The first picnic

After days and days and days and days of rain when I met up with a former colleague during his lunch hours on a day which knew how to be spring, a picnic in the park seemed to be the only reasonable choice. Like me he is a Swiss American and as well read if not better than I am. We both delve into papers from many different countries before forming our opinions.

As citizens of both countries, he told me how he took a day off from work to go to Bern to manifest for Widmer-Schlumpf. She replaced Christian Blocher, the far right leader of the UDC. He was ousted as one of the Seven Dwarfs in the executive branch. In turn, the party is trying to oust her, although her election was totally legal in every way.

My political buddy said that about 12,000 people were in the square in front of the Parliament in Bern. Between the crowds and rain he couldn't see much until she came out to speak...and in the best Hollywood tradition the sun came out, the umbrellas came down and he had a great view.

He doesn't like her policies, but he felt as a citizen he has to actively protect the democratic process. It is a lot of work to live in a democracy.