In the April 5 edition of The Badger Herald, an opinion letter sent by Kevin Barrett expressed concern about the Middle East conflict. The letter claimed the IDF and Ariel Sharon are creating an Israel in “the mirror image of Nazi Germany.” Barrett also claims Israel is carrying out genocide and that Sharon wants a “Jewish master race” to populate Israel.
As much as I am insulted and saddened to read this article, I am even more horrified that you would print it. Certainly, expressing one’s opinion in this confusing situation is legitimate, but comparing the Israelis (a people founded by the refugees from the horrible genocide, one I’m sure Barrett doesn’t truly understand) to Nazis is cruel, ugly, unnecessary and extremely anti-Semitic.
I’m quite sure Barrett doesn’t truly understand the situation in Israel, not to mention what happened to more than six million Jews only 50 years ago. To state this the week before Holocaust Remembrance Week is all the more horrible. Barrett is distasteful and anti-Semitic, but the Herald, as a paper, is far worse for printing this hate speech.
Joshua Rosenthal
UW freshman
In response to Monday’s editorial, “It’s Worth It,” I would like to voice my support for both this year’s ASM council as well as the REACH slate.
ASM is much more than seg-fee distribution. We have tackled issues ranging from sexual assault to tenants’ rights. We helped secure a student radio station for the campus as well as more space for student organizations and a new UHS building. We are in the midst of creating a police advisory board to increase the lines of communication between students and the police. We brought you the free L-bus line. Thanks to the ASM Plan 2008 campaign, the administration will now start conducting exit interviews to find out why students drop out of UW-Madison.
If elected, candidates on the REACH slate can help us win on more student issues. Their platform is about educational access — financially, in fighting tuition hikes, and ideologically, by protecting student sovereignty over student funds.
Furthermore, The Badger Herald is incorrect in stating that the REACH slate is made up mostly of incumbents. Out of the 20 candidates on the REACH slate, only five are from this year’s council.
REACH is a solid slate with students’ best interests in mind. Please take a few minutes today to read its platform for yourself at www.reachuw.org.
Jenny Chen
ASM L&S representative
ASM has a direct effect on every student on campus. Some students feel these effects more than others. As a member of the Badger Party, it is our goal to produce positive, visible changes that help all students.
One of our goals is the preservation of drink specials. Banning drink specials will obviously cost students more money for alcohol at bars. This will then drive the students to cheaper house parties, which do not have bouncers, security, a trained staff or trained bartenders.
Just this last Saturday night it was reported that a group of people beat a person at a house party. There was no bouncer there to stop the fight. This is just one reported example out of the many dangerous, out-of-control house parties that happen every weekend. Banning drink specials will increase the number of these unsafe situations, as well as decrease students’ money supply (which is already dwindling due to the ridiculous tuition increases).
We will continue to promote and provide alternatives to drinking, but many students enjoy drinking and love the drink specials that make this enjoyment affordable. When elected, we will ensure drinking specials will remain a reasonably priced way to help have fun.
Kyle Tromblee
UW senior
James Kent’s opinion article “Paying for Death” demonstrates the hypocrisy of American policy toward the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Kent condemns Saddam Hussein for paying families of Palestinian suicide bombers and argues the United States should topple Hussein.
However, there is a double standard here. The United States funded guerilla terrorists in Afghanistan to terrorize the Soviet occupation.
Second, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the United States imposed a deadline to withdraw. Now that the Israeli army has invaded, no deadline or conditions have been imposed on Israel to withdraw. Israel has a nuclear arsenal which is a threat against neighboring Arab countries and is the leading recipient of aid from the United States to produce weapons of mass destruction, yet there is no United Nations sanction against Israel.
Finally, the United States should hold Israel accountable for their military campaign against Palestinian refugee camps and the murder of innocent civilians. The Palestinian people are the largest refugee population in the world and number in the millions. Land and freedom reparations should be granted to the Palestinian people, and their suffering should be eased by the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state. Israel should not stand in the way — without a political solution more violence will fester.
Raul Islas
Madison, Wis.
When The Badger Herald stated “no major concerns have been voiced about the plant” MG&E plans to build on campus (“Area power giant promotes efficient new plant”), it must not have known about WisPIRG’s “Big Red, Go Green!” renewable energy fair that occurred the day before the article was published. More than 80 students who attended the fair filled out comment cards asking MG&E to consider alternatives to the new plant, such as expanding their renewable energy program.
Although a co-generation plant is less polluting than a coal plant, it still uses fossil fuels, meaning it still emits carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides and will still contribute to serious problems like smog and global warming.
Plus, just because an additional plant is built does not mean we will become any less reliant on the dirtier coal plants. There are no plans to shut down the coal plants when the new co-generation plant is built, so pollution will just increase.
That’s why many students would like to see MG&E build up its renewable energy program, which now provides wind power for a paltry three percent of homes in Madison. MG&E claims to be taking the high road by using a natural gas. But the bottom line is, another fossil fuel plant means more pollution, no matter how “clean” natural gas is compared to coal.
