Hillary -- it's time to quit

The campaign between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has allowed the Clintons to define themselves as selfish, narcissistic, low-blow pretenders who are whatever you want them to be, depending upon the time of day.

Why does Clinton stay in this thing after the pounding she took in North Carolina and Indiana? One might get the feeling that she's maneuvering for a tank full of gasoline to take her to a new job as ambassador to Bosnia.

-- Dean A. Showers, Madison

Gone are the days when the stereotypical mom is anything like June Cleaver of the old TV show, "Leave It To Beaver." Many mothers help raise their grandchildren, some care for their ailing mothers, many work and/or go to school, some are teens and many are in single-parent homes.

The "motherhood" role has become much more diverse. I have been a working full-time mother, a part-time job mother, a going-to-college and part-time job mother, and am now a full-time stay-at-home mom.

Mothers are under more stress now than ever before. Pressure to maintain the perfect family oozes from magazines, television and micro-management books. When something goes wrong, the finger points first at the mother.

Most moms have the same goals, even if their lifestyles and methods differ. They want to ensure that their children become healthy, happy, and productive adults. Most of all, mothers need their children to know how important they are to them.

Many working moms wish they had more time in the home, while I sometimes wish I had more out of the home. There is no right or wrong way to be a mother -- all moms have to sacrifice something.

Regretfully, there was a time when I'd cringe if someone said, "you're just like your mother." Not anymore. I doubt I could ever be "just like my mother," though I sure would be proud to be. So happy Mother's Day to my mom and to every other mother for being the greatest mom they can be.

-- Sherrie (Keppler) Ball, Prairie du Chien

Embrace family unit on Mother's Day

What's the best message that could ever be sent, whether in memory of a mom who has passed or one who remains on this Earthly tour, waiting for a loving someone to send the approval that comes in the form of flowers, plants or candy once a year in May?

We all know of families who have lost every sense of togetherness via dispute or perhaps just due to the miles of geographical difference. If you are blessed to have had a loving someone you called "Mom," act soon to change those things that contribute to the loss of sense of family. Moms are all about family and family unity.

Perhaps the most difficult challenge when aspiring to positive change is humility. Death comes to all of us and should be a constant reminder that we do not have forever. So what are you waiting for?

If your mom is alive, love her for all you're worth, and don't just show it one day a year.

And if she's gone, do what it would take to make her proud of you, show you were able to replace the ego of the past with the humility that allows positive change and growth. At the risk of being redundant, what are you waiting for this time?

-- Brian Brown, DeForest

Respect mothers; act to end hostilities

Many mothers -- those of the U.S. soldiers and Iraqi dead -- will be suffering this Mother's Day. Each death is a shattering blow to the mother who gave life to the person now dead. Many more victims of war have been wounded physically and mentally.

Julia Ward Howe's 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation called for women of the world to gather in the interest of peace:

"Arise, then women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of tears! Say firmly:

'We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.

'From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says disarm, disarm! '... "

Mothers and all women who want peace and justice to rule should write letters, hold up signs and commit acts of nonviolent civil disobedience in the offices of those who promote war. Mother's Day is the perfect time to commit ourselves to bring about a peaceful world.

-- Roberta Thurstin Timmerman, Park Falls

Take Hillary we know over unknown Obama

Sen. Hillary Clinton continuously shows she's a fighter until the end, which shows voters of our great country that she has what it takes to lead this country to greatness.

That's not to say that she is not human and has not shown us that side of her also, but both can be said about Sen. Barack Obama, too. In the imperfect world we live in, our two candidates are also imperfect. While Clinton has come up with solutions that some may not like, Obama has come up with less, and he criticizes his opponent on her solutions.

We would really be going into the unknown with Obama. But everyone in the country well knows where Hillary Clinton comes from, what she stands for and where she wants to take this country. No matter how imperfect she might be, we cannot deny who would be better as commander in chief.

-- Ronald Ray, Wisconsin Dells

Try computer voting for better security

Claiming the poor and elderly don't have or need a driver's license doesn't hold water. They do require a photo ID from a government issuer to use many of their benefits, such as Medicare or Medicaid, to cash checks, etc.

I've been in business for 15 years and I am required by the federal government to check a government-issued ID. I've checked thousands of IDs and in no case has anyone said they didn't have one.

This isn't a "nontrivial burden on voting rights" -- it's a crime against our voting rights. Every instance of voter fraud, even if a low number, still disenfranchises a legitimate voter, no matter their political affiliation. How would you feel if your vote didn't count?

Not only should we require a photo ID to vote in person, we should develop a way for people to vote via their computers at home, work and school.

Wisconsin should lead the nation in legitimate voter turnout by developing a computer-based system to allow us all to participate no matter where we are on Election Day.

-- Patrick G. Durden, Waunakee

Voting as important as travel security

I am concerned with any voter disenfranchisement when someone votes illegally. We need a photo ID for air travel for security reasons, and I believe protecting my vote from being negated by an illegal vote is just as important.

What is the big deal about requiring ID to ensure that I am who I say I am at the voting booth?

-- Ron Wenzel, Waunakee

Obscured license plates questioned

Should brackets be allowed to cover readable parts of auto license plates in Wisconsin? Isn't there a law to regulate this practice so beloved by auto dealers and sports fans?

I have seen many brackets entirely cover the state name and other important information, but law enforcement seems to turn a blind eye.

-- Phillip Herring, Madison