Wisconsin State Journal from Madison, Wisconsin • 8

"(T)he question of whether a morning meal is necessary has a dear answer absolutely yes." SUSAN NFTZKE, today's mail A8 Saturday, October 25, 2003 YOUR Coming Sunday Pledging allegiance Editorial Page Editor. Tim Kelley, (608) 252-61 10 Editorial Writers: Chuck Martin, Sunny Schubert, (608) 252-6107 Wisconsin State Journal GUEST COLUMN PINION Consumers have a vote 9PEPBZE TODAY'S MAIL: SCHOOL BREAKFAST have greater difficulty concentrating and learning in the classroom. The bottom line: Access to a healthy breakfast helps keep children physically fit and mentally sharp. In turn, these young people are better prepared for success in school and in life. Families and schools with busy schedules and limited resources have many reasons for failing to provide a healthy morning meal.

As an educator and a mother, I understand those challenges. As a nutrition professional and scientist, I declare that it is urgent for parents, schools and policymakers to work together to ensure that every child in Wisconsin can start his or her day right' with a healthy meal. Susan Nitzke, professor of nutritional sciences, UW-Madison Extension Don't push more parental duties onto government Gov. Jim Doyle recently announced his push for a statewide mandate re MAIL: FAITH, MARRIAGE, MORE GUEST COLUMN Religious tidbits gloss over facts By Charles L. Cohen As a student of American religion, I read your "Primer on popular faiths" (Oct.

12) with some interest. Summarizing complicated histories into a couple of sentences is difficult, but I would like to point out some errors. Most American Baptists do not "trace their history to the 16th century Reformation days." The Reformation's Anabaptists literally "rebaptizers" developed into such groups as the Mennonites and the German Dunkers. These churches reached Anglo-America in the 18th century, but most of the American Baptist churches derive from 17th century English groups, one (General Baptists) believing that Christ's death was effectual for all, others (Particular Baptist) that it was effective only for those particularly selected. Williams participated in founding the first Baptist church in Anglo-America in 1639 but he left that church within a few months, claiming that no church was a true one.

To say that the Congregational Church traces its history to "American Pilgrims" is misleading. The term "pilgrims" refers to some of the settlers who founded Plymouth in 1620. Most colony members initially weren't members of the Separatist congregation. Elements of the Separatists' church government, notably the habit of fathering churches by lay covenant, became central to Congregationalism, but the Congregational Church developed from mainstream, non-separating Puritans who settled Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Cambridge Platform of 1648 may be said to have established a denominational identity (Plymouth did not become part of Massachusetts until 1691).

The Evangelical and Reformed Church joined the Congregational Churches in 1957 to form the United Church of Christ, combining elements of the German Reformed tradition as well as Lutheranism. The Great Schism dividing the Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholic Church occurred in 1054, not the 12th century. To say that "Calvin's basic contribution at large was the tradition of democracy" is misleading and to claim that he "believed that ordinary people, not just kings and church leaders, should share in the making of civil and religious policy" is just plain wrong. There certainly elements of democratic church governance in the Reformed tradition, as well as the notion that it is the duty of the faithful to resist a magistrate who transgresses God. But Calvinism's insistence on imposing moral order hardly left room for democratic dissent by those who disagreed.

Some 16th century Reformed churches placed the 10 Commandments on their walls, and I suspect that Calvin would have applauded Judge (Roy) Moore's decision to place the Decalogue outside his court, as well as his resistance to his colleagues' and the federal government's "godlessness." Calvin's interaction with society is far more complex than the identification allows. There were Unitarian movements in 16th century Transylvania and Poland, but it would be wrong to link the American Unitarian Church to this part of the Radical Reformation. The American movement emerged out of the 18th century Liberal Congregationalist tradition. At its though not now, Unitarianism billed itself as a biblical faith claiming that the Bible says nothing about a Trinity. That's a far cry from the liberal rationalism of 16th century Socinianism.

It's more misleading to say that "Unitarians trace their history to the Pilgrims" since the 17th century Separatists were devoutly Calvinist in their theology and would have had no truck with Non-Trinitarianism. Unitarians would have been uncomfortable in 17th century Massachusetts and Connecticut. American Unitarianism originated as a Congregationalist heresy. It ultimately captured many of the longstanding Congregational churches in eastern New England so there is a kernel of accuracy in claiming that Unitarians look to 17th century New England churches as part of their history. On the other hand, the Methodists first appeared in Anglo-America in the decade before the American Revolution.

