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By Janna Martin
"I believe in the United States of America" What does that really mean? To me it means we are one nation. What does it mean to you? "As a government of the people for the people" What about that? If we are a free country, why are the local, state, an federal governments failing to listen to the people's needs? Why do people die or go to jail for expressing what they think about the government? Why are we prejudiced? I don't think any one can say they aren't prejudiced. Actually I know for a fact that everyone is prejudiced about something. Why are people greedy? Why don't we help the poor, the homeless and the needy? "Whose just powers are derived for the consent of the governed." Have we failed to do our job, to govern the citizens of the United States? What must we do to make it better? "A democracy in a Republic." Has our democracy failed to do what is right? If we are a free country, why have we tortured people? Why did we have slaves? "A sovereign nation of many sovereign states" What does Sovereign mean? It means a ruler of Supreme powers. Do we have a supreme ruler? "A perfect union, one and inseparable" If we are a perfect union, why do people make fun of those who are fat, gay, bisexual, poor, or even have a disability? Are we inseparable? How are we supposed to know? We're not supposed to know, are we? "Established upon the principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes" Are we really free? Are we really equal? I mean every single person in this country? Do we have justice? What about humanity? Are we grateful that the American patriots sacrificed their lives for our freedom, our justice, and our humanity, but did they really fight so that we are equal? "I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it: to support its Constitution; to obey the laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies." Do we really love it? Do we really support its Constitution? Do we obey the laws? Do we respect the flag? Do we defend against the enemies? There are lots of questions, how do we answer them all? Who do we ask? Well I have one question for you: Do your love your country? I mean really truly love it? Well I know I do.

Carparee Event Schedule
August 8 - 10 All 3 days * Carp Fishing Contest * Indianhead Amusement Park and Midway Concessions * Booths and Tents (sponsored by Local Groups) * School Art Display - City Hall All events held on St. Feriole Island unless otherwise stated Thursday, August 8 2 p.m. - Penny Auction 5:30 - Carp Fishing Prizes awarded 7 p.m. - Music by Ol'Man River Band at the Gazebo on the Riverfront Ñ Folk Dancing and Square dancing Friday, August 9 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Children's Ranch Pony and Carriage Rides. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Redhawk Helicopter rides 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. - Julia Belle Swain Steamboat rides 5 p.m. - Sand Castle Creation Contest at Lawler Park Beach 5:30 p.m. - Carp Fishing Prizes awarded at Willie and Nellie's 6 p.m. - Tractor Pedal Pull at Nelson's True Value, Commerce Court (Registration at 5:30 p.m.) 6 - 8 p.m. - Fish Fry on St. Feriole Island 7 p.m. - Mississippi Blackhawks Water Ski Show Saturday, August 10 7 - 9:30 a.m. - Pancake Breakfast 10 a.m. - Carparee Parade (line up at 9 a.m.) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Redhawk Helicopter rides 12:30 p.m. - Professional High Action Bike Stunt Show. 2 p.m. - Flat Bottom Rowboat Race 3:30 p.m. - Professional High Action Bike Stunt Show 4:30 p.m. - Pet Parade 5:30 p.m. - Carp Fishing Prizes awarded. 7 p.m. - Musical Variety Program

Coping with the horrors of the past
Sweat creases his brow and he mumbles and tosses in his sleep. He talks of war and death until his wife wakes him. This sounds like a lot of veterans who have trouble forgetting the battlefield, and it could be related to any time period. This segment occurs between Lady Percy and Hotspur in the Shakespeare play Henry IV. Greg Clark, an M.A. in Psychology, said this example shows how far back in time the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were recognized. PTSD can happen to anyone Clark said, but war veterans get it more often because of their experiences. "War combat exposure alters your way of thinking," he said. "When people are trying to kill you, that's a different reality than sitting back in the Midwest." Clark, a resident of Guttenburg since 1997, said that recent findings in the psychology field suggest that traumatic experiences cause chemical changes in the brain that could lead to the symptoms of PTSD. Clark's goal is to minimize the negative impact of those symptoms in the veteran's personal life. He said the best way to do this is for the veteran to talk to someone they trust or someone who knows about PTSD. Clark said that if veterans ignore their feelings of traumatic events, it can lead to communication problems, especially with couples. Out of the 40 people he counsels, 10 of them sometimes have sessions with their spouse. "When they shut down to feelings, they don't want to touch that pain," he said. "When you don't want to touch that pain, you don't want to go in that door [to your feelings]. When you don't want to look at your own feelings, that makes it hard to empathize with other people." Clark was in a combat engineer unit in Vietnam. His truck hit a 500 pound bomb one day. Clark said the Viet Cong used discarded American parts to build the bomb. He came home after that incident with a feeling that he did not do enough. "What I always felt was that I didn't do enough," he said. "I feel so many more soldiers gave more than I gave." Clark said that the most damaging psychological factor for veterans is that they think that their part in a war was not important. Clark said that the lack of quality recognition Vietnam veterans got when they came home is one way that veterans start to think that they were not important. "Society was calling us Ôbaby killer'," he said about returning from Vietnam. Clark said this was a tremendous contrast to when Gulf War veterans returned home. Some Gulf War veterans received debriefing sessions so that they could adjust to everyday life. They also received a warm welcome home. "Some Gulf War vets [that Clark counsels] are sometimes ashamed by the recognition they got," Clark said. "Every veteran of every war and every conflict deserves respect, to help him readjust to society." The government did not help Vietnam veterans either. The Vietnam War was not technically declared a war Clark said. Vietnam veterans could not have the special benefits that other veterans had because of this. "Vietnam vets didn't want to have anything to do with the government. I'm not speaking for every veteran, but we felt betrayed by the government that sent us." Clark went to Chapman College in Orange, Calif. to study psychology. He received his degree in 1980. Clark then started a Vietnam veterans counseling group in 1981 while he was attending the University of Iowa. It was a "rap" group that got together to talk about their problems. He worked at a lifeguard air ambulance at this time too. Clark started a veteran center in Cedar Rapids in 1985 after he got his M.A. The veteran center was a federal organization that was created in 1979 as an outreach program to veterans. Clark and one of his air ambulance co-workers started up the Critical Incident Stress Management Team in 1987. Clark and his friend did work for their team voluntarily. Clark had worked in Cedar Rapids until about 1995. It was then that Clark contacted Crawford County Veteran Service Officer Jim Hannah. Clark wanted to work with veterans in rural southwest Wisconsin. "I realized there was a need for some kind of service in the rural area," he said. He commuted one day every other week from Cedar Rapids to Prairie du Chien for two years until he moved to Guttenburg in 1997. Clark started his own private practice called the Great River Veterans Counseling Service in 1999. Clark said that veterans feel more comfortable with him because he is a veteran. He said that he feels a sense of purpose from having survived a near-death experience in Vietnam. "In my serving veterans who were doing the real fighting, serving them gives me a sense in the big picture of why I was saved," Clark said. "The good Lord let me peer over the edge, but he didn't push me over," he said. If you are a veteran and you need to talk about your experiences, please contact Greg Clark at (608) 326-0420.