Katie Weber
UW sophomore
ASM elections are upon us. I won’t say I have my hand on the pulse of the campus, but it is plainly clear the majority of students are not happy with the astronomical seg fee increases thrust on us this year. There is only one way that we can change the status quo, and that’s by making a major changing of the guard.
It all boils down to one basic nugget of truth — if real change is to occur, then every last student needs to vote against the REACH slate. Each REACH candidate subscribes to the progressive brand of politics, and we all know what that means when applied to ASM spending.
Last year the fun progressive-acronym-du-jour was JEDI, and many of these candidates were elected. Look at the results gleaned from that mistake — we can’t let that happen again. This is your money being spent folks!
REACH candidates have conveniently labeled themselves as such on their candidacy statements, so check out asm.wisc.edu for their opponents and select one to your liking; it’s the most profitable 30 seconds you’ll ever spend. It’s about time we got the silent majority behind the megaphone, so log on and vote.
Brad Schuth
ASM Candidate, School of Business
I spent the last two weeks on a delegation to El Salvador coordinated by Edgewood College, the U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities Network and the Association of Rural Communities for the Development of El Salvador. While in El Salvador, the delegation was involved in many activities, many of which were related to health care.
Availability and quality of health care is a serious issue in El Salvador. As one health promoter stated, “Entering a public heath clinic with a serious disease is like a death sentence.” Because of the high cost of health care, many pregnant women depend on self-trained midwives instead of seeking professional attention and receive little prenatal care.
There are rapidly escalating rates of HIV infection among both youth and women of childbearing age. Vaccination rates in the rural areas are extremely low.
But people aren’t just sitting around discussing these problems. The people of El Salvador, who have tremendously limited resources, have worked together to form youth groups, health committees and housing councils to deal with these very issues. In addition, organizations like the Sister Cities Network provide economic assistance and political support to help initiate and carry through with projects.
Now that I am home in Madison, I am able to reflect on the activities I took part in. As a nation, we need to strive for a truer sense of solidarity. We too have people without adequate housing, people without access to health care and youth without the means to a future. Let us use our own greater wealth of resources to unite and begin to address the issues of our own communities. Also, let us apply our own knowledge and experience where it is most needed, whether that is here or someplace like El Salvador.
Polly Boynton
UW senior
As a student at UW-Madison, I am concerned by the recent crackdown on bars. As a regular bar attendee, I am tired of being at bars where the party stops because there are a handful of underagers that use fake IDs to get in. What’s more, there is now talk about ending drink specials to cut the amount of drinking on campus.
What most people don’t know is that many of the current members of ASM are for this. ASM is an overly liberal organization that is going to end the bar scene on this campus if they aren’t replaced by the new candidates this week. The only group I’ve seen that looks like they are going to preserve our right to drink specials is the Badger Party. I guarantee members of the Badger Party like Aaron Werner (SSFC) won’t let drink specials be a thing of the past. If you are at all concerned with this, take five minutes and vote this week online!
Julie Klitzky
UW senior
Many Catholics have had their faith in their church shaken by the recent scandals. However, what is not being revealed to Catholics and others are the true reasons why some of the bishops, without the knowledge of Rome, chose to cover up these scandals. Spiritually, the Catholic Church in the United States and in many parts of the West, has become very lukewarm, for many Bishops set a poor example for those under their rule and routinely participate in, and/or give their approval to many types of scandals, therefore redefining, to fit their own lifestyles, what it means to be truly holy. In relation to this, people in our country need more than “flag waving” to restore our nation to its former greatness. We need, in a far greater way, to set a good example to the world community and use our time and talents to help the less fortunate, not only in our own country, but throughout the entire world, so that through the collective efforts of many, all nations may come to truly experience “peace on earth.” I am now sharing these messages of hope with others so that no matter what your faith, you may also become more aware of the differences between hypocrisy and true holiness.
Vincent Bemowski
Menasha, Wis.
For the next four days, all students on this campus should take three minutes out of their schedules to vote in the ASM Student Council elections. Most people are probably expecting the same old thing: power-hungry candidates promising this and that to get elected, and then doing little when they are (except, of course, raising tuition through student fees).
Well get ready everyone, this year things are going to be different, because here comes the Badger Party. This past year, student government has set a record for itself in the amount of money it takes from the student population to fund small groups, and even to pay its own members.
The Badger Party thinks a change is in order. We wish to lower tuition by reducing these outrageous seg fees. Student government members should not be paid and small groups should rely on their own members more for covering operating costs. Another big goal of mine, and the Badger Party as well, is to protect drink specials and oppose increased policing of house parties. The efforts of police and city officials can be much better spent dealing with real problems, rather than in reducing our freedom.
It’s time the students of Wisconsin had a student government truly dedicated to every student’s interest. Every student should do him or herself a favor and vote for Drew Horn and the Badger Party this election.
Drew Horn
UW sophomore