They were already becoming a significant evangelical force in the south in 1800. The statement that Methodism "arrived in America in the 19th century" is wrong. Cohen is director of religious studies at UW-Madison. By Kay Piantes The Dane County executive's recent summit on "big box" retailers and Stoughton's debate over a Wal-Mart Superstore signal a clear concern: Is the growing dominance of national chain stores good for us? And if not, what can we do to change the situation? As consumers, we vote with dollars, every time we go to a store or restaurant. Our message goes to manufacturers whose products we choose (or reject), to the stores we shop (or don't) and the restaurants where we dine (or not).

National chain stores have won our votes for a number of reasons: Big-box discounters like Wal-Mart created everyday low prices by designing a far more efficient way to get goods from their maker to the retail shelf. Economists attribute much of the 1990s productivity boom to Wal-Mart and the operational improvements they demanded from manufacturers. Home Depot, Bed Bath 'n Beyond, Best Buy, and Office Depot are copycat concepts. Restaurant chains created new eating concepts that captured the imagination of diners and prepared meals more efficiently. Over time, the national chains gain cost advantages because they are buying so much more than their one-of-a-kind competition.

Wal-Mart, for example, as our nation's largest company and Wisconsin' largest employer, is also the No. 1 customer of many consumer goods companies. Wal-Mart sells 32 percent of the diapers purchased in the United States and 19 percent of the groceries. When Wal-Mart demands lower prices from Kimberly Clark or Kraft, they respond or else lose shelf space to competitors. Chains also gain market share because they are able to afford more advertising.

Are the savings we get as consumers worth the price we pay? Yes, if we only look at purchase prices. But the cost we pay is oftentimes much higher. Why? Many big-box national chains do not pay Wisconsin corporate income taxes, owing to their ability to shift Wisconsin profits to Delaware; or Nevada, two states without cor-; porate income taxes Do government employees think about this when they shop? National chains do not contribute to our local cultural scene to the degree locally owned companies do. Do theater lovers think about this when they shop? National chain retailers increasingly buy private label products from China and other low-wage nations, and keep their own wages low. Wal-Mart accounts for 10 percent of U.S.

imports from China. These low-cost goods force more companies and suppliers to move production overseas to stay competitive. Wal-Mart's wages for grocery workers are 14 percent below those of other grocers. Do we think about the implications for our neighbors whose wages or jobs might be affected? We can't shut down national chains, nor should we want to. First, not all chains are the same.

Target, along with sister Marshall Fields, gives 5 percent of profits to local causes. Copp's, a Wisconsin- owned big box, does an exceptional job hiring individuals with physical limitations. Some restaurant chains are owned locally as franchises, and Woodman's, also locally owned, is a Civic Center Second, the national drive towards lower prices has helped keep inflation down which has been good for the economy overall. Third, international trade is good for the world. What consumers can do is think before they shop.

Ask stores and restaurants about wages and benefits, contributions to local causes, and whether or not ownership is national or local. Call out-of-state headquarters to find out if they pay Wisconsin corporate income taxes. Find out where products are made. Your consumer voting rights, like others, should not be taken lightly. Use your vote to make dominant chains become the best companies, not just the biggest.

I am one of only 18 percent of the U.S. population who did not buy from Wal-Mart last year. I consider it my civic duty not to. Piantes is a Madison economist and business consultant. Wisconsin State Journal JAMES W.HOPSON Publisher FRANK DENTON Editor TIM KELLEY Editorial page editor SUNNY SCHUBERT Editorial writer CHUCK MARTIN Editorial writer fir A) I iii J.

quiring all schools to serve breakfast. Are school dinners next, or what about sleeping arrangements for those children who aren't put to bed at a reasonable hour? Where does it end? The governor says we should feel "ashamed" at being ranked last nationally in serving school breakfast. On the contrary, I'm proud of that distinction. I hope it means we're doing something right. The ones who should feel ashamed are the parents of these unfortunate children.

Providing for your family, including breakfast, is a parental responsibility. Parents of any means who can't manage a simple and inexpensive meal like breakfast are lazy, irresponsible or both, and I have sympathy for the children growing up in those households. But I would rather see my tax dollars go toward resolving issues of poor parenting than providing yet another way for these parents to hand off their job to the government. Janet Masters, Madison PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH We welcome your views, including letters to the editor of 200 or fewer words on matters of public interest. Letters may be edited; not all can be published.

E-mail to: wsjopine madison.com. No attachments. Mail: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708. Call: 283-3123 in Madison; 888-696-8675 elsewhere.

All letters, e-mails and calls must include your name, address and phone number. Only names and hometowns will be published. Contact letters editor Kris Crary, 608-252-6111. ago that it was tightening controls on travel to the island nation. The question now is whether Bush will heed the will of Congress and listen to the majority of Cubans and Americans who are crying out for a new approach to Cuba.

