To the Editor:
First Amendment
I grew up hearing, I don’t agree with what you are saying, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
What has happened? Suddenly only certain people have the right to speak freely? What I have been seeing about censorship on the internet should send chills up and down the backs of every person that lives in the country, regardless of what side you are on.
In my opinion, this is an extremely dangerous precedent. If one side stops all opposition, we no longer live in any type of freedom.
I’ve seen people commenting on re-educating people that disagree with them. This phenomenon is directly related to China. China does this to their people. Last time I looked, I was still in America.
It looks like we are headed for totalitarianism. That is a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.
There is no place for censorship or re-education camps in this country. We must wake up before it’s too late. IF, it isn’t already too late.
– Rose Laessig
Merrill, WI
To the Editor:
I support Sheila Briggs for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. I met her last summer as she was making random telephone calls to announce her candidacy and we talked for 20 minutes. We discussed the challenges of public education in rural Wisconsin with virtual education and lack of internet access or poor-quality access; and the difficulties many students have in adapting. She was very personable, compassionate, appeared to be a good listener, and made statements like “we need to address and find solutions to these problems”-rather than telling me what she was going to do. This gave me the impression that she was a team player and favored a collaborative approach, which I believe is the approach needed to address the significant issues we face in public education. Collaboration with teachers, parents, students, school board members, local school district administrators and state-wide administrators. Since that first conversation, I have had two more. I also listened to the webinar on January 7, 2021 involving all seven candidates and I thought that Sheila presented herself well in addressing the questions that were asked. Sheila is well prepared for this position with past experiences as a teacher, principal, central office administrator and now as an Assistant State Superintendent. Her entire life’s work has been focused on equity and helping both educators and students thrive. I will be voting for Sheila in the February 16, 2021 Spring Primary and I urge you to do the same!
– Ron Alexander
Merrill, WI