Former U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas

2/22/2016

U.S. Senator Bob Dole

Finance Chair and Member of Advisory Committee

c/o Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission

Suite 801

1629 K Street, NW

Washington, D.C.  20006

Dear U.S. Senator Bob Dole,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in studying history including public policy.  The main reason I have a strong interest in studying these subjects is because I like to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from being discriminated, protect the environment from pollution,  help people who are poor get the care they need, and many others.  The main reason I’m writing you a letter is because I find your work as moderate Republican U.S. Senator of Kansas and as an advocate to be very inspiring to me.

When you served in the U.S. Senate in 1969-1996, I liked on how you worked with Democratic U.S. Senator Jim McGovern on helping expand on federal food stamps to help low-income people including farmers get the food or assistance to buy food so they can get the care they need.  In 1990, I was very proud  of how you and Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Harkin led a bipartisanship with different U.S. Senators like Richard Lugar, Alan K Simpson, Ted Kennedy, Bob Kerrey, and many others to push for The American With Disabilities’ Act of 1990 to get passed to help protect people with disabilities from being discriminated in education and public places.  To protect the environment, I was very proud on how you used your role as Senate Minority Leader to work with President George H.W. Bush and Senate Democratic Majority Leader George Mitchell to pass The Clean Air Act of 1990 to reduce air pollution by pushing for clean fuel to reduce carbon emissions, expanding on programs to reduce acid rain or other pollutants, and promoting energy conservation with clean energy to reduce addiction to oil with gas.   Another thing that I liked when you were in the U.S. Senate was on how you were moderate on different issues and broke with your own party when they supported extreme policies. After you left the U.S. Senate, I liked you commitment to help honor WWII veterans and U.S. troops that served their country by pushing for WWII Memorial to be built to honor the troops who fought in World War II.

I have Autism with a learning disability and having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, struggle with speech when communicating with people, and get teased. Your support with other U.S. Senators on The ADA of 1990 helped benefit me by getting an education and to be protected from being discriminated.  In elementary school though my community college the ADA helped expand accommodations like having a T.A. or tutor work with me on different subjects, have extra time on exams including homework, use educational software to help improve my comprehension, use a recorder to record lectures to help improve note-taking, and many others. The ADA helped me get an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My main focus in my degree is history, government, criminal justice, some business, and some science. The future goal that I want use my degree is to teach history to help people learn the need to improve society or work on history commissions to help make history come alive to help remind people about how ideas can help shape society, honor people who work hard to do good things, and explain not to repeat the same mistakes.

Senator Dole, I strongly believe that you made a great difference as a moderate Republican U.S. Senator of Kansas and as an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights including supporting honoring people who make a great difference. Your support for the ADA and being an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really makes a great impact on me to get an education, be protected from being discriminated, and continue working hard on Autism.  I have included an essay about President Eisenhower and “The Kid With No Words”, a story of my life with a disability where I dedicate you for making a great impact on me.  I hope you get a chance to read it  Also I’m very proud of your commitment to be a supporter of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial to be built. In 2014, I became a strong support for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission because I believe that it is time for IKE to be honored for his commitment to support U.S. Troops and using his moderate Republican to help move the country forward, and many others. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter including my items, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me.  I hope I get a chance to meet you because you have strongly inspired me to have courage and work hard on my disability.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick