Over dinner I was informed the name Scott Southworth, the prudish District Attorney from Juneau County who is afraid of the recently passed state sex education law, should sound familiar. Its seems his zeal for making headlines, and making an ass of himself, started back when he was a student at the UW-Madison. He sued in part over his views that the Ten Percent Society was a “militant homosexual organization”, and should not receive student fees for operation expenses. Southworth’s disdain for funding campus organizations, and apparently involving himself in them means he missed a huge part of the educational experience while in college.
But I am still puzzled by his comment of “militant homosexual organization.” I wonder if anyone else was aware of this? What is it with crazy christian religious nuts and their twisted views? Maybe if Southworth had attended a dance sponsored by the society he might have gotten over his pent-up issues. Isn’t that what college is all about?
I looked on the internet and found a comment here that led to the excerpt from PBS and the Newshour. This is the Scott Southworth at an early age that morphed into the DA who made a fool of himself statewide this week.
KWAME HOLMAN: Like college students across the country, those at the state- run University of Wisconsin pay the school tuition, room and board fees, and student fees. In 1995, all students were required to pay a student fee of $332 a year, some of which went to various campus organizations. The university administration and the student government certified the groups, and decided how much each got. Among the student groups funded last year were the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group, an environmental group known as WisPIRG, which received $66,000; the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Center, $33,000; and $48,000 for the Campus Women’s Center.
ROGER HOWARD: The reason for the funding is not just because the students have asked for it, or because it’s nice, but because that out- of-class experience contributes to the richness of the education.
KWAME HOLMAN: But some University of Wisconsin students disagreed. One of them was Scott Southworth.
SCOTT SOUTHWORTH: We objected to WisPIRG, which is an environmental organization which does lobbying in Congress. We objected to the 10 Percent Society, which is a militant homosexual organization. We objected to the International Socialist Organization, which believes we should overthrow our system of government.
KWAME HOLMAN: While a student at the law school in 1996, Southworth sued the university in federal court.
SCOTT SOUTHWORTH: We object to any private student organization getting funding, whether we agree with them or not.
KWAME HOLMAN: The student government defended funding of a wide spectrum of campus groups. Its chairman is Adam Klaus.
ADAM KLAUS: Who’s to say what is conservative and what is liberal? But I think the point at hand is that this process is open to anyone who wants it.
KWAME HOLMAN: But a federal district court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Southworth and the other complaining students. The University of Wisconsin appealed that decision to the Supreme Court. Last month at the university law school, students gathered for a forum on the case.
SCOTT SOUTHWORTH: I am a conservative Christian– that’s religious beliefs; as generally, a Republican– political beliefs-politically or ideologically conservative. So we listed 18 different organizations with a host of evidence of political and ideological activity which violated our personal beliefs.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
I hope someone seriously contests Southworth come election time.