Send this guy some love

The state Assembly fell one vote short Tuesday of letting Wisconsin residents carry concealed weapons, allowing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to survive his stiffest political challenge yet.

In a dramatic 65-34 vote, the Assembly failed to override Doyle's veto of the bill that pitted gun owners against a first-term Democratic governor and many law officers who insisted that arming more citizens would make the state less safe.

Rep. Gary Sherman (D-Port Wing), a National Rifle Association member who voted for the bill just three months ago, cast the deciding vote to sustain the veto.

Dear Rep. Sherman,

I just want to thank you for your courageous stand on the concealed carry vote yesterday. You are probably going to be swamped with letters, calls, and emails today, and I want to make sure that at least some of it is positive. I know you must have faced a difficult decision yesterday, but it was the right one.

I am not a constituent of yours, but I am a Milwaukee Public Schools teacher. I can assure you that everyone here in Milwaukee is on your side, and we teachers will rest easier now knowing that there will not be a sudden proliferation of guns on our streets.

Again, thank you for your vote.

Sincerely,

Folkbum