Wisconsin is by and large a suburban state. Most in-state students come from towns characterized by cul-de-sacs, malls and McDonald's. Virtually the only way to tell if you are in Appleton, Green Bay, or Eau Claire is by looking at what high school is supported by the stickers on the area residents' bumpers. Madison, being a college town, has thankfully been bereft of such local insubstantialities. However, this charm is currently being threatened by a new influx of corporate behemoths. In order to protect what makes Madison great, we need to support local businesses against their national competitors.
The isthmus of Madison is stunning not only for its natural beauty, but for its utter lack of national chains. There is nary a Barnes and Noble to be seen; in its place we have Paul's and Canterbury. Instead of TGI Friday's we are blessed with the Great Dane and the Angelic. Rather than Tower Records we are fortunate enough to have B-Side and Strictly Discs. Even our radio tuner, that most apparent casualty of corporate greed, is still graced by the likes of student radio, Studio M and a couple Grateful Dead programs. These locally-owned businesses are a large part of what makes Madison great. You will never find a Great Dane, a B-Side or a Canterbury Books in a town like Appleton.
But beware, isthmus dwellers: our independence is slowly being taken away from us, and if we are not careful the thriving local scene may turn into a Downtown Mall to go with East Towne and West Towne. State Street is already home to a Starbuck's and a Gap, and with all the money being spent on the evitalization"" of State Street and the Overture Center, which subsequently displaced local favorite Radical Rye, we must be wary that a newer, cleaner, more 'modern' State Street is not merely code for a more commercial one as well.
While some may advocate legislative exclusion of corporate monsters from downtown business districts, they do not realize that this is just as dangerous as the problem they seek to combat. In attempting to preserve local peculiarities, we are hoping to preserve the American ideal. America is a country renowned, at least prior to the current Bush administration, for freedom of choice in all aspects of life. We are free to choose a religion, what to say, and where to shop.
The problem with corporate monsters is that they limit our choices. When Home Depots, Wal-Marts and Olive Gardens move into town, they ostensibly diminish the amount of consumer freedom. They invariably drive the little guys out of business, leaving only a few supercenters where there were once several independent retailers. While some may say you are still free to choose between Red Lobster and Olive Garden, it is really more like the days when Henry Ford famously said of his Model T, ""you can choose any color you want, so long as it is black"".
The best way to combat these corporate eyesores is simply to not support them. Instead of seeking a legislative solution to an economic problem, one should merely hit them where it hurts the most: the pocketbook. Instead of imploring your representative to fight the Olive Gardens of the world for you on the Senate floor, fight them yourself by not eating there. If consumers demonstrate a preference for locally owned stores by boycotting chains, the conglomerates will respect that choice, not out of respect for individual choice, but out of respect for the only thing they care for: their bottom lines.
Mike Gorwitz is a senior majoring in English and political science.
