A recent editorial (“Beware being Joe Biden’s attack dog, Gov. Pritzker. Flatulence can blow back.,” June 19) about Gov. J.B. Pritzker taking the gloves off and attacking Donald Trump made me think about the state of our state. Has Pritzker had so many achievements that have dramatically improved our state and the lives of our citizens that he deserves the position of being on the attack of Trump? I think not.
The editorial opines that Trump has no chance of winning Illinois as it is a deep blue state. The state has been controlled by the Democratic Party for longer than I’ve been alive. It invites the question, “Are we the people better off now?” Is the state one to be admired?
In many categories, Illinois ranks below other states. In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of states, Illinois was 38th overall and dead last in fiscal stability! Illinois’ economy was rated No. 43, and for “opportunity,” it came in at No. 40.
The state legislature has been under the thumb of Democrats for decades, and it is easy to understand why Illinois has deteriorated so dramatically. Yet, year in, year out, Democrats have a lock on voters. Why? We have major businesses leaving the state. We have citizens fleeing the state for the South.
Is our current and future tax burden likely to get better or worse? Is there a high level of confidence that those we elected will guide and manage the direction of our state appropriately? Can Illinois become a top 10 state in many critical categories? The answer is a resounding “no” if we the people keep voting as we have.
It is well past time to vote against all incumbents and hope that, with a complete change, Illinois can restore itself to being a great state where people want to live. Pritzker was lucky that the money that flowed from the federal government to stave off the pandemic crisis allowed him to pay down some debt and improve the financial mess our state was in. This temporary Band-Aid will last only a short time before our politicians create more ways and means to further destroy our future.
— Dave Roberts, Frankfort
The new normal in politics
Who would have thought we’d ever see a Tribune editorial based on “flatulence”? And that it would ring so true! Then again, in today’s political sewer system, should we really be surprised? Say goodbye to “When they go low, we go high.”
Name-calling, body-shaming, vulgar rhetoric, demeaning labels and personal attacks have become the new normal. The art of the insult has become politicians’ go-to weapon of choice. It’s a convenient ploy to move the spotlight away from examining credentials and scrutinizing qualifications (or lack thereof). Grifters, con artists, hucksters and authoritarians have relied on these tactics for years. Most often, however, the nonsense and hyperbole are used to sidestep substantive policy discussions. Anything to avoid taking a position or presenting new solutions for tough problems facing Americans: immigration, education, foreign relations, women’s health and economic development.
Dance around an issue, never commit and bend the truth. Anything not to be held accountable. Anything to avoid consequences!
The editorial ends with a reference to consequences and rightly so. Voters can’t get distracted by toilet humor and charlatan bluster. It can be a great spectator sport, funny at times, and we may even find ourselves getting caught up in the drama. But it’s harmful. Elections have huge consequences. And it’s up to the voters to break through the mean-spirited noise to select government leaders who will look after their interests and their country.
Make politicians’ words matter through accountability. As per William Shakespeare: “Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome.”
— Lindsay Resnick, Chicago
Equating Pritzker with Trump
In the Wednesday Tribune, there was a cartoon by Scott Stantis showing two crying babies, one representing Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the other representing Donald Trump. Stantis is equating our governor, who has accomplished much and is someone to be proud of, with a convicted felon? Seriously?
— Holger Meerbote, Arlington Heights
Response to gun violence
A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as a shooting in which four or more victims are killed by gunfire in a single or a continuing incident. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 134 mass shootings in the first four months of 2024. Many of these mass shootings involve assault-style weapons. Ordinary citizens have no need for assault-style weapons. The U.S. had an assault weapon ban that was in effect for 10 years but was allowed to lapse under George W. Bush’s administration.
Following mass shootings, most politicians shed crocodile tears, wring their hands and voice meaningless prayers — but not President Joe Biden. The president has showed his mettle in defying the National Rifle Association and calling for the resurrection of the assault weapons ban and stronger background checks. Hats off to the president.
— Ava Holly Berland, Chicago
Caring about animal welfare
Bravo to the Tribune Editorial Board for its editorial condemning the abuse of beagles at Envigo’s massive Virginia warehouse, where thousands of dogs were caged, bred and sold for experiments (“A warning to animal abusers in fittingly harsh penalty for company that horribly mistreated beagles,” June 17). This issue is personal for me: One of those beagles is now a beloved member of my family.
When she first came to live with us, Mabel slept for days — exhausted from being forced to give birth to litter after litter of puppies and listening to the deafening din of the other stressed dogs who were confined with her. Everything was new to her: She had never slept on a soft bed, played with a toy, seen the rain or heard birds chirping.
Today, Mabel is finally able to be a dog. She relishes long walks and loves everyone she meets. She finally knows what it means to be treated with love and respect.
Just like Mabel, every animal is someone. From mice to monkeys, every living being feels pain and fear, and none deserves to be used as an experimental tool. Yet tens of millions of animals are deprived of everything they value, tormented and killed in experiments every year that are funded by our tax dollars. Clinging to this cruel and antiquated approach also fails people who desperately need treatments and cures: A lot of basic research, most of which involves animals, fails to lead to treatments for humans.
We must do better. The Research Modernization Deal, developed by PETA scientists, offers a sound strategy for transitioning away from cruel and unreliable experiments on animals toward human-relevant methods that hold real promise of breakthroughs. More information can be found at PETA.org/RMD. Readers should urge their legislators to support it.
— Natalie Hawkins, director of human resources, The PETA Foundation, Norfolk, Virginia
Bravo to animal advocates
Yay for PETA! Thank God for this organization of committed gutsy people with enormous courage and heart.
— Patricia Solari, Elmwood Park
Peru ties to Stephen Douglas
Thank you for publishing the most interesting excerpt by Edward McClelland on the first Lincoln-Douglas debate in Ottawa, Illinois (“The Illinois debate that made Abraham Lincoln a national figure,” June 16). As McClelland mentions, Sen. Stephen Douglas arrived by carriage from Peru, then a new town that lay downriver from Ottawa. Douglas and his beautiful young wife, Adele, had been hosted the previous night by the mayor of Peru, Capt. John Lowery McCormick, whose Palladian-style house on Peoria and Second streets in Peru still stands.
McCormick was a business tycoon from Pennsylvania and a community philanthropist. He was also heavily involved in the local Democratic Party and, according to local sources, was a family friend of Douglas. Douglas returned to Chicago by train after the debate, leaving the McCormick family to bask in the honor of having hosted “the Little Giant.”
— Rachael Mellen, Peru, Illinois
Teach CPR in gym class
I’m writing to suggest that physical education curriculum should be changed to include a section on lifesaving.
We were on vacation, and my mom had a medical emergency that required CPR to be performed on her. We were very lucky because first responders came very fast. Nobody in our family had been trained in many years and had forgotten what to do.
I think that this is an important skill for everyone to learn at a young age, just like reading or math. I think that this will help save other people just like my mom.
I think P.E. is the perfect class to add this information to because physical safety should go hand in hand with physical education.
—Noah Roth, age 11, Lake Zurich
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