AND SO THAT WE DO NEED
SOMETIMES TO MOVE FORWARD AND
MAKE STATEMENTS REAFFIRMING, YOU
KNOW, OUR CHARACTER AND WHO WE
ARE, AND WHERE WE PLAN TO GO
BECAUSE THAT, I THINK, WE'RE
MUCH BETTER THAN SORT OF THE
DIVISIVE NASTINESS THAT YOU SEE
OUT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. OR THAT
WE HAVE SEEN, UNFORTUNATELY,
SOMETIMES UP IN OUR COMMUNITY,
YOU KNOW, WE ARE BETTER THAN
THAT BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE THAT,
IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT ARE, YOU
KNOW, MOST OF THEM ARE LOVING
AND CARING AND ARE BETTER THAN
THAT.
NOW, WE SAYING WE ARE WELCOME
WITHING IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE
DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS.
THAT'S NOT SO SAY THAT, YOU
KNOW, THE PROBLEMS FACED BY
THESE COMMUNITIES ARE OFFICIAL,
THAT THEY DON'T EXIST, THAT
THERE IS NO, YOU KNOW,
DISPARITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, ON
ITS FACE IN TERMS OF NUMBERS END
UP BEING, YOU KNOW, RESULT-WISE
DISCRIMINATORY.
THOSE EXIST, BUT WE HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE, TALK
ABOUT THOSE, AND I THINK WE ALL
WANT TO WORK ON THOSE IN TERMS
OF, YOU KNOW, BUILDING A BETTER
COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE WE
LOOK OUT FOR EVERYONE, SO THAT'S
WHAT I TRY TO GET ACROSS TO
PEOPLE.
IT IS NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
REALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKING
ANYTHING.
IT IS REALLY ABOUT US ALL
LIFTING EACH OTHER UP AND
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE,
MARATHON COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISOR
AND WAUSAU ATTORNEY, WILLIAM
HARRIS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU
TODAY AND EVERYONE OUT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.
>> FOR MORE FROM "HERE & NOW"
AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT
PBSWISCONSIN.ORG, AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "NOON
WEDNESDAY".