Wake up, Dave
I find Citizen Dave’s opinion piece “Should a Liberal Vote for Kasich?” (3/18/2016) appalling. Yes, Dave Cieslewicz, you can share this other guy’s ideas and strategies for voting in Wisconsin’s upcoming primary and again in November. However, what disturbs me is how you quickly proceed to write off real possibilities for election outcomes.
When I read “So, with the nomination pretty much sewn up by Clinton,” I feel irritated. This is an erroneous presumption and only serves to dissuade voters from thoughtful and active participation. This does not meet needs for respect and consideration of voters, or democracy itself.
A better strategy for you and that liberal friend of yours is to let voters in Wisconsin, and those in primaries to come, be the ones to sew up the race at the end of the primary season. You are wielding Citizen Dave power in a way that puts a damper on democracy and aliveness afoot in rural communities and urban centers alike.
Stop it! Bernie Sanders is a formidable contender. This is not a liberal movement, but a local and grassroots groundswell. Wake, up Dave. Wake up, naysayers!
Jill M. Lynch, Viroqua (via email)
Tag, you’re it!
I take exception to Isthmus highlighting the work of graffiti “artist” ATER (Snapshot, “Graffiti Rush,” 3/10/2016). Praising his efficiency in working covertly under stress, the author, Dylan Brogan, admiringly extoled his virtues as though he was a fine craftsman.
Brogan also tells of respect for accomplished taggers, lending credibility to this destructive activity as though it were some sort of recognized profession.
Highlighting graffiti as “art” disparages every property owner who has ever had to clean it up. We do not appreciate you making light of and even promoting what amounts to a very serious problem for us. While we are trying to discourage graffiti, your article serves to diminish all of the progress that landlords and the Madison Police Department have made.
Finally, to tout the legal exemption for a reporter to be present to document and report on this act of vandalism only serves to indict the journalism profession.
David Peterson (via email)
Corrections and clarifications
The URL for Banzo Shük in last week’s review was incorrect. The correct URL for both Banzo restaurants is banzomadison.com. “Uncontested,” last week’s story about Dane County Board races, should have noted that one of the candidates, Adam Tobias, has contributed movie reviews to Isthmus and that he works for state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin).
