Tear Gas Ban, Water Stewardship, National Literacy Month

Hi Everyone,

Here are this week's updates:

Banning Tear Gas and Other Less-Than-Lethal Munitions

The Common Council meets this Tuesday, September 20, at 6:30 pm. The big item on the agenda is a proposed ordinance that would prohibit the Madison Police Department and law enforcement responding under mutual aid from using tear gas, mace, impact projectile devices or other chemical agent(s) for the purposes of crowd control.

I will not be voting in favor of the proposed ordinance. The primary question is whether less-than-lethal devices are legitimate tools for MPD to use in certain proscribed situations. Given the infrequency of use over the last several decades, there's no apparent pattern of consistent abuse rendering these tools as inherently illegitimate. That's not to say all uses have been appropriate. The Quattrone Report following the unrest in 2020 evidenced injudicious use on the part of local law enforcement. MPD did not stonewall but in fact facilitated this investigation. Moreover, Police Chief Barnes has welcomed the Report's 69 recommendations. (Banning tear gas and other less-than-lethal options was notably not among these recommendations.)

A parallel argument can be made regarding firearms. I firmly believe Paul Heenan and Tony Robinson should be alive today, that they were unjustly killed by MPD officers. But I don't believe the solution is taking guns away from our police. We live in a violent society with more guns than people. I'm from Dayton, Ohio, where in August of 2019, a deranged gunman opened fire in a crowded entertainment district, killing nine people. More would have died but for an armed police officer who shot and killed the assailant just 32 seconds after the mayhem started.

We have independent oversight established within our city via the Civilian Oversight Board. There is no need at this point for Common Council to micromanage MPD. Who knows, the next time tear gas may be needed in Madison might be the result of armed right-wing extremists rioting in the streets and interfering with elections. Furthermore, we will continue to need mutual aid support from outside agencies for any number of reasons, including when presidential candidates visit our city. Placing Madison on an island wherein we cannot avail ourselves of outside help would be unwise and imprudent.

Water stewardship course:

Four Madison-area water organizations and a local nonprofit have developed a brand-new Water Steward course and certification for the public. The Water Steward course offers three hours of in-person instruction over two sessions. Held on September 20 and September 27, 2022, each 90-minute session provides in-depth education on the local water system: how it works and the human impact on water. Course participants will gain practical skills in water conservation, protection, restoration and advocacy for local water systems. A certification component is also available to participants completing a water-focused project in partnership with Sustain Dane. The Water Steward course is based on the organization's award-winning Master Recyclers project model. Tuition for the Water Steward course is $15, but full and partial scholarships are available. You can learn more about the sessions and enroll here.

Library Takeover returns:

From September 15 - October 15, 2022, Madison Public Library is accepting applications for the Library Takeover program. Teams of 3-4 people can apply to participate in the program, which includes a 4-session course on event planning and culminates in a finished and fully-funded program at the library in the spring of 2023. The library will choose three teams to participate for 2022-2023 and will provide $2,000 for each team to use in planning their event. Each individual team member will also receive a $400 stipend and a certificate of completion from Madison Public Library. No previous event-planning experience is necessary - all that's needed is a great idea for community engagement! Learn more here.

National Literacy Month:

September is National Literacy Month. Here are a couple of ways you can celebrate by supporting adult literacy:

• Volunteer as a tutor. Volunteer tutors make programs possible. Volunteers work one on one with students to help improve their literacy skills. Training is provided. Learn more about volunteering.
• Sign up for classes. The fall semester has started! Contact Literacy Network at 608-244-3911 if you or someone you know is interested in improving English reading, writing, and/or speaking skills; becoming a U.S. citizen; or earning a high school diploma.

That's all for now. 

Take care and stay safe.

Tag