Actions of Jensen, Sykes prove unpatriotic
Rep. Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, was on the Charlie Sykes radio show Oct. 9 lamenting the fact that the Madison School Board voted to ban the Pledge of Allegiance from the schools and opted instead for an instrumental version of the national anthem.
As an atheist, I support that decision. When 'under God' is removed from the Pledge and the original Pledge is restored, the Madison school board should remove that ban.
Jensen is not the patriot he would like the people of Wisconsin to believe he is. On Feb. 3, 2000 he had the opportunity to cast a truly patriotic vote.
Rep. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids, a bona fide American patriot, called upon the Assembly to suspend the rules to withdraw Assembly Joint Resolution 47 from the Rules Committee because Majority Leader Steve Foti, R-Oconomowoc, was sitting on it.
Joint Resolution 47 called upon Congress to investigate the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty which occurred on June 8, 1967. The Israelis killed 34 American citizens and seriously wounded 171 others.
Only 19 bona fide patriots in the Assembly voted for Schneider's motion while 77 phony patriots voted against it.
Jensen was one of the phony patriots voting against this plea of a segment of America's veteran population for Wisconsin to put itself on record in favor of a bona fide congressional investigation.
It should be noted that Sykes refused to even mention the USS Liberty during a Veterans Day program after I sent him a good deal of information on the subject.
So much for the 'patriotism' of Jensen, Sykes and the 76 other phonies who cast anti-American votes in the Wisconsin Assembly Feb. 3, 2000.
Attacks necessary to protect free speech
There are so many things I wish to say regarding the attacks on Aghanistan. First off, I support the strategic strikes on bin Laden's camps and the Taliban airfields 100 percent. Let me explain. I urge everyone to voice their opinions on this issue (whether in agreement with mine or not). That is the freedom granted by our country. It's a freedom that was attacked.
Peace is a wonderous idea. But it is a Utopian idea. We don't live in a world where everyone is protected (and because of free will, we never shall). We live in a world where terrorists will kill thousands of innocent people for their radical beliefs. Their actions won't stop if we don't put an end to them and those who harbor them. If we don't lead the way and send the message that terrorism isn't acceptable, then we let everyone around the world who have died in terrorist attacks die in vain.
I don't want more innocent people to die, which is why we need to be precise and sure and help out the innocent Afghans. Let me remind the humanitarians that we are dropping food and medicine to these people. There is also a plan to rebuild Afghanistan after this conflict. This is the best the United States can do and still defend our country. This conflict has everything to do with peace: protection of peace worldwide. I still urge those against action to voice their opinions, but realize that the attacks on Afghanistan were deployed to protect that very right.
