Humankind has waged a battle over the role of government and authorities to regulate and control society from the very beginning of human history. Given the nature of human beings to consistently find something to fight over, Its not surprising that this battle rages on today. Here in the United States, the fighting does not usually occur with bullets, guns or bombs. Instead, it occurs, quietly or loudly, with speeches, bills and bureaucrats in the halls of Washington D.C., state capitols, university administrations and city councils.
Anyone who looks back over the events of the last several months can clearly see that the issue of government control and regulation is just as prevalent here in Madison as anywhere else in the country.
Unfortunately, the authorities in the city council and the university administration have seen fit to favor increasingly stringent regulations and control of society rather than remaining in a background position.
The alcohol density plan represents one such attempt by the Madison City Council to try to force the downtown area of Madison to conform to their image of what it should look like. The Badger Herald Editorial Board and College Democrats chair Oliver Kiefer have covered this issue in the past, and I agree with their arguments concerning overcrowding in bars — an anti-free market philosophy and a move to more dangerous locations for partying.
Looking at the broad picture, I find the emerging vision of the city council for the downtown area disturbing. The alcohol density plan and the continuing construction of the Lucky Apartments and other expensive living space reek of gentrification. If this process continues, within a few years the overregulation and gentrification may very well price students out of the area.
The university administration has also seized upon alcohol as a control and regulation issue. The instatement of a "show and blow" breathalyzer testing program for approximately 25 offender students may not seem like it has an impact on other students. In reality though, these sorts of measures take us down a slippery slope.
Like government spending, once the program is institutionalized it will never get smaller or disappear. Instead, a program like this could conceivably expand its scope to anyone who looks or acts inebriated at the football game.
Kyle Szarzynski makes the excellent point in his column that "the new policy is only a further curtailment of the general debauchery surrounding the UW weekend." Participation in this debauchery is a personal choice that should be made solely by the individual. I can only conclude that the university is treating alcohol consumption as another issue requiring unnecessary regulation and control.
Public safety and security have also received plenty of attention lately. Given the recent and highly publicized incidents concerning potentially armed men on campus, many students feel understandably jittery concerning their personal safety. Thus, in the coming days and months there may be various pushes by the university to institute more safety measures to ensure these situations remain under control.
For instance, there has been discussion of creating an instant message or voice-mail warning system that would contact students via cell phone. I think this is an eminently sensible idea and an excellent use of technology to help in these situations. However, the authorities need to maintain a perspective in these matters and not overreact.
There will always be people willing to commit rape, murder or robbery. Having one of these events happen does not give authorities the ability to infringe the rights of law-abiding citizens to go about their daily lives free of suspicion. Furthermore, I would say that the atmosphere of fear that politicians and others have tried to create from violent acts contributes to the government's ability to increase the regulation and control of all of our lives.
In the coming months, I hope to see the "show and blow" policy reversed. I would love to see the demise of the alcohol density plan, but I realize that's unlikely. Above all, I hope that the university continues its sensible response to the recent criminal incidents on campus and avoids succumbing to fear mongering.
With excessive alcohol regulations and public safety worries, the authorities in Wisconsin have intruded unnecessarily into the lives of the general population. Unless these issues continue to be opposed and debated, the battle over the role of government in society will end in an outcome that will not be favorable to private citizens, but to the apparatus of state authority.
Andrew Wagner ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in history and political science.