Corn kernels catch cunning carp
The inaugural Carparee Family Fun Days Carp Fishing Tournament is sure to draw a number of carp fishin' enthusiasts to the Prairie du Chien area Aug. 8-10. No doubt about it, a big, ol' carp is a fun fish to catch, with size and power to spare and many a veteran carper has his own time-honored, tried and true methods. Some swear by minnows, others have used peanut butter balls, marshmallows and even soggy balls of Wheaties. New carpers, however, may be able to take heed of a bit of carping advice from a local veteran in order to improve his or her chances of landing the big one that will become known as "Lucky." Lucky will represent his species in a very special way at the annual Dropping of the Carp ceremony New Year's Eve. Mike Valley of Valley Fish Shop in Prairie du Chien has been a multi-species angling enthusiast for many years and has been carping for about 10. Valley said the best time to fish for the bottom sucking rough fish is from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. "I don't fish for carp at any other time," he said. While new carpers may be inclined to use nightcrawlers to catch the big bottom feeders, Valley says that there is a much better method of attracting and landing the bruising brawlers. Valley advises to use canned whole kernel corn. The prospective carper should dump most of the juice off and put the corn in a baggie the night before with a tablespoon of vanilla extract added. A whole can of corn without the extract should be scattered on the water for the two nights prior to the carping expedition in order to chum, which should draw carp to your secret spot. Next, the prospective carper should prepare the proper carping gear, which Valley says is a relatively stout pole and reel, wound with 20-pound test line. On the main line, Valley places a small (not more than 1/4-ounce) slip sinker. He then uses a swivel to attach a 10 to 12-pound, two-foot-long leader to the main line. The slip sinker, leader combination allows for the bait to float up slightly from the bottom, said Valley, who uses a No. 1 hook with four kernels of corn threaded through the center. Valley says that the prospective carper should be careful not to reel or drag the line back towards him after casting. Leave the bait where it lands. Once the cast is made, the angler should "drape" the line, creating a decent curve. Now, despite all appearances, Mr. Carp is actually quite cunning and has been known to suck all of the bait off many a hook. "You will rarely feel a carp bite," Valley says. "So you have to watch the line very carefully. As soon as the line begins to straighten, set the hook." Valley said that upon setting the hook, a carp angler has about a one in five chance of hooking the carp, so the angler shouldn't get too discouraged. The carper should have the reel drag set pretty tight and upon hooking a big, burly bottomsucker, he should be patient and "play" the fish properly, rather than "horsing" it in. Upon finally getting the fish in close after a thrilling tug of war, Valley says the carp fisherman should use a big, stout net to land the fish, lest he get away at the last second, which has been known to illicit many a stream of profanities, some of which are most likely still orbiting the planet. Every angler has his or her favorite fishin' hole, and as far as carp are concerned, Valley said that one good spot is the slough near the Washington Street Bridge or across from the marina. Valley fishes for carp in about 4 or 5 feet of water. He said that if the angler sees a large amount of bubbles, it means Mr. Carp is rooting around and feeding down below. To do battle with a big-scaled behemoth of a carp in the 20 to 30-pound range can be quite a thrill and there should be plenty of hot action during the Carparee Carp Fishing Tournament Aug. 8, 9, 10. Weigh-ins for the tournament will be held daily at about 4 p.m. at Willy and Nellie's Bait Shop on Blackhawk Avenue and prizes will be awarded daily at 5:30 p.m. Prizes are Cabela's gift certificates, which will be awarded each day to the youngest person to catch a carp, the oldest person to catch a carp and to the person who catches the biggest carp that day. Tickets to enter the carp fishing tournament may be purchased at Willie and Nellie's, Stark's Sport Shop, Valley Fish Shop and the Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce office. Carp fishing tournament tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children 15 and under if purchased in advance. Tickets purchased the day the tournament begins are $7 and $3, respectively. In addition to the tournament, a carp and catfish fry will be held at the Pavilion at Lawler Park Friday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more details of the Carparee and the carp fishing tournament, prospective carpers can call (608) 326-8555 or at (800) 732-1673.