Jon Burge never paid the full price for ‘masterminding’ Chicago police torture

I was sad to learn of Jon Burge’s passing today. Not because I think he was a good man, although John Conroy, the man perhaps most responsible for Burge’s public disgrace, once admitted that despite knowing what Burge had done, he found him to be “likable.”

Rather, I am sad because I don’t believe Burge was ever truly held accountable for the harm he caused this world, and now he never will be. Sure, he lost his job and was eventually convicted of perjury and sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison for it. But that occurred more than 15 years after it was plain to anyone who cared to know that he had presided over the systematic torture of dozens of detainees at Area 2 police headquarters — and even after serving his time, he kept his pension!

Think about it: Burge masterminded the full-blown torture of U.S. citizens, within the City of Chicago, and for years we all just shrugged our collective shoulders. When he died, a former FOP president reportedly stated that Burge didn’t get “a fair shake,” and current FOP leadership suggested that the full story of Jon Burge is not yet known. Maybe so, although I doubt it.

Regardless, if there is more to know about Jon Burge, I’m not interested. Now that he’s gone, we would all do well to pay more attention to — and endeavor to help — his many victims.

Brandon Clark, Logan Square

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Chinese tariffs

A trade war with China — this is what happens when you vote in a president who is not a diplomat, who is not forward-thinking, and who doesn’t see what the results of his actions will be on the working people he serves.

The people voted in someone who will ultimately help his friends get richer, but will not help the working class at all. Someone who plays golf with the president, who dances at Mar-a-Lago, may now make more money from the Chinese — but this is not going to help the working class one bit. Matter of fact, it will hurt them.

The Chinese will pass on their financial losses by raising prices on all the goods they export to us. Now, I doubt the president’s friends shop at Walmart, or really care if they have to spend a few more dollars for anything. However, the working man will see everything he buys at Walmart go up in price, and it will hurt how far his dollars go. I recently priced several goods people often buy and guess what: They practically all come from China.

Connie Orland, Plainfield

Trump on Sessions

Trump says he doesn’t have an attorney general.

The attorney general of the United States is not the president’s personal lawyer. Why doesn’t Donald Trump understand that?

Ed Stone, Northbrook

Fort Trump?

Poland wants a permanent U.S. military base and offers to call it Fort Trump. How will the base protect Poland from the “Russian Bear” if Trump puts his Russian buddies’ troops there?

Tim Hellmann, Orland Hills, IL

On the Bears

Maybe Bears fans and sports writers should take a step back and a deep breath. Quit attacking Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky. Do the names John Fox and Jay Cutler ring a bell?

Robert Mitchell, Northlake