The Milwaukee Post

January 27, 2017 • Milwaukee County Post • 9 OPINION Belling's column on UW-Parkside's reaction to rape is disrespectful, close-minded To the editor: I was very discouraged by Mark Belling's Jan. 13 column about the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's efforts to combat rape. It is important to have respect for people's difference in opinions. Belling's views may not agree with others' and clearly he does not understand the intent behind UW-Parkside's mission to bring attention to the issue. The tone he took in discussing his opinion was volatile, disrespectful and insulting to women. Suggesting that women carry a gun to protect themselves against rape is not a solution. It would imply that in addition to women being victims of assault and rape, now they should be criminals of homicide. This solution would only add to the devas- tating death toll in the United States from gun violence. As Dean Lesley Walker so graciously pointed out, the odds are against women when they arm themselves with weapons in self-defense. I don't believe that Walker's "panty pulping" is an attempt to stop or scare attackers. Victims of rape have feel- ings of guilt and shame; many don't come forward. Cutting up your panties is some- thing that one might view as embarrassing and uncomfortable and indeed, it is. That's the point. Let's talk about what's uncom- fortable and encourage women to come for- ward and unite. We keep hearing again and again how we need to come together as a country. Let's start with respect. We need to listen to opposing views and try to understand them, not mock and bully one another. I understand the desperate need and desire we all have to feel safe. I suggest that we arm ourselves by standing next to one another rather than putting guns in our pockets. Let's stop feeding into fear and uncertainty. An easy solution that many campuses do encourage is walking in groups or having a buddy. Rather than let- ting your classmates walk alone to their cars, walk with them. Perhaps more needs to be done and should be done about rape on campuses. I remain open to hear other suggestions and I hope that Belling will, too. Kate Zamudio Milwaukee A disgrace as a person, Trump becomes president To the editor: So Donald Trump is in. He says the jobs are coming back, as he demands. Does any- one think these companies will stand for his Hitlerism tactics? Does anyone really believe in his strong-arm tactics and he'll be the ruler? No, companies will retaliate and go big- time robotics. It will be the ideal way for them to save money. So, who pays? The workers. Our future will be fast-food jobs or Wal-mart. The future generations have zero to look forward to. Trump is no president for the masses. He doesn't have the makeup. With his ter- rible reputation as a man, he's less than a weasel. He's a disgrace as a person. He is not our president. We cannot allow him to ravage this country for four years. Elected representa- tives, where are you? Gracie Schrank Oak Creek LETTERS TO THE EDITOR By OWEN B. ROBINSON "So help me God." When Donald Trump repeated those words to Chief Justice John Roberts with his hand resting on two Bibles, he became the duly elected 45th president of the United States. One hopes that he appreci- ates just how much of God's help he will need, because the rest of us certainly do. The Trump era has begun and it bodes to be unique in American history. President Trump's inaugural address reminded the nation of why he was elected and bluntly declared the priorities that will guide his administration. Standing in front of three former presi- dents and dozens of generational creatures of Washington, Trump declared that we were witnessing more than the hallowed American peaceful transfer of power. We were witnessing the "transferring (of) power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the American people." Much of the rest of Trump's address affirmed the populism and patriotism that catapulted him to the highest office our nation has to offer. Trump stated, "From this moment on, it's going to be America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on for- eign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families." Such a statement should not seem so revo- lutionary, but perhaps it is a sign of how far we have drifted into the waters of globalism and postnationalism that it is. The previous admin- istration eschewed the notion that our nation's policies should be based on advancing the interests of our own nation and people, so the contrast in priorities is stark. Trump has begun his administration by aggressively following through on his cam- paign commitments. After the normal administrative business necessary for any new administration, the first order Trump signed was to instruct the various federal agencies to use every bit of statutory and discretionary power they have to delay or waive any part of Obamacare. This order will help mitigate the destruction that Obamacare has been perpetrating on our nation while the Congress works on legisla- tion to tear it down completely. By the time this column is read, there will likely be dozens of other sweeping orders issuing from Trump's pen as he thrusts his vision for America into an unwilling bureaucracy. Trump has shown a willingness to slaughter sacred cows, so expect a lot of blood and red meat for his supporters. One of the most positive aspects of the dawn of the Trump era is that liberals have rediscovered a reverence for American principles like limited government, separa- tion of powers, federalism and judicial restraint. When President Barack Obama was gov- erning with a "phone and a pen," the liber- als cheered. When the Supreme Court legal- ized gay marriage for all 50 states, they paraded in the streets. When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid quashed the filibuster rule to get Obama's judges through the Senate, they chortled approval. Now that Trump is the president and the Republicans control both houses of Congress, our liberal friends have become paragons of constitutionalism. Lefty celebrities are making videos of them- selves taking oaths to support and defend the Constitution while the decrepit leaders of the Democratic Party rediscover the rig- ors of parliamentary procedure. I, for one, welcome our liberal friends to embrace conservative principles. If we had not allowed our federal government to become so involved in our lives and for the president to assume so much power, then the political passions of the resident of the White House would not matter so much. He or she would simply be an administrator of the few limited tasks relegated to the office by the Constitution to be replaced periodi- cally by the citizenry. While our liberal friends dust off their copies of the Constitution, I pray that Trump and the Republicans who control Congress do the same. Instead of looking for ways to get around the Constitution in order to force their will on the public, they should embrace the wisdom infused into our Constitution. If a law cannot pass the Congress and be enacted into law with due process, then it likely is not a good law. Except for times of war, governing is sup- posed to be plodding and tedious to allow time for bad ideas to die. Follow the Constitution and the results will be good and lasting. The Trump era is here. Strap in. (Owen B. Robinson is a West Bend resident whose column appears occasionally in The Milwaukee County Post. He can be reached at owen@bootsandsabers.com.) The Trump era begins by putting America first Robinson Letters policy Send your letters to: The Milwaukee Post, c/o Dan Muckelbauer, 3397 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207, or by email to: dmuck@conleynet.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for style, length and clarity. Letters should be typewritten or printed and include full name, phone number and address. Please keep your letters to no more than 400 words.

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