First, let me thank the "sheriff," Bob Mate, and the rest of the Tribune staff for stemming the flow of Viewpoints about the non-existent Marquette/UW-Milwaukee rivalry. In continuing my thanks to the Tribune, thanks for continually giving the campus the typical, left-leaning media coverage we've all come to know and love. Here are a few of my favorites in recent issues:

The April 22 piece on "Kerry's stance may risk November race" by Susan Haarman, although seemingly authoritative, was under-researched. According to various documents put out by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and other papal encyclicals, it is in fact a matter of serious sin for a Catholic to vote for a "pro-choice" candidate. Also, trying to separate the idea of being pro-choice and pro-abortion is simply illogical. One could just as easily say, "I'm not in favor of the practice of rape and would never do it myself, but I support others' rights to do so." Both actions are intrinsically evil as dictated by natural law.

Yes, natural law, that wonderful intrinsic force within all of us that lets us know when something is wrong. I'm sorry to tell Nick Zettel — the young man who wrote the stilted April 22 Viewpoint "'Freedom' warrants definition" — that we are free to ignore natural law. It is in our free will that, damaged by original sin, we are able to override our inherent goodness and choose evil. Free will is not just a "Western embellishment."

I'd like to thank the Tribune for continually going to Dr. Dan Maguire for quotes and thoughts on moral issues, especially in response to things the Church teaches or what the pope says. By doing so, the Tribune continually adds to the ever-growing file of proof that Maguire is vehemently anti-life and anti-Catholic. This just gives the university president, the Rev. Robert A. Wild, more support that Maguire can and should be fired from this Catholic institution. Seeing as I seriously doubt that will ever be considered, I'll move on.

Will Ashenmacher's March 25 cover piece "Red Giant" on Joe McCarthy was another example of regurgitated, leftist misinformation. I would like to send a hearty thank you to Michael Yank who wrote an April 6 Viewpoint "'Bias' colors story about Reds" in response to that piece. He brought the liberal slant of the media, as concerns former Sen. Joe McCarthy, to light. In supplement to his Viewpoint, let it be known that McCarthy was right in many cases. Is it not enough that many of the individuals named by McCarthy were, by their own admission or through investigation found out to be, members of the Communist party or its fronts and affiliates in the United States? Apparently, academic laziness abounds, so here's some more support for McCarthy. The opening of the KGB archives and the release of the Venona intercepts (decoded KGB and GRU traffic) clearly shows that Communist infiltration into high levels of the United States government was rampant and ignored. President Franklin Roosevelt was warned about alleged Communist Alger Hiss, and ignored it.

I wonder if this forgotten fact of history bears any resemblance to how quickly all involved in the debate over 9/11 and Iraq have so conveniently forgotten a few simple things. Everyone on President Bill Clinton's staff is quoted as saying that it is their firm belief that Saddam did have weapons of mass destruction. Yes, that includes the man who legitimately lost the 2000 election, former Vice President Al Gore. In fact, Sen. John Kerry was of the same opinion. What's worse is how everyone has forgotten that Clinton refused Syria's offer to extradite Osama Bin Laden to the United States for prosecution of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. And the country is wondering if Bush did enough to prevent 9/11?

Thanks again to the Tribune and its staff. You all work hard and produce an excellent paper. I truly do enjoy reading every issue and look forward to another great semester in the fall.

Wichgers is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences.

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