Sunday letters: Defending Ricketts’ support of Trump

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In letters to the editor published online on September 22 (“Ricketts support for Trump sours Cubs’ success”), readers criticized the Ricketts family for political donations in support of presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying the donations made them “sick” and calling the Cubs owners “arrogant” and disrespectful. These critical letters ignore the fact that Laura Ricketts, one of the Cubs owners, is a mega-donor and supporter of Hillary Clinton and was a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention. She also operates a super PAC that has contributed millions of dollars to traditional liberal causes.

It is not disrespectful, arrogant or sickening for any American to exercise rights of free speech and association, and no one should single out another for criticism for supporting a viewpoint simply because it doesn’t square with your own. It’s also foolish to argue that money spent to see a Cubs game in any way benefits Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. The Ricketts family has spent far more to restore this franchise than they’ve earned off of the team. If you disagree with the viewpoints of various members of the Ricketts family, that’s fair, but next time know the facts.

John Pearman, Glenview

Trump’s dough A-OK for Clinton

Two readers admonished the Ricketts family for donating money to the Trump campaign, thus their swearing off the Cubs. In the interest in fair journalism, I assume you are going to let your readers know that at one point in her career Hillary Clinton accepted money from Donald Trump. What does that make her?

Stuart Rudy, Wheeling

Damage done by Snowden lives on

Edward Snowden’s case understandably has provoked myriad opinions about what should be done with him. Regardless, all of that is important “committee work.” What should correct handling be? Who knows? (“Pardon for Snowden puts cart before the horse” — Sept. 19)

What is clear is that one young man was able to threaten the security of and humiliate a major country. Only one person, and not a Nobel laureate at that, caused more havoc than probably any other single individual in recent years.

Perhaps the lesson to be learned is that we are often more vulnerable than we like to believe. The tiny Ebola and Zika can wield enormous effect on creatures thousands of times larger than they. Perhaps Snowden is the human equivalent of those organisms.

Leon J. Hoffman, Lake View

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