Voters, County Board can have broader focus
Last week's staff opinion (""Board needs new campaign,"" Feb. 14) was a thoughtful and important analysis. Student papers should continue explaining the powers of the Dane County Board and Madison Common Council.
What was left out is that, unfortunately, the County Board is polarized and has switched between conservative and progressive control. Conservatives control it today and block student-oriented proposals.
Sups. Echnaton Vedder, District 8; Scott McDonell, District 4; and Tom Powell, District 5, have supported agencies like the Rape Crisis Center and the Tenant Resource Center. They are facing added pressure from Gov. Scott McCallum's budget and will need all the help they can get. So I disagree with opinions that they shouldn't care about the environment and affordable housing.
First, this community, with its volunteers, activists and Peace Corps members, is one of concern and civic responsibility. Even if the environment and housing outside of Madison didn't have ripple effects downtown, most would strongly support these issues.
Second, about half the County Board candidates are conservatives backed by landlord/developer lobbies supporting sprawl without regulations or environmental protections.
And the other half are Democrats, Greens and Progressives backed by tenants, unions, environmentalists, service workers and students. They've fought the landlord lobby for tenant rights, assault prevention, clean water, alternative sentencing, services for the disabled and needy, preventing sprawl and affordable housing. Generally, we have these values in common.
The campus community can play an important role in improving life for everyone in this county. This is a role we should be proud of.
SheThinks.org ignores purpose of 'Monologues'
I am writing in response to an advertisement from SheThinks.org in the Cardinal's Valentine's Day issue that claims, ""Feminist groups are turning Valentine's Day into 'V-Day''a time to promote female victimology and tedious performances of 'The Vagina Monologues.'"" I am going to guess that the members of SheThinks.org have never attended a production of ""The Vagina Monologues.""
As a representative of the Campus Women's Center, a women's studies major, a member of the Madison V-Day Collective and a proud feminist, I would like to tell the members of SheThinks.org that the ""tedious performances of 'The Vagina Monologues'"" embrace female sexuality, break down myths about female sexuality and promote the prevention of violence against women.
First, the staff at the Campus Women's Center does not use the word ""victim"" in reference to violence against women. The word takes all personal strength and agency away from the woman. Instead, she is a survivor. The productions of ""The Vagina Monologues"" do nothing to promote victimization; instead they promote female sexuality and the strength that women possess.
Second, for most of the students at this university, Valentine's Day has been nothing short of a Hallmark holiday because we know it no other way. We don't celebrate the holiday in the name of Saint Valentine any more; we simply see V-Day as a time to give loved ones candy, cards, flowers and lingerie. Valentine's Day is no longer about love and compassion'it's about gifts and material items. SheThinks.org claims that we need to ""Take Back the Date"" by bringing the romance back into the celebration of Valentine's Day. I believe that this is the true intent of ""The Vagina Monologues."" It is a time to take back the female body, proclaim love for the female body and embrace female sexuality.
Third, ""The Vagina Monologues"" is something we can share with one another and learn a few lessons from. If more men attended ""The Vagina Monologues"" this February with their partners, Valentine's Day would be much more enjoyable for us all, if you know what I mean. We could all stand to learn more about female sexuality. In the process, ticket buyers are donating their money to wonderful organizations that are working to end violence against women, not promote victimology, such as the Women's Transit Authority. Honestly, what is so bad about promoting an anti-violence message and simultaneously sending a message of love from the female body?
