CPS clearly wants cops out of schools, but what happens when a crime is committed?

I absolutely agree with the recent article “Not an emergency? Don’t call cops, CPS tells administrators.”

CPS has made it clear they don’t want Chicago police in the schools. I wish CPD would accommodate them, because those officers now in the schools can better serve the community and the department by helping fight the ongoing violence we have everyday in the city.

According to the new CPS Code of Conduct, school staff can only contact police in emergencies when there are “immediate threats of danger or imminent harm.” Even then, CPD is the third call according to the Code of Conduct, after the central office and the student’s parents are called. That’s unbelievable.

The Chicago Teachers Union has been crystal-clear on its disdain for CPD in schools, citing the so-called school-to-prison pipeline. CTU and CPS should train school staff in de-escalation and restorative justice techniques, so they don’t have to call CPD.

The irony here is, if a student or teacher commits a crime at a school, who will they call?

Richard Barber, Mount Greenwood

Fixing the problem of ‘fake news’

The other day, I was watching the news and I saw a clip of Tucker Carlson claiming that the FBI was somehow behind the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Immediately, I laughed and made a joke about the ridiculousness of his statement. But then I remembered the truth: Fake news is no laughing matter and has serious consequences. From non-partisan government officials receiving death threats to a collapsing shared reality, fake news is not a joke.

Given how problematic fake news is, I wish I could spell out an exact fix. But I can’t. Perhaps restoring the FCC’s fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to present both sides on an issue, would help stop the spread of fake news. But it probably wouldn’t solve the entire problem.

In fact, I’m not sure any government policy can fix the issue of fake news because it is not a policy issue, it’s an American culture issue. And to fix it, we have to start by talking to each other in a non-confrontational manner. Instead of ridiculing or yelling at individuals who spout conspiracy theories, we need to talk with them, ask them what they believe and why, and encourage them to question their own beliefs.

I’m not saying this will be easy, but if we want any hope of fixing the problem of fake news, we have to try something.

Rosemary Wynnychenko, Winnetka

More evidence against the filibuster

The U.S. Senate claims to be the “world`s most deliberative body.” Yet, on Tuesday, Republican Senators used the filibuster to cut off any further debate over the proposed voting rights bill.

The filibuster is not in the U.S. Constitution. This is more evidence that the filibuster just leads to further gridlock and political polarization. Senators should vote to end it now.

Peter V. Grafner, Edgebrook