Editor, Gazette-Journal:

This is in response to a letter comparing the tragedy in Japan, the rebellion in the Middle East and the protesting in Wisconsin and elsewhere (Dawn Dale, "Problems?," Readers Write, March 17).

These are very different events. Surely this is a terrible disaster to hit Japan. We all sympathize with and pray for the people of Japan. We all pray for peace and freedom and calm in the Middle East.

To refer to the protesters in Wisconsin as greedy, whiny and demanding absolute control over the state government is a huge stretch. To say it is gut-wrenching to watch and listen to such greed is unbelievable.

I was born and raised in Wisconsin and I find it unbelievable how the state government has behaved. It seems to be very easy for some people to criticize and form a distorted position without walking in the shoes of those they are criticizing.

If the state was having such a financial problem, why did the governor give millions in tax breaks to the corporations and then turn around and hit the teachers hard? The teachers gave in to all the governor’s demands, but wanted to keep their bargaining rights intact. What is wrong with that?

The state government in Wisconsin steamrolled right over those taxpaying citizens without blinking an eye. Then one of those politicians involved in the steamrolling was on Fox News bragging about the fact that they busted the teachers’ union, which would then make it harder for President Obama to be re-elected by the people of Wisconsin.

Does it seem there is some other agenda here? Does it seem that the government in Wisconsin has been bought and paid for by corporate America and other special interests?

Was it gut-wrenching to watch the greed on Wall Street? How about the greed in the "Too Big to Fail" banks? Isn’t it gut-wrenching to see the greed in corporate America and see the citizens of this country lose their bargaining rights? And jobs still go overseas.

Now look what’s happening in Michigan. I don’t know about everyone out there, but I am on the side of the middle class, working American people. I am not for government at the state level trampling workers’ rights. If it starts at the state level, where will it end?

Or maybe you want to see government have complete control over the people. What do you call that kind of government? Can I have a gut-wrenching answer on that?

Joe Mereness

Gloucester, Va.