The Hardest-Working Paper in America | 
Friday, April 26, 2024
City Hall Politics

Standing up to the People of the Gun

By  Laura Washington
   
SHARE Standing up to the People of the Gun

It’s a picture-perfect summer day, bright sun, sparkling skies. And here I am, stuck waiting for another press conference in another stuffy meeting room.

Up front stood a bundle of boys and girls, 25 or so, preschoolers in pigtails, strapping youths sporting football jerseys, assembled at the podium, to pose with the politicians and preachers.

What’s wrong with this picture? These kids should be in play lots, parks and backyards. They should not be props at a photo op at a West Side church, waiting for the boring adults make boring their speeches. Perversely, this is the best place they could be — in a church, flanked by the big shots, sheltered from the epidemic of gun violence that is killing Chicago.

CONTINUE READING AT SUNTIMES.COM

Next Up In Politics
Bears stadium costs? Add another $1.2 billion
Cook County Democratic leaders pick Monica Gordon to run for county clerk: 'I have some big shoes to fill'
Why did Harry Caray always say ‘Holy Cow?’ It could be linked to a 1930s flying bovine. No bull!
After fighting to have gender-affirming care, a former prisoner adjusts to life in Chicago as a woman
Ex-National Enquirer boss testifies that he buried story about alleged affair by Rahm Emanuel
Illinois Republicans grapple with mail voting amid mixed signals from Trump — 'We have to adapt'
The Latest
Yale offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Bears
Bears draft local product Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie in 3rd round
Amegadjie played for Hinsdale Central High School before heading to Yale.
By Jason Lieser
 
_8004155.jpg
Environment
Whoops! Rare crane rescued in Wilmette, returned to Wisconsin
The crane was captured and relocated by the International Crane Foundation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
By Kade Heather and Mary Norkol
 
Caleb Williams
Bears
'Why duck?' New Bears QB Caleb Williams elevates expectations rather than tempering them
In every possible way, Williams feels like a breath of fresh air for a franchise that desperately needed it. This is a different type of quarterback and a compelling personality.
By Jason Lieser
 
Ryan Poles
Bears
Ryan Poles on Bears' QB history: 'Those days are over'
Even Caleb Williams was asking Poles why the Bears have had such a hard time developing a quality quarterback. But the Bears’ GM has responded by not only getting Williams, but a solid supporting cast that should put him in a position to succeed.
By Mark Potash
 
Food and Restaurants
Plymouth Restaurant, rooftop bar closing after 20 years downtown; rooftop to reopen as Mexican cantina
The owner hopes the rebrand will appeal to more customers after the spot suffered losses in recent years. The restaurant downstairs, for now, will be used for private events and catering.
By Jessica Ma