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Alcohol abuse is common enough in this state without the city sponsoring an event that promotes it. The immature student population can find something else to do. As a taxpayer I am not interested in paying for police presence at an event like this.
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When I heard they were going to do it as a block party and you could walk around with a beer in hand I knew this was a recipe for disaster. Instead of keeping people in houses (and you would hope the kids renting the houses would only let in their friends) every drunk in the city can come on down with their case of beer and sit on the curb and drink til they puke … and the main reason why the city wanted it as a block party? Sponsors to help pay for porta-johns and clean up … unreal … this “party” is meant for only one thing … to drink … do you see a bunch of drunks at the taste of Madison where they allow you to carry around a beer?
The mifflin street block party started as a way to protest the Vietnam War. From there, its continued and has turned into nothing but trouble. Soglin should shut it down, even though he probably helped create it :whistle:
Party poopers!!!!!
Uh… You guys ever go to a Packer game, and walk through the parking lot?? News Flash: it ain’t just the college-age people who enjoy standing on blacktop drinking beers. So what’s the difference?
Do we drink a lot of beer in Wisconsin? Yes. Too much? In some cases, yes. Is beer a historic beverage, brewed since time immemorial, and considered an important part of many culture’s diet over the ages? Yes.
My folks accepted the fact that, like most young adults, my friends and I were going to occasionally imbibe. They tried to make sure that when we did it, we weren’t going to go off and get hurt/killed/in trouble. It got us by. Most of us grew up to be decent, law-abiding, non-alcoholic people. Some went on to have problems with it anyway, just like what happened back in the days of prohibition.
I think I understand how you might object to paying to provide police coverage for such an event. But we seem to willingly put up with such expenses during other events, like parades, sports events, or political happenings. So I think it’s unfair to single out the Mifflin party for criticism.
So the kids now-days have one day out of the year when they can drink beer on a controlled, closed section of city street. I say, good for ’em.
Maybe someone should tell them that the Viet Nam War is over, if these people even know what it is.
I’m actually happy to see Soglin stand up against this mess and realize that it shouldn’t take place. How many people get stabbed and riot at Packer Games, Paul?
There’s nothing wrong with having a drinking day, but this context is not the correct way to enjoy there libations. I bet over 50% of the college students/kids down there are not even 21 years old. Mifflin Street Block Party is a receipe for disaster, it should’ve been ended ’96 when the riot ensued. Its events like this and the State Street Halloween Party getting out of control are the reason it now has to be regulated – and I’ll admit, its not as fun anymore. I was at Halloween when s*it hit the fan, and came within a cats whiskers of being pepper sprayed for simply being in the vicinity of an idiot. People can’t conduct themselves appropriately, and everyone pays the consequence.
Zac,
You wrote:
Quote:There’s nothing wrong with having a drinking day, but this context is not the correct way to enjoy there libationsSo, what is the correct context to participate in a “drinking day”, in your opinion?
I’ll admit that when I posted my previous comments, I was unaware of the two stabbings that occurred during the Mifflin party. So I’ll reply to your comment.
I stand by my opinion that young folks should be allowed to enjoy such an event. I’m just as unhappy about the fact that someone got injured as you. But I don’t think that is an acceptable excuse to halt a gathering that has become somewhat of a traditional local event.
Stabbings have occurred near many bars in Madison, too. Would you simply close all taverns?
Badger football games have been the scene of near-riots over the years. Should they be banned?
And let’s not even get into crash fatality stats for automobiles if you want to legislate against dangerous activities…
How is it that the DOT has cameras virtually all over this city, but nobody’s ever thought to put some up on Mifflin Street for this party? How can such misbehavior not be caught on tape?
If all those people that attend Mifflin were someplace else, the troublemakers would still be making trouble somewhere. The cops would still be needed to keep the jackasses safe and legal. Only the place/s would change.
Too many people become hypocrites once they become adults, and try to put a stop to the activities they themselves took part it. Even you wrote that you attended Halloween.
Your last sentence is the part that I find the most troubling, and I agree with it. Instead of dealing with the troublemakers directly, everybody loses if the party is cancelled. That’s like the government taking away your Buick because 250 people got caught illegally speeding in Buicks last year.
I wouldn’t want to see your Buick go away, any more than I want to see this event cancelled.
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