[Peace-discuss] Wisconsin towns put war on ballot

[David Green]

Wisconsin towns put war on ballot

By Tim Jones
Tribune national correspondent
Published January 26, 2006

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- At 79, Al Knorr could fill his days
in the recliner with televised junk food, watching
Oprah Winfrey and Judge Judy and yelling "big money,
big money!" when "Wheel of Fortune" comes on.

But twice every weekday, Knorr dons his black
snowmobile mittens and insulated shirt and heads to
the busiest intersections in town, where he stands as
a solitary street-corner sentry against the Iraq war.

Knorr's cardboard "STOP THE WAR" placard on a wooden
broomstick draws honks and thumbs-up signals from some
rush-hour drivers and abuse from others, such as the
guy in the white pickup truck who rolled down his
window, flipped Knorr the finger and called him a
piece of excrement.

"It's almost always a young kid in a pickup truck,"
shrugged the World War II veteran and retired clinical
social worker.

In Wisconsin, Knorr is part of an often emotional
conversation about the war in Iraq. The grass-roots
debate, though, is gaining focus and momentum in La
Crosse and at least 19 other communities where voters
will be asked April 4 whether the United States should
bring the troops home now.

The results, of course, will carry no force of law.
But successful local petitions to put the question on
ballots around Wisconsin have given the issue added
political currency, months ahead of the midterm
congressional elections in November.

The move to put the troop measure to voters in La
Crosse, Madison and other communities is "really aimed
at the Wisconsin congressional delegation," said Steve
Burns of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice,
which has coordinated the signature-gathering with the
Wisconsin Green Party.

"We think this could really be a wake-up call for the
congressmen," Burns said.

Last year U.S. Sen. Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin
Democrat, called for a removal of all troops by the
end of 2006--the first senator to do so. In November,
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) called for a quick pullout of
troops. Last week, Murtha said "mounting pressure from
constituents" will force a re-election-minded Congress
to demand the withdrawal of most troops in advance of
the November elections.

City councils across the nation, including Chicago's,
have approved resolutions either opposing the war or
calling for an immediate troop withdrawal.

In Illinois, the Rockford-area township of Harlem has
authorized a Nov. 1 troop withdrawal question to be
placed on the March 21 primary ballot. Communities in
Vermont last year gave voice to local sentiment on the
war through town hall meetings. The upcoming votes in
Wisconsin mirror that.

The Bush administration has argued repeatedly that
setting a withdrawal date would aid insurgents and
undermine prospects for a peaceful Iraq. The Pentagon
has announced plans for a gradual troop reduction, but
that drawdown has been criticized by some--including
Murtha--as insufficient.

The issue has proved awkward for Democrats, most of
whom have not endorsed the positions taken by Feingold
and Murtha. Many Democrats say it would be
irresponsible to pull out until they are convinced
Iraq's government and military can maintain order.

Wisconsin is a state with a rich history of political
activism, driven most recently by the liberal
reputation of the capital city, Madison. During World
War I, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Robert LaFollette led
congressional opposition to the war, and he was
branded a traitor by some in his home state.

Wisconsin remains sharply divided. The state went
Democratic in the past two presidential elections, but
by slim margins. A recent poll indicated 49 percent of
residents support a quick withdrawal from Iraq.

Nationally, support for the war has been dropping, but
the question of pulling the troops out has proved
troublesome, even for opponents of the war.

In the Mississippi River city of La Crosse, a
handsome, blue-collar community of 51,000 people, the
effort to put the question on the ballot was not
embraced by its Common Council. Aldermen could not
keep the issue off the ballot because supporters had
gathered the legally required signatures to qualify
for a spot, but they did state their opposition to the
pullout.

"It's very reckless. The job's not done yet," said
Ald. Tom Sweeney, a retired Navy reservist who said he
sees little point in the vote.

"It's sad because it has no bearing," Sweeney said.

That view is disputed by those who welcome the
opportunity to speak out. Brigitte Murphy, a La Crosse
jewelry store bookkeeper who grew up in Nazi Germany
and lost a brother and sister in World War II, said
she has not decided how she will vote.

"I cringe every time I see the news of another boy
killed in Iraq," said Murphy, who moved to the U.S. in
1954. "If our leaders had to send their children to
Iraq, perhaps they would find a different way of doing
things."

Fifty Wisconsin service members have died in the war.
While Feingold has taken the Senate lead in promoting
a troop withdrawal, protesters demonstrated last week
in front of the office of Wisconsin's other senator,
Herb Kohl, a Democrat up for re-election, demanding
that he advocate a quick pullout.

In the Door County community of Sturgeon Bay, artist
Audrey Off said she believes "deep down" that pulling
the troops out is "the right thing to do."

"But I don't think it's going to be pragmatic to pull
them out. . . . We're stuck," Off said.

Burns and others make no projections on how the issue
will fare, especially in parts of the state that
President Bush won in 2004.

In La Crosse, Al Knorr said he appreciates the
responses he gets, from the encouragement of a
registered nurse who cheers him on to the bitter
comments from a soldier's father who has accused Knorr
of undermining the troops, including his son.

"People over there are fighting for the country, and I
feel I need to do my little bit fighting for the
country too," he said.

Knorr, who turns 80 in three months, said he has no
plans to stop his twice-daily vigil.

----------

tmjones at tribune.com


Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune 



__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com