When I first read the headline (Sun-Times, Dec. 12) that the city was creating Vehicular Terrorism Task Force, the first thought in my mind was, “Great! Finally they are going to do something bold and strong to stop all the armed car hijackings, drive-up robberies and assaults.”
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However, when I read Fran Spielman’s article, I found the city was off on another tangent. Yes, the threat of terrorism by ISIS-inspired groups or individuals is real, but it hasn’t caused nearly the mayhem of what is happening daily in the Chicago area. We seem to be doing well at preventing the ISIS threats.
However, the violence and terrorism being committed by the gangs on the citizens of Chicago and surrounding suburbs is a daily occurrence. I fail to understand why there is not a task force and a real plan of action to stop what has become routine all over Chicago area. The task force for this must be multi-jurisdictional to be effective. How many people must be injured or killed before the police respond in force to this problem?
Police Supt. Eddie Johnson has touted the decrease in violence in the Englewood neighborhood. That is great, but the violence has not stopped. It has just spread out over the entire metropolitan area, making it harder to control.
Also, why are 16- and 17-year-olds, who are the main players in this crime wave, being given only juvenile charges when they use a gun to steal a car or commit a robbery? It is an adult, premeditated crime of violence. It should be charged as an adult crime.
These crimes are making the Chicago area a very undesirable place to live in or visit. When is the city going to really step up to this problem?
Victor Rocus, Oak Lawn
Right on
Neil Steinberg’s column Wednesday about the Senate victory in Alabama for Doug Jones, the Democratic Party and our nation, is right on. It’s the beginning of the end for Donald Trump, and the beginning of the return to sanity for our nation.
Let’s not sit on our laurels. We, Democrats and all people who want the best for our nation and world, must do it again in next year’s congressional election.
George Pfeifer, Evanston
Debt of gratitude
Alabamians owe a debt of gratitude to its clearheaded white women and African-American voters of both genders for keeping Alabama from becoming known as a pariah state in an election mired in immoral scandal. They clearly provided the victory margin in a very tight race, assuring that the senator from Alabama will be Doug Jones, a man of unquestioned integrity, who seems up to the task in an even-handed way.
Thus Alabama’s economy shall continue to attract economic uplift, because factories are reluctant to locate in a pariah state known for its reactionary political climate.
Ted Z. Manuel, Hyde Park
Reversing all we did
The coverage and discussion with regard to tuition waivers for graduate students has focused largely on the effects to the students, their families, and their institutions. The much larger significance for the nation is the effect on our science and technology from disincentivizing students from seeking research training in our universities.
After Sputnik in 1957 we realized as a nation that we needed to ramp up our science and technology work force. It was supported by the National Defense Education Act for studies, leading to my physics Ph.D. in 1969. Based on our enhanced capabilities, we won the Cold War and enhanced our prosperity, security, and well-being.
Taxing tuition waivers for graduate students will have the effect of reversing all that we did. It is such a self-destructive thing that it makes we wonder whether the Russians have hacked into our legislative process as well as our elections.
Eric Jakobsson, Urbana
