What a great column (“Leaders provide vision — not division”) by Jesse Jackson on Tuesday about what’s wrong with the vitriol espoused by Republican front-runner Donald Trump. As the reverend says, leaders provide vision, help people understand, calm nerves and strengthen courage. “America will not defeat terrorism by dividing one from another. Terror is a weapon of the weak.” Makes me proud I recognized his leadership and vision as I twice voted for him for president. If Republicans are smart, given their poor pickings, they’ll write in Jesse Jackson as their candidate for president and give Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders a run for their money in November 2016.
James E. Gierach, Palos Park
OPINION
How we can help end violence
Many of us at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago have heard this question the past week. In our hallways, commuting to and from work and at our kitchen tables at home. The murder of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee and the release of the video of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald have led to a new sense of urgency for Chicagoans. We know how you feel. Anxious. Uneasy. Eager for change. But how?
The short answer: it’s time for each of us to roll up our sleeves.
Policymakers: we all know there is no one solution, but we have decades of research to help prioritize the changes that will have the most impact. Lurie Children’s has a long history of working with policymakers to improve children’s health. Let’s talk. Our violence prevention and public health experts – the individuals who run Strengthening Chicago’s Youth (SCY) and our Center for Childhood Resilience – believe we should prioritize: (1) sustained investment in youth, (2) equitable access to mental health services, (3) common sense approaches to gun violence prevention, (4) juvenile justice system reforms to reflect the knowledge that adolescents’ brains are not fully developed, and (5) sustained investment in strong communities. We stand ready to work with you to help shape these priorities into concrete policies.
Individuals: if you are ready to roll up your sleeves, there are plenty of opportunities to support the same priorities no matter where you live: become a mentor, attend a Mental Health First Aid training, advocate for sensible gun control policies, learn how to become a community organizer, join or start a block club or volunteer at your local school.
For more information about these ideas, visit us at SCY-chicago.org.
Patrick M. Magoon
President & CEO
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
