University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Weekend, March 12-15, 2015
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Rally for the police draws opposition
‘Justice for Tony’ protests police violence and disparity By Irene Burski THE DAILY CARDINAL
Protesters’ emotional and powerful demonstration Wednesday, which began in Worthington Park and ended in Maple Bluff, underscored what they saw as systematic failures of the justice system against the backdrop of Tony Robinson’s death last week. Protesters peacefully marched for approximately two miles, halting at the Department of Corrections. They later blocked traffic as they proceeded down and across East Washington Avenue on their way to the Governor’s Mansion, chanting Robinson’s name intermittently with a background of drums. But the protest, in addition to honoring Robinson, drove a con-
versation about racial disparities apparent in all walks of life, from police violence to income inequality to existing flawed legislation, all disproportionately impacting minority communities. “If we don’t fight for the the least of us, the most marginalized, the most disenfranchised, the people whose backs are pushed to the wall, then what are we fighting for?” said Young, Gifted and Black Coalition leader Brandi Grayson. “We are here today to connect the dots, and we have a lot of dots to connect.” Each destination and the covered distance of the demonstration made the march about the “bigger picture,” according to State Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee. He said linked institutional systems
By Michael Frett THE DAILY CARDINAL
Gathering at the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Wednesday, members of the Madison community met to show appreciation for the Madison Police Department following the death of Tony Robinson last week. EMILY BUCK/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Protesters of all ages march from the Department of Corrections to the Governor’s Mansion, calling for justice. are failing to ensure minority communities have access to opportunity, correlating with a perpetuation of disparity. “The only service that [people of color] get is when they are accused of committing crimes and being a burden to society,” Bowen said. “The next step is to continue to make sure that [Gov. Scott Walker] will actually do something
on this issue — not just paying lip service … He needs to focus on his own state.” Clashes with law enforcement did not occur, with police officers keeping a respectful distance. “We tried to get a plan together to make sure they had safe movement through the city on the
THE DAILY CARDINAL
President Barack Obama unveiled Tuesday what he called the Student Aid Bill of Rights, a memorandum that explains a vision for higher education he said would help students manage the cost of college. “Michelle and I have gone through this ourselves,” Obama said in a national teleconference
Wednesday. “We wouldn’t be here, where were are, if it weren’t for the fact that we got grants, loans and work study.” The memo outlines broad goals for handling student debt presented in four key points, including the right to a quality education and the right to an affordable payment plan. In a portion of the bill called “America’s College Promise,”
Obama lays out a plan to make community college free for all Americans, allowing students to transfer to four-year institutions with half of their requirements already completed. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan added in the teleconference that community colleges are not only useful to recent high school graduates, but also to those
Mike Koval police chief Madison Police Department
individuals who are looking to switch careers and retool their skillsets for jobs in fields such as information technology. “Education is not an expense, it’s the best investment we can make, and we all need to work to make college more affordable,” Duncan said. “If we care about increasing
“[We wanted to] grow the support and show the support for the Madison Police Department,” said Brandon, an event organizer who declined to give a last name. “It was time to stand up and just let them know that there are people who stand behind them and what they do.” Crowd members gathered with last Friday’s shooting still on their minds, recognizing the impressions it left on the community. “It’s unfortunate what happened. I have a 19-year old daughter myself … and that could have been [her],” said Mansfield Neblett, a black man who came to Madison from France 14 years
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President Barack Obama unveils student debt proposal By Leo Vartorella
“We’re a city that’s hurting. I don’t want an officer-involved shooting to be the narrative that defines us.”
Wisconsin Republicans find beef with new dietary recommendations
UNION SOUTH
Swap & Shop Moda Magazine hosts 2015’s Swap & Shop event at Union South Wednesday as part of UWMadison’s Fashion Week. Participants could bring gently used clothing to exchange with other donations. + Photo by Thomas Yonash
“Girl in a Band”
Kim Gordon talks life as part of Sonic Youth in new biography + ARTS, page 3
Wisconsin Republicans sent a letter to two federal agencies Monday voicing their frustration with the relegated role of beef in the agencies’ new recommendations to accompany the food pyramid. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture release new dietary guidelines for Americans every five years and recently published the “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee” earlier this spring. The letter to the agencies, written by U.S. Reps. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., and Reid Ribble, R-Wis., described lean meats as a “staple of the American diet.” “The new food pyramid downplays, to the point of making it merely a footnote, the role of lean
meats and processed meats in its recommendations for a healthy and balanced diet,” Duffy and Ribble said in the letter. In a separate press release, titled “Where’s the beef?,” Ribble spoke out against the dietary recommendation as potentially dangerous to the entire farming industry. “Politically or ideologicallymotivated changes not only negatively affects families, but can also throw whole industries into chaos, irresponsibly harming the farmers and processors who feed America,” Ribble said in the release. Duffy, who called the report “misguided,” accused the Obama administration of “overstepping their bounds,” and voiced concern for American consumers. — Eric Cummings
Madison’s progressive haze
+ OPINION, page 5
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”