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LETTERS TO THE E DITOR

Don’t ignore the role of mental illness in shooting

To the editor: In light of the recent statement from the Clark County district attorney’s offi ce with regards to the investigation and unfortunate death of Robert Domine in his home in Loyal on Sept. 13, please remind yourselves that the article failed to address the fact that he had a documented diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, a severe mental illness in which reality is distorted and interpreted abnormally and requires lifelong treatment. That’s not an excuse; it attempts to explain it.

His monthly schizophrenic injections were unfortunately discontinued by his doctor, in which Bobby’s condition spiraled, resulting in his behaviors and death. “Uncle Bobby,” as those who were fond of him knew him, also served our country in the United States Navy for four years during the Vietnam War and Cuban Missile Crisis.

He suffered and was the victim of a traumatic brain injury in 1963, from a nearly fatal car accident in Marshfield.

Bobby adored each and every one of his nieces and nephews, especially the very young and innocent ones. Family and friends are heartbroken and many unanswered questions remain over Bobby’s struggles and death.

Nobody with the condition he endured or any mental illness, for that matter, should have to die the way he did. We never imagined his life would end so very sadly, and he should never have been taken off his medications. We are grateful that other lives were spared in this tragedy — EMTs, police officers, bomb squad, family, and all who tried to help him.

I hope we can honor Bobby’s life by educating ourselves about these lifelong mental maladies and have compassion, insight and empathy toward others and their loved ones, so that in the future nobody has to lose their life sitting in a recliner in their living room while exchanging gunfire. We have found solace by our “Loyal” family and friends with your kind words, hugs, coming to Bobby’s wake and service, your visits, cards and other expressions of kindness and humanity.

God’s own words give us much comfort in that his promise to those who know him will receive eternal life.

2 Corinthians 5:8 says “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Bobby belonged to God and his home is with him now. Heaven is a beautiful place with no more sickness, no more disease and no more tears. Rest in God’s everlasting love. Rest in peace, Uncle Bobby.

Shelley and Randy Domine nephew of Robert Domine Loyal

405 missing photos left to complete ‘Wall of Faces’

To the editor: As we approach Veterans Day, I would like to share two very important numbers with you: 58,276 and 405.

As of Memorial Day 2019, there are 58,276 names on the national Vietnam Veteran’s memorial, the Wall of Faces, honoring service members of the U.S. Armed Forces who fought in Vietnam, those who died in service in Vietnam/ South East Asia, and those service members who went unaccounted for during the war.

A 1973 fire in St. Louis, Mo., destroyed their military records, leaving no photos behind. In 2013, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund set out to find the pictures to preserve their legacies and sacrifi ces. As of October 2019, only 405 names are still missing pictures.

Across the country, volunteers and organizations like the National Newspaper Association and the Newspaper Association Managers (NAM) are helping the program leave no one behind.

Andrew Johnson is the publisher of the Dodge County Pioneer in Mayville, Wis., and the immediate past president of the National Newspaper Association. As NNA President, Johnson championed this cause and led the charge to find over 15,000 missing pictures.

“One of the greatest ways we can honor veterans is to recognize their work and sacrifice,” Johnson said.

Johnson speaks from experience, as his own son, First Lieutenant David A. Johnson, was KIA in Afghanistan in 2012. This cause became extremely personal for him, and he is absolutely thrilled at how close the project is to being completed.

“Let’s finish this project for Veterans Day for our nation’s Vietnam heroes,” he said.

The VVMF needs your help to find the last 405 missing photos.

Share the VVMF’s story and the veterans’ names. We need to find family or friends of these fallen soldiers to get their picture and give them the honor they deserve. You can search for the names yourself by going to www.vvmf. org/missing-photos. The public can upload photos directly to the VVMF website.

Contact the VVMF directly by emailing Latosha Adams at ladams@vvmf.org or by calling 202-765-3774. You can also send me an email at ballfrey@utahpress. com. and I will share the list with you.

Brian Allfrey executive director Utah Press Association

Climate change is a threat to our national security

To the editor: Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos recently criticized Gov. Tony Evers’ climate change task force, claiming that it was created for political purposes.

With respect to global warming, Vos stated: “I have no idea why it is occurring nor do most people on the planet.”

To counter this misinformation, I want to draw attention to a remarkable document on climate change and national security. On Sept. 24, 64 senior military and security leaders endorsed “A Climate Security Plan for America.” It’s signed by over 20 admirals and generals, including Rear Admiral David Titley, former oceanographer and navigator of the Navy, and General Gordon Sullivan, former chief of staff of the Army.

The report asserts that increases in extreme weather “can devastate essential energy, financial and agricultural centers that undergird U.S. and global economic viability and the well-being of our populations.”

It calls for initiatives to improve the resilience of our critical infrastructure and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and globally in order to avoid “catastrophic security consequences.”

When the governor created this state task force, he affirmed: “So not only is climate change real, but also it is an immediate threat to the state, our economy, our way of life and for the future of all generations of Wisconsinites.”

Gov. Evers is not alone in his assessment, and he should be commended for calling on us to work together on climate solutions.

Terry Hansen Hales Corners

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