In Palo Alto, where we lived for over forty years and raised our family, we often felt besieged by fundraising canvassers and petitioners who would travel from cities all over the Bay Area to knock on our door and the doors of other people in this community renowned for being upscale and prosperous, although our decent and quiet little working-class neighborhood rarely felt that upscale and prosperous to us.

Jerks from Greenpeace (and only Greenpeace) once even refused to take “no” for an answer and tried to coerce us by saying agressively, “Your neighbors down the block gave generously!” It was tempting to hide out from these assaults, but we usually opened the door and listened politely, occasionally giving what we could to the most deserving causes.

In Wisconsin these days, things are decidedly different. I’ve heard stories that residents are running out of their houses and hunting down the petitioners in order to make sure they get their names on the recall petitions.

Signature-gatherers in the following video describe the intense passion behind this recall effort.

Does this bode well for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and his Republican union-bashing minions?

Let’s hope not.