Editorial: Tear down Trump’s sign? Not worth the time

trump_100716_003.jpg

The Chicago City Council voted in 2006 to install honorary “Trump Plaza” signs outside the Trump International Hotel & Plaza. Now, they’re voting to take them down — though earlier this month, someone beat them to it. City officials confirmed one of the signs had gone missing. | Santiago Covarrubias/Sun-Times

Follow @csteditorialsChicago aldermen are all in a tizzy to tear down a “Trump Plaza” honorary street sign as payback to Donald Trump for his verbal trashing of Chicago and immigrants.

We respond with a phrase borrowed from first lady Michelle Obama.

“When they go low, we go high.”

Slapping Trump down in such a petty way is unworthy of a great city. And we’re pretty sure the City Council has bigger stuff to worry about.

EDITORIAL

Follow @csteditorialsYes, we share Ald. Brendan Reilly’s disgust toward Trump. Reilly’s the chief sponsor of the proposed ordinance to take down the Trump Plaza sign on Wabash Avenue, near Trump International Hotel and Tower. We agree with the alderman that Trump did our city no good in dismissing it as a “war zone.”

And, yes, we sympathize with Reilly and 46 other aldermen who signed on to the proposed ordinance out of their annoyance with Trump’s racist rants against immigrants and Muslims.

But we’ll go high when the Donald goes low.

Reilly says Chicago’s more than 2,000 honorary signs are intended to celebrate Chicagoans “who help lift up this city and move us forward.” But it hasn’t always worked out that way. We’re thinking here of Hyman Tucker, once described by City Hall reporter Fran Spielman as “the poster boy for ghost-payrolling in Chicago.” And we could name a few other dim lights.

Trump is a bigot to be spurned, but not in this way.

The best way to strike back is to vote against him Nov. 8.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.

Tweets by @csteditorials

The Latest
Previously struggling to keep its doors open, the Buena Park establishment received a boost from the popular TikToker.
Bagent also said the negative publicity about teammate Caleb Williams leading to the draft has turned out to be “completely false.”
Deputy Sean Grayson has been fired and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Massey, who had called 911 to report a possible prowler. He has pleaded not guilty. The family says the Department of Justice is investigating.
Here’s how Kamala Harris and the Democratic National Convention are embracing Charli XCX’s social media post that sparked a cultural movement.
Thousands gathered in Union Park for the Pitchfork Music Festival, the Chicago Bears started training camp at Halas Hall, and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her presidential campaign.