A Couple of Things....

Whenever a college student wants to have sex, the school provides them with free condoms.  Whenever a student's parents didn't bother to save for their college education, the school offers taxpayer-funded grants and government-backed student loans.  When a student of minority status struggles in class, entire systems are developed within the program and a special curriculum is developed to keep them from failing.  When a transgender student wants to shower or change into gym clothes the school provides special facilities for them.  When kids want to get around without having to walk or bike, the public transit system provides them with special buses and routes.  Colleges--and by extension Government--bends over backwards to make sure that a student's "every need" is met--no matter what the cost.

But, when students want personal protection while walking around campus--the school is not so accommodating.  In fact, schools go out of their way to make it as difficult as possible for students to assure their own safety.  There are bans on guns, stun guns, knives, pepper spray and mace.  Possession of such items are treated as a crime--and students face expulsion for "creating a dangerous atmosphere" on campus.  Perhaps that is why students are seen as such easy marks for petty thieves and thugs in college towns.  You know the kid walking back from the library or the commons at night poses little to no threat of self-defense or retaliation.  All they are going to do is "walk in groups!" or "use the special blue light phone".

Switching gears....

Did you see who the biggest spender is in the race for Governor this year?  No, it's not the Koch Brothers.  It's not Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.  It's not Wisconsin Club for Growth, or AFSCME or WEAC.  It's Democratic candidate Mary Burke.  The latest finance reports show that Burke spent $5-MILLION of her own cash to nearly self-fund her campaign.  Could you imagine the howls of protest if the Kochs, or the unions had spent that much?  The self-appointed "political watchdogs" would be claiming that those parties are "trying to buy" the election.  But like Senator Herb Kohl before her, Burke will likely be hailed by those groups as "being independent and not beholden to special interests" because she can afford to bankroll her pursuit of the position.

I would point out that the Governor's job pays $144,423 a year.  So I would question the "financial sense" of someone who would spend nearly 35 TIMES that amount to get hired.  At least the third parties that contribute the other millions that have been spent on the race actually receive (or avoid paying for) the $70-BILLION dollars the state spends every two years.  That would be considered a "smart investment" given the return.  The opposite would just be a "foolish waste of money".