Mattsletters: Honorable William Cohen from Maine, USA

10/17/2017

U.S. Secretary William Cohen

c/o The Cohen Group

Suite 200

500 Eighth Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear U.S. Secretary Cohen,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in learning history, social justice, and public policy. In these subjects, I like to learn the need to make Civil Rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, and many others. U.S. Secretary Cohen, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as U.S. Senator from Maine and as 20^th U.S. Secretary of Defense to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as U.S. Senator from Maine from 1979-1997, I liked on how you were a moderate Republican on supporting Civil Rights and protecting the environment. On Civil Rights, I was very proud on how you join Democrats including moderate Republicans like Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Bob Graham, Senator Bob Dole, Senator Richard Lugar, and Senator Nancy Kassabuam Baker to support The American with Disabilities’ Act of 1990 to help protect people with disabilities from being discriminated in education including public places. Also on Civil Rights I really like on how you were an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, support funds to help women including minorities businesses compete in the economy, vote in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 to expand laws to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated in employment services, and express the need to reduce racial profiling in law enforcement services to help protect minorities. Your approach to protect the environment by voting in favor of the Clean Air Act of 1990 to help reduce air pollution by requiring industries to burn clean fuel along with expand research for biofuel for vehicles including industries to use, support renewable energy sources to reduce addiction to oil with gas while reduce CO2 emissions, and work with Democrats including some moderate Republicans to pass legislation to help protect water resources along with public lands including national parks from being polluted. Also when you served in the U.S. Senate I really liked on how you were an advocate for immigration reform to help protect immigrants including refugees form oppressive countries and push for The Montgomery G.I. Bill Act to help people who serve in the military get into a job training program. In President Bill Clinton’s presidency I liked on how you accepted to serve as U.S. Secretary of Defense to help our country. In your role as 20^th U.S. Secretary of Defense I liked on how you worked with President Bill Clinton and the U.S. Congress to support the 1998 Defense budget which focused on recruiting with training programs to help people who join the military to develop skills, expand programs to help troops get medical care, and push for more research into military technology to improve troops’s equipment help protect troops when they get into battle. Another thing that I liked when you served as U.S. Secretary of Defense was on how you were a strong advocate for the need to end discrimination policies for women, minorities, and people with disabilities who are in military jobs, work to expand NATO organization to include Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic in order to work together with the U.S. on finding ways to reduce tensions with other counties, and assist President Bill Clinton with Russian President Yeltsin on the STARTIII to reduce nuclear weapons for both nations. When you left public service, I truly appreciate on how you are a strong advocate for Civil Rights, express the need for campaign finance reform to reduce corruption in elections, support human rights including immigration reform, and express the need to reduce tension between countries

U.S. Secretary Cohen, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability. The ADA of 1990 that you supported helped benefited me getting some education and to be protected from being discriminated. In education, the ADA of 1990 helped give me accommodations like extra time on exams, have a tutor or a T.A. help me work on different assignments, use a recorder or education software to help assist on improving my comprehension, and special education resources helping me set up accommodations in elementary school through my community college. In May 2014, I was able to get an associates degree at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan.my main focus in Associates Degree is history, government, some business, some science, and criminal justice.. Your role in public service gives me motivation to continue to learn history, public policy, and social justice. My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need to make Civil Rights stronger in order to reduce discrimination, have environmental protection, and many others.

I strongly believe that you made a great difference when you served in public service. I’m very proud on how you worked hard as a moderate Republican to support Civil Rights, push for environmental protection, and to work with another party on different issues. Even though I still struggle with autism your support for The ADA of 1990 really helped changed my life to get some education and to be protected from being discriminated. You have inspired me to continue to work hard on my disability and be motivated to continue to learn different subjects. I have included a story of my life about working hard on my disability called the Kid With No Words where I dedicate you and many influential people who inspire me. I hope you enjoy my story and my letter and also I’m providing you a picture of me for you to keep to remind you on how much you inspire me. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great impact in public service, and inspiring me. I wish you the best to continue to advocate for common sense ideas.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick