That’s why we feel it necessary this evening to call out the tired line about how certain people “hate America.” You would have heard that a lot on Wednesday night if you were one of the few people who tuned in to the event in Dallas designed to feed President Trump’s unquenchable narcissism. 

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) spoke about “dangerous” Democrats and how they “hate what it means to be America.” Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) called Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed “evil.” And you wouldn’t survive a drinking game based on how often people were called communists for daring to be anything other than full-MAGA.

They illustrate one of the most disturbing differences we have in American politics today. No, it’s not that people on the political left hate America. They don’t. The problem is that too many people on the political right hate Americans — not all of them, of course, just the ones they prefer to exclude, diminish, marginalize, discriminate against, surveil, incarcerate, and even deport.

The progressive movement is rooted in love for America and Americans — liberty and justice for all. This shouldn’t be a hard concept to grasp. But some of the people in Dallas were also at the last Republican convention, leaving a stain upon Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum with their handheld signs of “Mass Deportation Now.” If only they understood how their hatred further fuels our love and our resolve to carry on to November 3 and beyond for that more perfect union.

Have a good weekend and stay on top of our social media feeds on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more.

This week, we want your opinions on those controversial Flock cameras. Flock is a well-known brand of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and its advocates point to examples where they have helped catch criminals on the loose, find missing persons, locate stolen vehicles, and more. 

Their critics point to examples where the personal data that’s collected has been misused to track or harass people, not to mention the concerns about a “surveillance state” where police can create databases of where people and vehicles have traveled. Plus it enables law enforcement to engage in targeting people such as political activists or even women seeking reproductive health services.

See more of our coverage about ALPRs in this video from our Lucas Henkel.

Is it possible to have the benefits of ALPRs while reducing or eliminating the potential for abuse? Pick the option closest to your point of view.

Click the box above to be taken to our website where you can select your response. Feel free to say more in the comment box—and leave your first name and hometown so we can share your answer in our next newsletter.

We asked when you first became a regular voter. 

86% said A – Right away at age 18 (or 19 or 20)

11% said B – In my 20s or 30s

Only 2% said C – Late bloomers to voting (age 40+)

Nobody said they don’t vote — which makes sense for the readership of a newsletter about politics!

👉🏼 Deb from Elk Mound: “I first voted in 1973, the first year 18 year olds were able to vote. It was a moving time on college campuses.”

👉🏼Darrel from Melrose chose (B): “I felt it was necesary to vote if I wasnt happy with the current situation. I had no business complaining if I wasn’t willing to cast a vote for change.”

👉🏼 Sandee from Eau Claire: “This right to vote strengthens their interest in preserving our democratic republic. As a senior citizen, I still get a thrill out of exercising my right as just one individual and seeing it count. It is a special honor of living in a free country.”

👉🏼 Betty from Kaukauna: “My parents were immigrants from the Netherlands and not citizens. I was so excited to be able to vote at age 18 (1974). I felt like I was voting for three people instead of one. I have never missed voting in an election.”

Thank you for your participation!

Packers facing a financial time bomb?

We get it: Who wants to read about potentially catastrophic news about the Green Bay Packers just ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Vikings? But Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, who just published “The Green and Gold Standard: A People’s History of the Green Bay Packers,” says the NFL’s decision to allow private equity firms to buy up to a 10% stake in teams could ruin the Packers in a few years. 

As the only publicly-owned team in the league, they would not be able to get the same access to cash, perhaps $1 billion in Nelson’s estimation, that private equity firms can offer—leaving them at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, among other things. 

Watch his full explanation in this video. We’re working on a story for our website that will include a note about how the short-term gain of private equity cash could create long-term pain for fans, since “vulture capitalists” are known for extracting value, increasing costs, and leaving town without any personal stake in the carnage left behind.

There are oodles (literally hundreds) of ways to volunteer to help groups, candidates, and your local party offices. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, for example, lists their events on one site for easy browsing.

Also: With abortion rights and access to reproductive healthcare constantly under attack, we have a story at our website on how you can get involved to protect reproductive freedom in Wisconsin.

Send your events and announcements to Abigail Deatrick, UpNorthNews’ regional community development organizer, at least one week before the event to see them here.

📱 Remember, you can stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great weekend!