SHARE

Vote on U.N. treaty was slap to disabled

Sen. Ron Johnson was among those on the extreme right hypocritically stopping to pay homage to a wheelchair-bound visiting former Sen. Robert Dole on the Senate floor, then voting against the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities Treaty that Dole and other GOP party icons initiated and supported.

Those who voted against the treaty did so for reasons rooted in conspiracy and myth. Primary arguments used against the treaty were: 1) any U.N. treaty infringes upon American sovereignty; 2) CRPD would force families who currently home school their disabled children to send them to public school instead and 3) CRPD would create a right to abortion for disabled women.

The treaty was first drafted in the George W. Bush administration, and the bipartisan list of proponents included GOP Senators John McCain, Richard Lugar and six of their moderate GOP colleagues. The arguments used against the measure were fictional, but the home school lobby and Heritage Foundation succeeded in preventing the necessary two-thirds vote required for ratification of a treaty - an unfortunate slap to Dole, and millions of disabled Americans, and disabled American veterans.

The arbitrariness of their opposition prevented this country from taking leadership on an issue of basic human rights that mirrors our core values, and prevents a measure from taking hold that would have made life notably easier for thousands of Americans with disabilities traveling and working abroad.

John L. Quinlan

President, Wisconsin Division of the United Nations Association-USA

Madison

***

Clean up the Badger

I am responding to the Dec. 9 article on Gov. Scott Walker's support of the SS Badger ferry. In a battle between the environment and public health and a historical treasure, which would you choose?

The SS Badger sails between Manitowoc and Ludington, Mich., dumping coal ash into Lake Michigan every day, accumulating 500 tons of ash per season. Walker supports the idea of prolonging pollution to 2017 and risking the Great Lakes. Along with the Environmental Protection Agency, I disagree.

Coal ash can contain chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and lead. This affects the quality of drinking water along with seafood from Lake Michigan. In extreme cases, these hazardous toxins can cause health concerns from cognitive defects to cancer. In 2008, the EPA said it would change the requirements in vessels' permits, and those who did not make the needed adjustments would be discontinued this year.

The SS Badger has contributed to the economy and tourism - but it has also contributed a larger cost to our Great Lakes.

Amber Wegner

Milwaukee

***

It's a matter of equal rights

I am responding to the "Man-woman marriage important to society" letter by Joe Saccaro of Menomonee Falls claiming he was against gay marriage (Your Views, Dec. 4). I believe everyone should have the equal right to marry whom they wish, regardless of his or her gender attraction.

Saccaro claims that the ideal environment for children is living with a husband and wife; however, there are millions of children raised by divorced and single parents today who grow up no different than children who have grown up with both a mother and father. There are already cities in America and Canada where homosexual couples are permitted to adopt, and their children already have grown up no different than children with heterosexual parents.

The key to raising a child does not rely on heterosexual marriage, but on loving parents who are committed to their children.

There have been many groups of people who were once discriminated against throughout history who now have equal legal rights. Women were not able to vote in the United States until the 19th Amendment was written into the Constitution in 1920.

Interracial couples were not permitted to marry in all states until 1967. People of mixed race are just as human as everyone, differing only by skin color.

Gay marriage will be another article written in the history of equal rights. Homosexual people are just as human as everyone, differing only by attraction.

Jordan Halase

West Allis

***

Suppressing GOP vote?

After reading in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Gov. Scott Walker's son used same-day registration, I can understand why my state Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) are pursuing a bill to eliminate same-day registration. I certainly don't want Republicans gaining the vote by registering on election day.

Gerald F. Miller

Lake Mills

***

Redirect Keystone pipeline

There has been a lot of discussion over the proposed Keystone pipeline from North Dakota and Canada to the refineries on the Gulf coast.

There has also been a lot of talk about how to create jobs in Wisconsin.

How about redirecting the pipeline to Wisconsin? We could build several new refineries in Wisconsin with multiple owners. (I assume we would also expand our existing refinery in Superior.)

One should be built on Jones Island. This will create good-paying Wisconsin jobs and eliminate the need to send the crude to the Gulf.

Thorin Marty

Wauwatosa