Madison, WI – State Representative Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) commended Congressman Bryan Steil for introducing H.R. 7329, a bill to name the Muskego post office the Colonel Hans Christian Heg Post Office.
“On Tuesday night, a mob criminally desecrated, among other things, a statue of Hans Christian Heg which has stood in front of the State Capitol for nearly a hundred years. Colonel Heg was an immigrant, abolitionist, and soldier who died heroically fighting for the Union cause.
“Heg’s family settled in Muskego, where he became active in politics and anti-slavery activism. After he was killed in action in the Civil War, his remains were returned to our community for burial.
“While our communities have come together overwhelmingly in condemning prejudice and the excessive use of force, I fear that the actions of a barbaric few will be a detriment to progress.
“We will not secure better laws by violating the valid ones that already exist.”
“Our freedoms do not give us the right to do as we please, but the right to do as we ought.
Colonel Heg clearly understood that. I hope that by honoring him this way, we can inspire others to commit to doing as we ought—and we ought not destroy property or assault innocent bystanders, no matter who they are. Nor is that behavior that the mark of the civilized society, under God, that I believe we would all like to build.”