Thursday letters: Challenge local Dems like you challenge Trump

I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh after reading the Sun-Times editorial, “Squawking Trump an intruder in GOP nest.” In that very same Sunday edition of the paper were stories about Democrat aldermen actually paying less in property taxes after voting for a record property tax increase; an update about the aides and advisers to imprisoned former Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich; a quarter-page article about the Democratic Convention not having an American flag on their stage; and a story about former Rep. William Lipinski — a Democrat — quitting his federal lobbying efforts after a Sun-Times report about his conflicts of interest. Intelligent people can question Donald Trump’s credentials ’till the cows come home, but these same intelligent people cannot at the same time conveniently ignore the decades of corruption under the Illinois Democrats.

Mike Davitt, Lakeview

DePaul’s confused priorities on free speech

Conservative ideas won’t be heard at DePaul until administration expels students who disrupt a speech. That’s exactly what administration should do. A person with a closed-mind can’t be educated, so why let them disrupt the education of others?

Richard A. Crane, Lincoln Park

Universities are a place for discourse, disagreement, and argument. DePaul University violates the fundamental rights of students when they will not allow a speaker, invited by a school-sponsored club, the opportunity to present his worldly experiences. Simply saying that the political climate is too caustic is ludicrous. This decision, as innocent as it seems on the surface, smacks of Saul Alinsky’s sixth rule in his book Rules for Radicals — take control of the educational system. Families that have children in colleges and universities already are well aware of the liberal agenda being force upon students. Now DePaul, under the facade of keeping peace on campus, is allowing an antisocial, radical, left-wing group to pick and choose who is allowed to speak at their university. This decision is an insult to not only the students involved, but to the entire citizenry of our country. Our country was formed on the premise that free speech is the basis for democracy. Taking away that right is equivalent to attempting to control people’s thoughts. These are the actions of Iran, China, and the Soviet Union. When DePaul states their reason was for safety, I remind them of the KKK marching in Skokie, Illinois, or the Kent State demonstrations. Free speech is a fundamental right of either side of the political divide. Take away that right and our Constitution is worthless.

Larry Casey, Forest Glen