OPINION & EDITORIAL
Absolutely wrong on Kumar
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- Absolutely not. (December 5, 2005)
by Letters to the Editor
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
This letter is in response to the article "Absolutely Not," which was published in The Badger Herald and authored by the Badger Herald Editorial Board on Monday, Dec. 5, 2005. In this article, University of Wisconsin student-activist and organizer Ashok Kumar is unfairly attacked and grossly misrepresented.
Mr. Kumar is one of Madison's most intelligent, dedicated and effective student organizers. Mr. Kumar has worked tirelessly since his freshman year to protect and advance the rights of students, workers, women and people of color. He has been intricately involved in grassroots campaigns to lower tuition costs for students, provide more state funding for higher education and has demanded that students of color and students from low-income backgrounds are accorded greater access to the university. Mr. Kumar is also a longtime member of the Student Labor Action Coalition, a student group dedicated to the struggle for social justice for all.
As a member of SLAC, Kumar has fought for a living wage for all UW workers and has passionately fought for the rights of exploited workers in overseas factories by demanding that the UW administration sever its ties with corporations who manufacture university apparel in sweatshops. Kumar is also devoted to fighting all forms of gender discrimination and oppression and helped form the Fraternity Action Coalition, a group composed of fraternity members and sexual assault and dating-violence activists. As a member of this group, Kumar participated in and facilitated discussions on issues such as masculinity, violence against women and sexual assault.
Mr. Kumar became involved in the battle against tuition hikes while serving as the freshman class representative to ASM. By his sophomore year, Kumar was organizing petitions and marches with other student groups such as SLAC, demanding increased funding for higher education and decreases in tuition. Kumar and other student activists were able to collect 5,000 signatures in support of such demands, and these petitions were sent to the state Legislature.
Kumar also worked closely with other UW universities on issues of funding and tuition, and together all UW campuses encouraged their administrations to send letters to students' parents about the vulnerable state of their children's education. This was an endeavor completely organized by students with the goal of educating parents about the attack on higher education and the rising cost of education.
Ashok Kumar is a person who fiercely believes in equality and justice. He has devoted his entire college career thus far to fighting for social and economic justice and strongly believes that students and young people have the power to make positive change on our campus, in the community and in this world.
This letter was submitted by Julie Shevrin.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 3:34am):
There's no author attributed to this letter. Care to enlighten us, Herald?
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 3:36am):
I agree with this letter. Ashok has been there for students when it counts on the key issues. That's the kind of person we need more of in politics, not less. Vote Ashok!
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 8:10am):
Um...yeah.
This letter has no credibility if we don't know who wrote it.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 1:07pm):
"Kumar participated in and facilitated discussions on issues such as masculinity, violence against women and sexual assault."
Well, Kumar better hope some of the girls he has seen in the past don't go public about the way he treats them.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 2:42pm):
The letter was written by Julie Shevrin. It's in the paper, but not online.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 3:12pm):
It's funny how people who know Ashok personally are torn about him. On the one hand, his friends and SLAC associates love him to death see him as one of the few people on campus willing to actually speak out on the issues they care about. On the other hand, the rest of us know him as a two-faced, self-aggrandizing hypocrite more interested in getting his name in the paper than in following through on the principles he espouses. He's cocky and disrespectful (especially to women), and there's no reason to think he's going to behave like anything other than an obnoxious buffoon on the County Board.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 3:21pm):
The last post should be scrubbed by the moderator. How low can you go??
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 3:58pm):
I like how there was another article today about that great activist Adam Korn. Also enjoying the BH's endorsement of Lapidus, even though he hasn't been on campus for a full year and will be too busy with SSFC.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 5:26pm):
At least anonymous supports Mr. Kumar's zeal.
I don't.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 11:10pm):
Too bad David Lapidus's term SSFC term runs out this spring anyways. He will be fully devoted to serving Dane County if elected.
Anonymous (December 7, 2005 @ 11:47pm):
Julie Shevrin is Kumar's campaign manager
Anonymous (January 26, 2006 @ 4:35pm):
David Lapidus is the Republican's candidate. Can you say political death wish?
Anonymous (February 23, 2006 @ 9:02pm):
The Dane County Board is a two year term. Kumar is a junior. Do the math. He will be graduating in May 2007. Is he planning to stick around in Madison to complete his term, or is he going to resign and move on? Maybe Lapidus is a better choice since he is a freshman and will definitely be on campus for two more years. Their platforms are very similar. They both strike me as bright, dedicated young men who are committed to community service and to the greater good.
