I applaud the 11 Madison alders asking Associated Students of Madison to cover the costs involved with baby-sitting the Mifflin Street Block Party this year. ASM's claim to not being able to finance the additional costs involved just are not true.
This is the same student group that reported a few weeks ago its coffers had more than a million dollars left over in its budget and was reallocating this excess to spend what is left over. The thought of a rebate to students that overpaid their collection into this fund was rejected. Are we training them to be future politicians by this overcharge? The idea of a free lunch for some is long overdue. It is time to end these events that create additional costs to Madison taxpayers for police baby-sitting.
ASM's claim that they cannot use funds unless they are educational does not hold water. The taxpayers in Madison must be getting fed up with getting ripped off on their taxes.
Former Trustee
Village of Deforest
Despite what Jake Herrera wrote in his opinion column (\Protest Warrior harmful to campus right,"" 4-26) groups such as Protest Warrior, Free Republic and Students For War are needed, especially now. Groups such as College Republicans are primarily for getting Republicans elected, not doing activism, albeit this chapter has done a good job with activism. I suppose Jake Herrera would rather have conservatives use conventional methods.
The only problem with this is that when the left has such a stranglehold on campus, we must use unorthodox tactics to get our point across, and if it takes counter protesting at an anti-war rally, then we do it. Our signs are meant to expose the hypocrisy of the left.
The sign that says ""Liberating Iraqi Children... It's Costing too much"" is to tell the anti-war left that they are not supporting freedom if they believe the war costs too much. Our other signs also have similar messages on socialism and other left-wing issues.
UW-Madison
Protest Warrior
Chapter Leader
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In response to Jake Herrera's column ""Protest Warrior harmful to campus right,"" I must say that most ""peace protestors"" and liberals in general are really bugged by the Protest Warriors. They show up and merely wait for the ""peaceful protestors"" to show their true natures by demonstrating just how non-peaceful they really are. They tape the attacks and then post them on their website. And it really bugs the ""peaceful protestors"" because they cannot keep the protest warriors from exercising their right to free speech.
From his tone I am certain that if Mr. Herrera could have his way the only voices allowed to be heard would be those whose opinion he agrees with.
Kingman, Ariz.
