LETTER: Van Gerpen is a man ‘for the people’

Talk about it

To the Editor:

Please find that this correspondence is a letter to the editor addressed to all citizens of District 19 in the great state of South Dakota.

I have known Bill Van Gerpen for a long time, and have always respected his ideals to serve the people of his county, state and legislative district, as well as his home. His campaign motto, “A Campaign for the People,” is proven in many ways. He has in the past and still does believe that “service is just that, service,” and not a job, but a willingness to serve when called.

Bill served his country as a young man in the U.S. Air Force, then served his home state as a state representative for four terms (the maximum that one is allowed to serve in South Dakota), then again served his country as a member of the U.S. Air Force in the European Theater for an additional two years during the Middle East conflicts.

Bill is a champion of unborn children and their right to life; family farms and their right to exist; rural schools and their right to funding; marriage between one man and one woman; and a champion of rural development of wind power at all times keeping in the highest priority the beauty and integrity of our rural communities.

Bill is a Christian and a pastor who has served many churches. I know that he daily strives forever increasing wisdom, knowledge, strength, power, health, understanding, virtue, conviction, honesty, integrity, drive, desire, direction and humility for his ability to live and practice his Christian values.

A vote for Bill will be a great breath of fresh air for the newly created District 19 citizens, for they will have elected a senator that they can “speak of instead of about.”

Tags: election 2012, opinion, updates, letters, legislature