In addition to excellence as an attorney and sound character, Walker’s main criterion for selecting judges is a proper judicial philosophy. He wants judges who “adhere to the rule of law and have a commitment to a textualist, and originalist, judicial philosophy.”

It is a grave concern when many find it hard to contemplate a civil discussion, held with respect, on the great issues of the day without the necessity of armed guards and metal detectors. Dissent, it seems, from the orthodoxy of university thought is itself a challenging proposition at the University of Wisconsin.

In an increasingly diverse society and with more foreign-owned companies like Foxconn hiring U.S.-born workers, being adept at cross-cultural communications is a highly sought after aptitude.

Trying to curb riots is commendable. So is clarifying the rules of engagement for police when faced with demonstrations that turn violent. But doing so with laws that could curb peaceful demonstrations and free speech is not.

Scant evidence exists of lasting economic benefits to communities with acid mines. On the other hand, there is plenty of reason to worry that new acid mines pose significant and near-permanent risks to existing businesses and the communities they serve

Last week, a monument honoring the first Wisconsinites to take up arms against fascism was defaced with Nazi swastikas and graffiti announcing that “Trump rules.” Madison responded with the historic anti-fascist cry of “¡No pasarán!” — “They shall not pass!”