babblemur@babblemur.com
Who the heck is...?
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29 July 2005 Two Lake Winnebago Area soldiers killed in Iraq (associated press) Two soldiers from Wisconsin were killed in the war in Iraq this week, friends and the U.S. Defense Department said Friday. Army Capt. Benjamin D. Jansky, 28, of Oshkosh, died Wednesday in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, after his vehicle was accidentally struck by another military vehicle, the Pentagon said. Jansky was assigned to the Army Reserve's 983rd Engineer Battalion in Monclova, Ohio. Army Spc. John O. Tollefson, 22, of Fond du Lac, was one of two soldiers killed Wednesday by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Iraq, family friend Ed Hammer said. The Defense Department did not immediately release any information about Tollefson's death. So far, 42 soldiers or Marines from Wisconsin have been killed in Iraq among the more than 1,700 U.S. troops who have died since coalition forces invaded the country in March 2003. Jansky, married and the father of two children, was mobilized in October and deployed to Iraq in December, said Master Sgt. Janet Jones, a spokesman for the Army Reserves' 88th Regional Readiness Command in Minneapolis. She said his family declined comment.Jones had no other details about the accident that killed Jansky, who was riding in a Humvee. Soldiers with engineering companies do a variety of tasks in Iraq, such as building roads, reconstructing villages and removing mines, she said. Tollefson, the son of Walter Tollefson of Fond du Lac and Mary Steinman of Rosendale, was a 2001 graduate of Goodrich High School, where his football coach, Mike Dressler, had fond memories of him. "He had two concussions within a week apart. The doctor said he shouldn't play anymore," Dressler said. "He was a starter at the outside linebacker spot. John did not play football his senior year, but he stayed with the program and helped us with duties on the field. He loved the game so much he began the process to become came an official and began to officiate youth football programs. "It tells you the kind of heart the young man has. Too many times today people find excuses on why not to do something. John found a way to do it." Fond du Lac City Councilman Sal Curcurio, a friend of the family, said Tollefson was interested in cars and motors as well as football. "It seems like it's always the good kids that get killed, and this time it really, really was," Curcurio said. Curcurio said Tollefson had regular contact with his family while in Iraq and was proud to be a soldier. "Parents should never have to bury their son," Curcurio said. "But at least we can rest knowing that he was doing what he wanted to be doing. |
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28 July 2005 Oshkosh Area pharmacists place their birth-control on the table Some sign NARAL's Contraceptive Pledge, others don't According to a Letter to the Editor in the Oshkosh Northwestern (3rd letter down), Oshkosh resident Corrine Donley and NARAL have asked Oshkosh pharmacists to sign a 'contraceptive pledge' that reads:
According to the Letter, "The results indicate that Omro Pharmacy, Walgreen’s on Murdock Avenue or Schultz’s on Main Street guarantee that birth control prescriptions will be filled immediately. Tom Ehrhardt at Aurora Pharmacy and Michael Maloney at the Kmart, both on Koeller Street would be happy to fill your prescription." Many area pharmacies and pharmacists would not sign this pledge, including Wal-Mart (surprise!), Walgreens on 9th, Koeller, and Emmers, Mortons on 9th and Koeller, Shopko on Koeller, and Aurora on Westhaven and Bowen. Thank you, Corrine Donley and NARAL for taking this on! Recent efforts in the Wisconsin state legislature to write into law permission for pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control proscriptions based on 'religious conviction' are a threat to the health, safety, and privacy of Wisconsin women. Identifying which pharmacists care enough about women's health enough to sign this pledge is an amazing public service. Babblemur nominates Corrine Donley for Hero of the Month! |
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28 July 2005 In Which You Will Read About the Continuing Inability
of One Man to Blog in Any Meaningful Way for A Variety of Reasons—From
the Simple to the Complex |
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26 July 2005 Peace With Honor Is there any way for the United States to pull out of Iraq with honor? Is there any way for the Bush Administration to spin a pullout of troops in a way that allows them to save face? If they can steal two presidential elections in a row, why couldn't they pull this off? There is an increasing amount of chatter about getting out of Iraq. Polls show that over 60% of Americans are done with this war. Wisconsin communities such as Oshkosh, La Crosse, Madison and others are pursuing ballot initiatives to document their opinions. And now the media are beginning to smell the tides turning and are writing about it. Plans for a pull out are even being presented:
