For those who are not familiar with the situation, Senator Hansen was backing out of his garage in 2007 when his two year old granddaughter ran behind the car. Hansen was not able to see her and ran her over. It was a tragic accident that resulted in NO criminal charges against the State Senator--and, based on Hansen's emotional response in an Action 2 News report yesterday, caused a permanent emotional scar on him and his family.
Wisneski's Facebook comments show an incredible lack of perspective in comparing the circumstances of him throwing his cat off his bed and it suffering a broken leg--and a grandfather accidentally running over his granddaughter. It also shows a complete lack of understanding of the definition of "murder"--an intentional effort to take another person's life.
It also shows the lack of respect for others underlying the current political discourse in this country. Jason Wisneski is running for a non-partisan, part-time County Board seat. He's not even running against Dave Hansen. Yet, the scorched earth policy established by Karl Rove has made its way into a race that will likely see all of a thousand people bother to cast a vote next Tuesday.
Now does that mean I think all political campaigns should feature smiley faces and singing together around the campfire? Certainly not. If Dave Hansen's next opponent wants to steal the line Senator Mike Ellis used about him here on WOSH years ago ("Dave Hansen can't got to the bathroom without direction from the unions") that's fine. If they want to show pictures of him huddling with his fellow Democrats in Illinois instead of doing his job in Madison, that's fair as well. But to continue to beat the man reminders that he bears responsibility for the tragic death of his granddaughter is WAY out of bounds.
And it's why finding a good man or woman in politics will continue to get harder in the future.
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