Drink your milk, or else…52 years ago

In the summer of 1969, it was against the law in La Crosse County to drink anything but milk during June Dairy Month.  Okay, we think that was a joke, but the dairy celebration did swear in 18 ‘milk marshals’ at the Hotel Stoddard…including two local judges.  The marshals reportedly swore to ‘arrest’ anyone caught drinking a beverage other than milk during the month…and to bring them to milk magistrates for ‘sentencing,’ whatever that meant.  

In ’69, there was a plan to let college students object to protests on campus.  Congressman William Cramer of Florida proposed the Student Anti-Violence Act, which would have allowed students to complain to the Justice Department if they felt that demonstrations were preventing them from getting free access to their schools.  Meanwhile, an assistant defense secretary, Robert Froehlke, told a graduating class at Stevens Point State that if the Vietnam War was still going on in 1972, Republicans wouldn’t ‘stand a chance’ of being re-elected.  The war was still on in ’72, when President Nixon won 49 states in his run for a second term.  

The La Crosse Community Theatre had two shows scheduled for the summer.  ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by Shakespeare…and ‘Star-Spangled Girl’ by Neil Simon, in 1969, yesterday in La Crosse.