Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Mass intoxication, chaos enable crime

You can measure a paper as well by the quality of its readers as that of its writers. By that measure, it should come as no surprise that The Badger Herald enjoys its fair share of intelligent critics. Here are some of my picks for the most nuanced and thoughtful opinions articulated in the comments sections of the Badger Herald in the last week.

In response to Kevin Bargnes’ April 18 letter to the editor, “‘War on Mifflin’ maybe sensational, but accurate description of new downtown police state”:

feta_worldpeace

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“The most offensive thing in this whole “War on Mifflin” is the audacity of the white, male college students to declare police presence grounds for labeling Madison as a “police state.” Asking for IDs from suspected underage drinkers with open containers in the street is not a police state. Having a daily curfew and being fearful of leaving your own house for everyday things is a police state. Not having free press is a police state. Clearly, since you have the means and access to voice this opinion supporting something that is an actual problem and detrimental to this community, we are not living in a police state. Grow the fuck up. Your privilege to party/get drunk/wear ridiculous neon muscle tanks with “SORRY 4 PARTYING” on them is not being taken away, so stop whining and embarrassing your fellow millennials. If you really think your rights are being taken away, call the ACLU.”

Right on, feta. The objections that have been raised to the
actions of the University of Wisconsin, the Madison Police Department and the student leadership are the sort of absurdly hyperbolic claims that have diluted this country’s discourse and made it impossible for the media to delineate between ginned-up attention grabs and actual crises. The audacity is, indeed, stunning.

remingtonsteal

“It’s been very interesting watching this saga unfold 11 years and 1,000 miles removed from UW. Frankly, I don’t get the outrage now, nor did I get the love for the Block Party when I was in school. My freshman year, it seemed like an awesome, storied tradition. Then, I went. By my junior year, living on West Wash and working at Cap Centre Foods, I saw it for what it was: a nuisance and a thin excuse to get (more) wasted (than normal) during the day.”

You’re right, Remington. Mifflin used to have a constructive purpose. It has become a shit show with no goal other than getting collectively hammered.

In response to John Waters’ April 16 column, “MPD attacks student culture with Mifflin stance”:

Johnny

“Pretty sure it was the stabbings and sexual assaults that killed Mifflin, don’t try to blame it on anything else. If you want to have the event, then have it exclusively for UW students, which I’m sure were never the problem in the first place.”

Totally. There may have been other contributors (trash, police overstretch, ect.), but Mifflin is endangered because people took advantage of the chaos to do some really dirty deeds. The stabbings and sexual assaults showed a total lack of control. The city had to get it under wraps. 

Nathaniel Olson ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science, history and psychology.

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