Regarding the article “Alito, Roberts secretly taped, differ on role of religion, law” (June 12): It was enlightening to read the secretly recorded comments of Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts on the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in forcing America to be a “Christian” nation.
The final paragraph quotes an ethics scholar who disapproved of the secret recording used to obtain this information. This tut-tutting appears ridiculous when one considers the “ethics” displayed by Alito and fellow Justice Clarence Thomas who have accepted luxury vacations and the equivalent of vast amounts of monetary rewards from conservative billionaires.
Evidently, ethics apply only to reporters, not to Supreme Court justices.
— Tom DeCoursey, Oak Park
Example of America’s failure
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a federal ban on bump stocks, ruling that the ban is not legal. And gun rights advocates are talking about this “win” like it’s perfectly logical and fair. If any other product killed and injured as many children as guns do, it would be pulled from the market in a heartbeat. But guns are legal with few restrictions. Gun manufacturers and gun dealers are not held accountable for the unspeakable damage their product inflicts on tens of thousands of people each year.
America’s failure to reduce the manufacture and sale of the No. 1 killer of our children is a true tragedy. The morality of America’s gun culture is despicable.
— Judy Weik, Oak Park
Trump won’t help with ban
I read with morbid fascination the attempt by the Tribune Editorial Board to suggest that ex-president and convicted felon Donald Trump might do the right thing and suggest that deadly modifications to semi-automatic rifles with bump stocks be banned (“Trump banned bump stocks before. One word from him now, and they’d be illegal.,” June 18). Nothing in his history indicates that he does anything meritorious except when forced. His motivation is always: “How will this benefit me, personally?”
Perhaps if Trump saw a fundraising opportunity to funnel money his way, he might cynically state that he opposes bump stocks. Even the supposed political advantage of appealing to so-called independent voters is no call to action in Trump’s transactional mind. He openly courts the all-or-nothing voters eager for the benefit of unmitigated weaponry because that’s how he got elected back in 2016. In their view, the freedom to kill at will is an unfortunate byproduct of their liberty to own deadly weapons.
Trump will not say a word to offend those voters.
— Christopher Cudworth, North Aurora
Placing gun profits over lives
Thank you to Michael Ramirez for the excellent editorial cartoon (June 18) on the Supreme Court’s bump stock ruling. It expresses our outrage for a deplorable decision.
The Supreme Court’s message is loud and clear: Gun industry profits are more valuable than people’s lives.
— Vicki Joseph, Chicago
Consequences of moral stand
Almost 60 years ago, thousands of American university students marched concerning our government’s activities in Vietnam, including at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They risked many things to follow their moral compass, regardless of the personal consequences.
Likewise, Liz Cheney, when she was a U.S. representative, knew full well that she would not be reelected in the highly conservative state of Wyoming should she maintain her stand concerning then-President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Both the antiwar demonstrators and Cheney were willing to stand up for their beliefs, regardless of the consequences.
Thus, I feel for the university protesters who have not been given their earned diplomas. If they really believed in what they were doing, then I hope they are willing to suffer the consequences.
“Regardless of the consequences” is the true mark of someone who fully believes body and soul in whatever they are doing.
— Bruce Sutchar, Hanover Park
Biden’s silence on Sudan
President Joe Biden’s silence about Sudan is seriously aggravating and emblematic of the problems he faces with gathering genuine support. In short, Sudan is facing a civil war that has displaced millions of people and may have already killed at least 100,000 people. Yet, Biden has not spoken out on this conflict for a year.
I don’t want a president who holds his tongue on serious moral issues just because it doesn’t fit into the administration’s political plans. Just as with Barack Obama’s administration, there is a serious aversion to addressing issues that arise outside their desired goals. Whether it was our weak efforts in Libya and Syria or the complete lack of desire to analyze the progress of the war in Afghanistan, the descendants of the Obama administration now in the Biden administration are loath to jump into foreign policy problems for which they haven’t prepared or didn’t expect.
I don’t want a president who I feel I have to monitor to make sure they have the right stance on serious moral issues. I don’t want to read about civilians caught in the crossfire in Sudan or Myanmar and not hear my government make a peep.
I want to know that when atrocities are happening, especially when we used to support one side as we did in Sudan before the war, that my president will be proactive in condemning the clearly condemnable. I want to know that my government is making the incredibly easy steps of denouncing violence and investing serious political capital into fighting for peace.
Whether it’s Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine or Gaza, I truly don’t think it’s a massive ask to demand that our government ensure that innocents don’t die, especially not in my name. If we have the power to help halt violence or support those on whom violence is being inflicted, and we don’t use every last drop of that power to halt the violence, then I do believe we become partially responsible for the outcome.
Just because the United States has decided, does not mean that it was inherently the right choice. It is not the case that we can do no wrong.
— Ethan Feingold, Chicago
Supporting access to education
Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act for an additional five years. Reauthorizing the READ Act would provide a vital first step toward ensuring education is globally accessible.
Roughly 260 million children do not have access to quality education globally as a result of economic insecurity, gender discrimination and increased barriers resulting from COVID-19 and current global conflicts.
A child’s formative development is greatly threatened without secure, equal access to quality educational opportunities. In low- and middle-income countries, up to 70% of 10-year-olds are unable to read a simple text. Thus, marginalized and vulnerable children who are particularly affected by inadequate education services are not provided the resources they need to obtain economic security and build healthy, secure futures.
Education plays a foundational role in a child’s long-term success. The United States plays an essential role in improving global educational opportunities and addressing barriers to children’s access to school by providing resources and strategy that promote international aid partnerships.
In 2017, the READ Act was signed into law to promote educational development programs that ensure all children are able to have equal access to quality education. As a result of the READ Act, programs tailored toward expanding access to education have reached more than 122 million children.
Durbin and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida introduced legislation to reauthorize the READ Act for an additional five years. Reauthorizing the READ act would be transformative in allowing the growth and development of international programs for education, increasing its accessibility and quality.
The Senate passed the reauthorization of the READ Act in November. Support efforts are vital to ensure the House passes the READ Act. Education, as a key tenet of international policy, is crucial in reducing poverty, increasing economic growth, promoting gender equality, and ensuring the long-term security of individuals and communities.
— Kayla Bruckert, Chicago
Cheered by Wilson’s values
What a breath of fresh air! Willie Wilson’s op-ed “Lessons from my father on love” (June 13) says so many things that need to be said about the necessity of strong fathers in the home, faith and hard work.
Frankly, I was surprised to see this in the Tribune and hope this is a sign of a shift away from the “anything goes” philosophy that has been the Opinion section’s hallmark for quite a while now.
The values stressed by Wilson are necessary for a strong society and should be supported.
— Dianne Kinzer, Springfield
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