Sobering thoughts about the 96 shots police fired at Dexter Reed

In the 1960s, a group of us church ladies decided to go around Cook County Hospital and sing Christmas carols to the patients. At one point, we entered a large room with at least eight male patients, none of whom were responsive, and who were hooked up to countless tubing devices and breathing apparatuses. All of the patients had many large bandages on their bodies in various places, including their extremities.

I noted that all the men were persons of color. Our Christmas songs seemed so worthless and trivial at that point, but we sang to these patients anyway and held their hands.

As we were leaving, the brawny male nurse said to us, “If a cop uses his gun, he doesn’t fire just once.” Those words have stayed with me all these years and now, in light of the shooting of Dexter Reed, who was fired upon 96 times by police, they still ring so shockingly true.

Kathleen Melia, Niles

Reed’s fatal shooting could have been avoided if he did things differently

The Sun-Times reporters provided a comprehensive account of the news conference presided over by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Brandon Johnson regarding the release of the videos of the death of Dexter Reed. Their report included extensive interviews and statements of relatives and others who expressed severe criticism of the Chicago police’s actions in the death of Mr. Reed. Both Foxx and Johnson failed to mention a basic: As in almost all police shootings, the suspect failed to comply with the lawful orders of the officers. In this particular case, Mr. Reed not only failed to comply, he violently resisted by firing upon these officers.

There have been questions regarding the number of shots fired by these officers in response. We were trained to keep firing until sure the threat has been neutralized. This is an independent decision made by each officer assessing the threat — it is not a group-think decision. As tragic as is the loss of Mr. Reed’s life, it could have been prevented had he merely complied with the officers’ commands.

William J. Desmond, retired police officer, Beverly

More kids could end up in hot water with ‘senior assassin’ game

As a senior citizen, I must admit that when I first saw the headlines about “senior assassins” in my newsfeed, I thought it was a game against old folks. Instead, the articles in the press revealed that this is a common ritual in the suburbs, where high school seniors armed with water guns and face masks are running amok in their neighborhood. Am I paranoid? Perhaps. Cautious and careful? Definitely.

This is not a great game for kids to play when gun violence is at an all-time high.

I hope they don’t get shot. But if they get their butts kicked by a fellow outraged senior they soaked with a water gun, then what can I say? It’s fate.

I think our Chicago Public Schools kids act better.

Felicia Carparelli, New East Side

Trump’s message to Jewish voters points to his state of mind

Donald Trump’s recent comment to Jewish voters who might support any Democrat, particularly Joe Biden, that they need to “have their head examined” almost knocked the morning coffee out of my hand.

If there is anyone whose actions and words cry out for professional help, it most certainly is the former president. Most families who have a member who is so unbalanced from reality, chronically hate-filled and a self-absorbed narcissist would certainly have had an intervention years ago. The comparison to 1932 Berlin continues.

Dwain Thomas, River North

Lakefront should be out of bounds for Bears

Two Chicago treasures, the Bears and the lakefront, are in a battle over whether a new Bears stadium should occupy prime public land. Which side should win? Let’s see: The Bears have been here for a little over 100 years, the lakefront for several thousands of years. Clear winner: the lakefront. The Billion Dollar Bear$ should build their palace somewhere else on private land. Let’s honor the effort and words of Aaron Montgomery Ward to keep the lakefront “forever open, clear and free” for public, not private use, per public legislation affirmed four times by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Patrick Riley, Ravenswood

Credit Card Competition Act would help small businesses

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., will soon lead a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Credit Card Competition Act. It’s legislation that he helped introduce and a policy that Illinois’ other elected leaders in Congress should get behind. The bill would accomplish exactly what the name suggests: foster competition within the credit card market.

The payments arena is currently dominated by Visa and Mastercard, a duopoly that is harming the Prairie State’s 1.3 million small business owners. The corporate giants are able to hike the “swipe fees” they charge businesses every time a customer uses a credit card. At restaurants like mine — Tandoor Char House, 2652 N. Halsted St. — the fees add up quickly and amount to the second-highest operating expense behind labor costs.

Free market competition helps to rein in costs in nearly every other sector of the U.S. economy. It only makes sense that a similar environment should be created within the credit card industry. Durbin is right to champion the policy.

Faraz Sardharia, Lincoln Park