Arguements made to 'stay the course' in Iraq take many forms, but they often break down to just two:
As I stated in my Letter to the Editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern, we have addressed most of the plethora of reasons we were given for invading Iraq in the first place (Saddam, WMDs, impending threat). Let's call it a victory and get the hell out of there. |
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24 July 2005 Green Party National Meeting concludes in Tulsa, Oklahoma The Green Party (US) held its 2005 National Meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma July 21-24, 2005. Highlights included:
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20 July 2005 OSHKOSH ANTI-WAR REFERENDUM BUILDS COMMUNITY (by babblemur) On Wednesday July 19th at the Oshkosh Public Library around 25 people turned out for an informal organizational meeting to discuss placing a referendum on the April 2006 ballot asking voters:
The meeting, organized by both the Winnebago Peace and Justice Center and the Lake Winnebago Green Party, was facilitated by Bob Poeschl. In attendance was a good mix of individuals from the local Democrats, the Greens, and others, including City Councilor Bryan Bain, and two candidates from the 2004 race for the 54th Assembly (Hintz and Palmeri). There were a number of 'concerned citizens' present who felt compelled to come out and hear what was being discussed and offer their support. Throughout the 90 minute meeting dialogue was respectful and on topic. The question at hand was whether to pursue getting a non-binding referendum on the April municipal ballot. Poeschl gave an overview of the legal processes available for a ballot referendum: A petition with signatures equaling 15% of the votes in the last gubernatorial election (in Oshkosh roughly 3000) is collected in a 60 day period and submitted to the City Clerk, who validates the signatures, and passes them on to the City Council. The City Council then has 30 days to discuss and vote on whether or not to add the referendum to the ballot. Poeschl then informed the group that at this point there was some 'gray area' in the law. There have been several legal opinions regarding the 'non-binding' referenda. On one extreme, even if the city council votes against the referendum being added, the requisite signatures (15%) will place it on the ballot anyway. On the other extreme, this only applies to 'binding' referenda, and the ultimate decision rests in the approval of the council. A number of potential routes was discussed, and it was agreed that more answers were needed regarding several questions, most regarding the option of pursing a county wide ballot question. The group agreed to re-convene in two weeks (Wednesday August 3), and Poeschl agreed to find answers to the outstanding questions. In my opinion, the meeting was productive, on task,
and as a whole positive. It seems as if this initiative, contrary
to the Northwestern's Editorial, could have the effect of building
a non-partisan community movement that can serve to both educate
others about the cost of this war and provide a legal (non-subversive)
outlet for law abiding citizens and church goers to express their
dissatisfaction with this war and its toll on our communities. |
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18 July, 2005 Winnebago Peace and Justice Center and Lake Winnebago
Green Party to Host Iraq War Referendum Organizational Meeting "Public opinion polls now show that the majority of Americans have real doubts about the Iraq War and a growing number want to see an immediate withdrawal of US troops," said Bob Poeschl of the WPJC. "It's time to allow citizens of Winnebago County the opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box." Ron Hardy, co-chair of the Lake Winnebago Green Party, said that the Iraq War has demanded an unprecedented and disturbing sacrifice from the National Guard and Reserves and their families. As a result, the WPJC/LWGP referendum question says the following: "Should the United States begin an immediate withdrawal of its troops from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard and Reserves?" The purpose of the July 20th meeting is to determine the level of grassroots support for a referendum drive, and to discuss strategies ! for getting the question on the April 6th ballot. Poeschl and Hardy said that almost 40 towns in Vermont have endorsed withdrawal resolutions. "Bring the Troops Home" resolutions have also been passed in Amherst, Mass. and Arcata, Calif. And last November in San Francisco voters endorsed Proposition N, an anti-war statement declaring, "The federal government should take immediate steps to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and bring our troops safely home now." "We believe that Wisconsin should be in the forefront of what is now a national movement to support our troops by demanding that they be brought home," said Hardy. All citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting. Contact: |
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