While reading the paper today, I realized how grateful I am to Mike Madigan.
It is due only to his character, his behavior, and his attitudes about governance that I am able to know without any doubt that I care more about my city, my state, and our democracy than I do about adherence to my party.
I formerly believed — but could not know for sure — that I would do what I advise others to do: Abandon your party’s candidate when that candidate is manifestly unsuitable for office. Republicans have needed to do exactly that for many years now but have largely been unable to do so, sacrificing their humanity and their honor on the altar of party loyalty.
Today I realized that I could and would swiftly break the bonds that hold me to the Democratic Party in order to vote against Mike Madigan. Although I am unable to do so, any Democrat who can but does not, who continues to tolerate bullying, illegality, and other outrageous offenses out of either misplaced party loyalty or fear, is clearly more concerned about his/her own grasp on power than about making the right moral choice.
Jan Gleiter, West Ravenswood
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A letter to Wisconsin
Let me send huge kudos to whomever authored the brilliant, warm, inviting and truly lovely Wisconsin editorial. It is the stuff we’ve been so desperately lacking in our conversations for the past 3 years.
Thank you very, very much.
Rosemarie Sulek, Wildwood
Kifowit gets my vote
Illinois has a new hero, the only person with enough guts to run against Mike Madigan for Illinois House speaker, and her name is Stephanie Kifowit. “Many of my colleagues are fearful of retaliation, coercion, intimidation, from not only Speaker Madigan but also his allies,” said the four-term state representative and former Marine.
She’s got my vote!! But wait, we don’t get to vote. Only the corrupt, spineless shills in Springfield get to do that. Doesn’t seem fair does it?
Scot Sinclair, Third Lake
Preserve democracy, not power
We have learned since 2017 how much our governmental and electoral systems have operated on an honor system. We know, now, that repairs to them are needed because an honorless scoundrel can ignore previous norms, even violate laws, and, essentially say “Whad’ya gonna do about it?” because he controls much of the means of enforcement.
While we still have a democracy to preserve, Republicans at the national level must be defeated. As long as they are in power, especially as long as they hold the presidency, they will see reform as an erosion of their power. They know that they do not have the votes to maintain power if everything is on the level.
They will only cooperate when they see reform as a limitation on their opponents. It is left to those of us who value our democracy to put them into that position.
Curt Fredrikson, Mokena
