U.S. students finally starting to awaken?

LP note: The U.S. college and university student body has been remarkably quiet since the protests of the 1960s and 70s.

Yet today, perhaps influenced by the successes of students and young people who inspired pro-democracy protests in the Arab world, students on some U.S. campuses are starting to awaken. Witness this article about a student protest on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Madison, a school with a long tradition of reacting to misguided policy:

Thousands Converge For Rallies, Hearing On Union Bill

MADISON, Wis. -- Thousands of people converged on the state Capitol on Tuesday for rallies and to attend a public hearing on Gov. Scott Walker's proposal doing away with collective bargaining rights for public employees.

Officials reported no incidents of violence or disorder in and around the Capitol, where the protesters gathered.

The Wisconsin Department of Administration estimated that 10,000 protesters demonstrated outside the Capitol on Tuesday, with 3,000 more filling the Capitol rotunda. The labor supporters are protesting Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, which would strip most state and local workers of collective bargaining rights, except when negotiating salary.

The Capitol and surrounding square are being patrolled by Madison police and Dane County sheriff's deputies. DOA officials said there were no incidents between protesters and police.

The protesters are taking issue with Walker's plan. The governor argues the workers are getting by easy compared to private sector employees and they need to be forced to pay more for health care benefits and their pensions. He's proposing that their rights to bargain over everything except wages to a limited extent be removed. Walker said the changes are needed to help deal with the state's projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall. Walker said he has nothing to negotiate with the unions over because the state is broke.

More here.