Letters: Applaud White Sox manager for skipping games for graduation

Instead of moaning about Robin Ventura’s days off to attend his daughter’s graduation, the sportswriters should be congratulating his daughter on her graduation. The world will not fall apart because the White Sox manager takes time off to attend such an important family event! The team will also survive his absence.

Mark Kirk doesn’t belong in U.S. Senate

Sen. Mark Kirk is being criticized for his sexist statement that his colleague and presidential aspirant Lindsay Graham, R.-S.C, is “A bro with no ho,” referring to his bachelor status and need for ‘fill-in’ first lady should he become president. But what’s worse is the tag line Kirk offered “That’s what we’d say on the South Side.”

What do you mean “WE,” Senator Kirk? You North Shore white man of privilege haven’t a clue how folks talk on the South Side. You even said white people, presumably including you, step on the gas driving through the black community so they won’t get shot. How would you pick up the patois? You said we should have mass arrests of 18,000 Gangster Disciples gang members. You blew it after your one ride along in the inner city with Police Supt. McCarthy, popping off about a guy getting “popped,” requiring McCarthy to issue a clarification.

Sen. Mark Kirk has no business remaining in the Senate much less running for re-election. His recovery from near total paralysis or even death is phenomenal. That does not mean his should play the sympathy card (and he has) to hold on to an important office.

Mark Kirk, just 55, should consider spending a hopefully long life, working on his recovery and doing good works for the public . . . as a private citizen.

Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn

Call it a pension payment tax, not a city income tax

If Chicago decides to add taxes to its already burdened citizens, be sure to call it the correct name: pension payment tax. Income tax makes it sound as if taxpayers brought on the pension crisis.Beth Najberg, Gold CoastRepublicans looking to repeat same mistakes in IraqThe USA Today’s analysis on Thursday in the Sun-Times of the current quagmire in Iraq should’ve provided a more explanation of why their army won’t fight after we’ve wasted $3 trillion propping up corruption politicians in Bagdad. Instead of intimating the president has failed, why don’t you note that Bush and his proconsul, Bremmer, disbanded the Iraqi army, outlawed the Baath Party and installed Maliki, who is a Shiite instead of Sunni. ISIS and a timid Iraqi army is the result!

The chickens have come home to roost. And now the Republicans want to repeat the same mistakes and elect another Bush that refuses to blame is brother for the biggest foreign policy blunder in our history.

Instead of criticizing Obama for GOP mistakes, we should be encouraging him to stand up to the fear-mongers and interventionists. We should get out of Iraq and refuse to allow Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bolton, who deny their culpability, to further involve us in sectarian violence in the Middle-East.

ENOUGH!

Tom Minnerick, Elgin