A Wisconsin community is banning politicians from marching in its hometown parade
MADISON – Organizers of an upcoming Dane County parade banned politicians and candidates for office from marching, despite previously allowing incumbents and current officials to participate.
Restrictions on the Sunday event were put in place after complaints were lodged by conservatives who wanted GOP candidates to participate since Middleton-area elected officials are all Democrats.
Some comments made on social media, including one that suggested Republican candidates should walk in the parade anyway and bring firearms, prompted organizers to ban all politicians from the event, according to a statement by the Middleton Good Neighbor Festival.
Republican candidate for Dane County sheriff Anthony Hamilton in a radio appearance last week called the parade policy “a very clear violation of the law,” and called upon his supporters to push back against the city, sparking the debate.
“The Middleton Good Neighbor parade has forbidden any Republican from walking in their thing this week coming up ... only incumbents, and I would like to reach out to all of your listeners and have them call the Middleton Good Neighbor organization and the city of Middleton and protest the decision," Hamilton said.
Festival president Nancy Vickery said one threat that prompted the new policy was to have Middleton “blown off the face of the Earth." Vickery said she faults Hamilton for fueling animosity toward the city during his interview with conservative radio show host Vicki McKenna.
“I would say I blame him,” Vickery said. “For a law enforcement officer to come out and try to start something to incite people to come and cause problems, I think that is pretty sad.”
Vickery added the restrictions placed on candidates for office in the parade were intended to limit campaigning at the event and were not based on partisan affiliation. She said Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson was invited to participate.
Hamilton disavowed calls for violence made by others after he pushed back against the parade policy. He said advocates for such courses of action were not supporters of his and described openly carrying firearms at the parade as “an exceptionally bad idea.”
“Those people did not represent me at all," Hamilton said. " So, anyone that made any commentary about showing up armed or anything like that, stay in your basement. We don't want you here. Keep your ideas at home."
Democratic state Rep. Dianne Hesselbein, who represents Middleton, cast doubt on the possibility of violent acts unfolding at the Good Neighbor Festival and said she consistently felt safe in public appearances at similar parades
“I've always felt safe being in any of the parades that I've been in, whether it be Verona or Waunakee or Mt. Horeb,” Hesselbein said. "I've never felt nervous in any way.”
A Middleton Police Department official also said they have seen little evidence to indicate any armed rallies or attacks will take place this weekend. Capt. Jeremy Geiszler described threatening comments online as "vague" and lacking "specific threats."
Regardless, Geiszler said the department is keeping tabs on the issue and said he does not condone open carrying at the Good Neighbor Festival, though the practice is legal in Wisconsin.
“Our number one hope is that nobody shows up open carrying,” Geiszler said. “We’re definitely taking it seriously, we’re monitoring the situation. We would obviously discourage people trying to do that, trying to escalate the situation.”
While the decision to remove political figures of all stripes from their parade stemmed from a desire to safeguard against violence, Vickery said Middleton will likely keep the ban in place in an effort to depoliticize the event entirely.
Vickery said the excessive presence of candidates for office in a community event detracts from the entertainment value of the parade, particularly for children and families.
"We didn't want a bunch of politicians in the parade," Vickery said. "That's not entertaining for people. A bunch of kids will be sitting there watching the parade with all these people walking by they have no clue who they are."
Both Hamilton and Hesselbein expressed frustration with the full candidate ban put into place, with Hamilton again calling on the Good Neighbor Festival to allow both challengers and incumbents to march.
“I think parades are kind of an American tradition where candidates for election get to have an open contact ... with voters, and I would prefer that they allow all candidates, but I respect their opinion,” Hamilton said.
Hesselbein said she is willing to step aside for this year’s parade in order to comply with city rules and regulations, but was discouraged by the festival's departure from a longstanding tradition.
“If my not being there, and being banned from the committee makes that happen, then I'm OK with that,” Hesselbein said. “I’m disappointed, but that's their decision and I will abide by it.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Middleton bans politicians from marching in its hometown parade
