Madison is a city well-known for it's citizen residents' active and often enthusiastic involvement in education, freedom of speech, and community activism. Perhaps this is one of the qualities of our liberal city that makes it such a great place to visit. We are very patriotic, environmentally conscious and very culturally excepting and diverse. However, our state Capitol Police would have you doubt this image of community when visiting our lovely capitol with there aggressive tactics to crack down on our civil rights. We have in recent years learned that the so-called "War on Terror" is being fought within our own backyards. Our government has become a slave to corperate enterprise and corruption and our freedom of speech as well as our rights are being persecuted and condemned by those who are supposed to serve and protect us. Some of which under Scott Walker's administration have been responsible for issuing 59 citations to 22 citizens for exercising they're rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly in a place that befitts such conduct, none other than our state capitol. This all started in September of this year under the new Capitol Police Chief David Erwin who ultimately answers to Scott Walker. Since he has held this title, 25 people have been arrested and 63 ticketed with citations at the capitol all of which being issued for ridiculous reasons that if mentioned here would leave you laughing with tears in your eyes. Last time I checked I wasn't aware that American citizens needed permits under threat of arrest for such things as holding up T-Shirts for blood drives, letting go of balloons, or singing together at our state capitol. Myself along with other local citizens and even those not living in the city limits feel that the harrassment of the State Capitol's police has gone too far and has hidden agendas that mean to bully and undermine any citizen who wishes to peacefully exercise their rights of freedom of speech. This should not be allowed. People should feel happy that they live in a nation where they can go to their state capitol and protest they're grievences against corruption and injustice, as well as the right to promote progressive thinking and visions of a better future minus getting tickets sent in the mail without them knowing about it, or being arrested for leaving the capital holding pamphlets with singing material. A state capitol is intended to house those individuals who want to assemble peacefully to speak their minds. Instead the Capitol police tickets citizens involved in human rights for holding banners, singing songs, and some even for holding up tee-shirts for causes like donating blood. This is not Nazi Germany and instead of burning books the police have been told that protests cannot exist without a permit at our own state capitol! This is immoral, and Anti-American! If you are as outraged as I am sign this petition. for additional information visit http://wcmcoop.com