The time is now for engagement instead of confrontation. As Pope John Paul II said, "We must open up to Cuba so that Cuba will open up to the world." Ricardo Gonzalez, president, Madison-Camaguey Sister City Association Be fair to the Guard: reinstate the draft A survey of 1,935 soldiers in Iraq published recently by Stars and Stripes found that 49 percent rated morale in their unit as low or very low. About 42,000 of the roughly 160,000 Amer-. ican troops in Iraq are members of the Army Reserves and National Guard. Of the reservists and guardsmen surveyed, 48 percent rated their morale as low or very low and 55 percent said they were unlikely or very unlikely to The senior leadership of the U.S.

military was not ready for the occupation of Iraq. After the war is over and believe me, it is not over yet I think you will see the ranks of the Army Reserve and National Guard decimated. It's time to do the right thing and reinstate the draft. There's little chance of that, however, since the Bush administration is more concerned with re-election politics. The "right thing" would be to spread the load, rich and poor, lame and lazy.

If this war on terrorism is going to last almost indefinitely, we must all share the burden. Joachim R. Gocht, Richland Center, Sergeant US Army Special Forces, Vietnam, 1962-66 Breakfast is important, no matter where it's eaten As policymakers and political pundits debate the merits of school breakfast, we should not overlook the main issue that every child needs a nutritionally adequate breakfast every day. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges everyone to "encourage schools to offer, and students to participate in, the School Breakfast Program." The question of who should provide that breakfast may be worthy of discussion, but the question of whether a morning meal is necessary has a clear answer absolutely yes.

A recent study of eating and exercise behaviors of more than 8,000 adolescents confirmed an important finding from previous studies. That is, overweight youth were less likely to eat breakfast than adolescents who were not overweight. Other studies have confirmed what many parents and teachers have observed on their own children with empty stomachs In defense of Christianity, adherents weak, not faith I am responding to Stephen Day's analysis of the editorial cartoon from the Sunday, Oct. 19, State Journal. The cartoonist indicates that societies founded on atheism have been some of the most violent and murderous in history, i.e.

Nazi Germany and Russia under Stalin. That is not to say that things wouldn't be different in the future, but the track record thus far is not good. Along the same lines, there have been atrocities committed in the name of religion, like the Crusades, but they do not represent Christianity in a true light, just like modern-day terrorists do not accurately represent Islam. These occurrences are not the fault of the religion, but of sinful humans who try to use religion for their own purposes. Those who proclaim to be Christians but don't "practice what they preach" are hypocritical and do more to hurt their religion than help.

True Christianity is about love and tolerance. Even if you disagree, it's never, as Day describes, "immoral, intolerant, unethical and disgusting." Pete Jaeger, Madison Follow Mother Teresa's example feed the hungry I was honored to once receive a personal letter from Mother Teresa in which she encouraged us to continue our efforts aimed at helping all children who suffer from hunger. On the eve of the beatification of Mother Teresa to sainthood, we need to remember how she humbly lived her life while caring for the "least of my brothers" and "poorest of the poor." She lived her faith and her message was one of hope for the less fortunate. Mother Teresa said "Give the world the best you have, it may never be enough, and "we have poverty because we don't share." She felt it was contrary to the teachings of the church to live in extravagance while others are hungry. Per recent U.N.

statistics, 25 million people are dying every year simply because they don't have enough food and 15 million of them are children. We can indeed end world hunger and we can do it today. All we have to do is share. Norman C. Granvold, founder Operation End World Hunger, Stoughton Intent of marriage is to join a woman and a man If the law proposed to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman is passed, how can Gov.

Jim MORE Associated Press file photo Mother Teresa, 1997 Doyle veto the new wording? I am astonished that we have allowed the law to read as it currently reads because it is so wrongly worded. It now states that a marriage can only take place between "husband and a wife." That means that two people who are currently married and are therefore a husband and a wife are allowed to get married to each other. polygamy alive in Wisconsin? Doyle is an attorney; he should appreciate that this law is now in error and that it needs correction, without changing the intent of the law. Governor, let it read "a man and a woman." Stand up for what is right. Mike Herman, Madison Kudos to Kohl for support of travel to, from Cuba Sen.

Herb Kohl deserves un abrazo and a big thank you for voting to support our right to travel to Cuba. In a historic vote, the U.S. Senate, defying the president's threat of a veto, voted 59-36 Thursday to approve an amendment to the Transportation and Treasury Appropriations Bill, sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan, a Democrat from North Dakota, and Larry Craig, a Republican from Idaho, that would effectively prevent the Treasury Department from enforcing the ban on travel to Cuba. In supporting this measure, Kohl joined his colleague from Wisconsin, Sen.

Russ Feingold, a longtime advocate of change in our Cuba policy. The Bush administration, in its continuing effort to pander to the more radical Cuban-Americans in South Florida, had announced two weeks.