I have been a politically active citizen for many years, and during summer 2004 campaigned extensively for John Kerry. On Feb. 21, it will be my honor to cast a primary ballot for David Lapidus in the race for Dane County Board.
There are two types of liberalism at UW-Madison. One is obsessed with division and exclusive political labels; this explains why Adam Korn, one of Lapidus' rivals, is running as a Democrat for a nonpartisan position. The other is inclusive and antidogmatic. It is this positive liberalism which Lapidus personifies. I don't particularly care who Lapidus supported for president in 2004. If elected, he will not be in a position to deploy our military forces or nominate Supreme Court justices.
Lapidus will, however, be a bipartisan spokesperson for students' rights. Committed to tenants, he will support the creation of a computerized system, modeled after RateMyProfessors.com, which will provide helpful information about prospective landlords and roommates. And realizing non-violent offenses take up an unhealthy amount of our police officers' energies, he will help pressure the UW Police to reduce enforcement of marijuana-related laws.
In sending Lapidus to the Dane County Board, Madison students will be supporting not just an ideal candidate with a reasoned approach to local issues, but a type of political discourse which Madison activists must aspire to if they hope to survive in an intellectual environment.
