Painful, but recall the lessons of 2008

Many politicians, government officials, investors and executives would like to forget 2008. Let's not -- 2008 was when the economic house of cards fell down.

Sub-prime mortgages, gas prices, unregulated investments and sloppy government agencies are responsible for this recession. Investors who saw profit and ignored rules of commerce that their predecessors lived by are responsible. But every one of them is saying "I am not responsible for this!"

Let's not let them forget they are responsible for this recession. Let's not just throw money at bad business practices. Let's make sure they never forget 2008.

Soon a new administration will take control of this country and it will be its responsibility to restore our faith in the government and investing in this country. Let's not let them forget the lessons learned in 2008.

-- Michyle S. Glen, Columbus

Time to legalize medical marijuana

With overwhelming support, Wisconsinites would be thrilled to read this headline: "Governor signs medical marijuana bill, Wisconsin becomes 15th state to protect patients using medicinal cannabis."

Michigan became the 13th such state when voters passed Proposition 1 on Nov. 4. On Dec. 15, the New Jersey State Senate Health Committee passed medical marijuana legislation by a 6-1 margin, sending it to the full Senate for a vote. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine urged quick passage.

With the change of leadership in the state Assembly, Wisconsin has the potential to be next. Gov. Jim Doyle, who has stated he would sign a bill if it reached his desk, should follow the lead of fellow governors who urged legislators to act.

The Michigan state agency tasked with regulating their medical marijuana program expects to begin certifying patients and caregivers in April, meaning a Michigan resident with a qualifying medical condition will be eligible to legally use medical cannabis with a doctor's approval. A Wisconsinite with the same condition would still be eligible only for arrest and jail.

One in four Americans now live in a state where medical marijuana is legal. For the sake of state patients and families struggling with serious illness, Wisconsin needs to join the club in 2009.

-- Gary Storck, Madison, Is My Medicine Legal YET?

Huntington's book not worthy of praise

Jonah Goldberg's adulation of Samuel P. Huntington's book, "Who Are We? The Challenges to American National Identity," detailed in Goldberg's Thursday column, is misplaced.

Huntington is better viewed as Patrick Buchanan in academic garb than as a "lion of 20th century social science."

"Who Are We?" expresses unwarranted anxieties about Spanish-speaking immigrants, ominously summarized by Huntington as the "challenge of Hispanicization."

In the face of strong evidence of an intergenerational shift from Spanish to English and strong expressions of adherence to "American values" among Spanish-speaking immigrants and their progeny, Huntington and his like continue to erroneously predict that the United States is evolving into a linguistically and culturally bifurcated "Anglo-Hispanic" society.

Huntington conjures the image of "the demographic reconquista of areas Americans took from Mexico by force in the 1830s and 1840s," and describes Mexican Americans as "often contemptuous of American culture."

"There is," Huntington insists, "no Americano dream. There is only the American dream created by an Anglo-Protestant society. Mexican-Americans will share in that dream and in that society only if they dream in English."

This churlish book should not be at the top of anyone's 2009 reading list.

-- Michael Olneck, emeritus professor of educational policy studies and sociology, UW-Madison

End hostilities, urge negotiated peace

With the United Nations reporting hundreds of Palestinians killed and over a thousand injured during the first three days of Israel's air attack on the Gaza Strip, the world community must do all it can to halt this humanitarian catastrophe.

"By targeting the infrastructure of a poor and densely populated area, Israel has ensured widespread civilian casualties among this already suffering and vulnerable population," writes Jewish Voice for Peace, a group to which I belong.

Israeli human rights organizations, including B'tselem, have issued an urgent appeal to the Israeli government to restore fuel supplies to hospitals, water wells, and other vital humanitarian institutions in Gaza.

"This massive destruction of Palestinian life will not protect the citizens of Israel," asserts Jewish Voice for Peace. "Only a just and lasting peace, achieved through a negotiated agreement, can provide both Palestinians and Israelis the security they want and deserve."

Our tax dollars are being used to supply military equipment used by Israel in carrying out the attacks against Gaza.

Thus we have an obligation to urge our leaders to help establish an unconditional and immediate cease-fire and end the Israeli blockade that has kept food and humanitarian supplies from reaching the people of Gaza.

-- Susan Nossal, Madison

Israel has right of self defense, too

Consider 5 million people fighting for their independence and security for 50 years against millions of hostile folks from the countries of Arab League? It must be a noble fight.

Wait -- are you talking about Jews? How dare they survive for so long when neighbors ganged up on them several times, but didn't gain anything, losing territory to Israel instead?

Israel might be hard on Palestinians, but does anybody have a recipe for defending oneself when surrounded by a sea of hatred?

Jews are not the evil party here. People who are ready to sacrifice their children for a "good" cause (to kill other people) are evil. Leaders who call for destruction of other countries because they dare to defend themselves are evil.

But people prefer blaming the Jews for everything. After all, if it wasn't for Israel's existence, we wouldn't have had the Sept. 11 attacks, Taliban, suicide bombers, economic meltdown and all our other problems and the world would be a nice, tranquil place.

People should take a harder look at the situation. Do you support a democratic country that shares our values, or do you support folks who teach kids in school how to hate and kill?

-- Andrew Khitsun, Madison