It doesn’t matter what Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s motives were for bucking state and city police to facilitate the Rev. Michael Pfleger’s Dan Ryan march. He did the right thing. Emanuel brokered a deal to let the march go forward but allowing only two of four lanes to be used, in spite of Pfleger’s call to shut it down.
Gov. Bruce Rauner got on board, as the compromise saved his face as the “law and order” governor who wouldn’t let the activist priest and his followers succeed. But Rauner went bonkers when the massive crowd forced state police to shut down the other two lanes, giving total victory to the Pfleger folks demanding a complete shutdown to raise the price of state and city refusal to address Third World conditions in Chicago.
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Rauner’s sore-headed tweet speaks volumes of his bottomless insensitivity to his black constituents. “This is unacceptable. We had clear parameters that allowed the protesters to be heard while respecting law and order. Instead, they chose instead to cause chaos.”
Emanuel’s Twitter retort was priceless: “It was a peaceful protest. Delete your account.” Rauner’s tantrum over the ability of peaceful protesters to raise the issue of hopelessness in their community utterly demolishes his campaign boast that he’s done the most to elevate the black community. The chaos wasn’t on the Ryan … it was in the governor’s head.
Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn
Relocated police
Thirty-nine shot, four dead: the running count in the City of Chicago for the past weekend. I wonder how many of those shot were caused by the lack of manpower in the neighborhoods when the Chicago Police Department relocated hundreds of officers to the Rev. Michael Pfleger’s Dan Ryan protest.
Larry Casey, Forest Glen
Proof of Trump’s intentions
The evidence has been clear for over a year; every action President Donald Trump has taken has weakened the United States and strengthened Vladimir Putin’s position. This includes damaging our environment, our schools, our housing situation, our energy stance, our relations with our allies, our trade position, our relations with our immigrants and racial minorities, among others. If you haven’t noticed, then you haven’t been paying attention.
This week Trump is meeting with our NATO partners in what is expected to be a contentious affair, then secretly conferring with Putin. What could be stronger proof of his intentions?
Lee Knohl, Evanston
More than one way to learn to read
I agree with “Literacy for all children is a fundamental right in a democracy,” [Editorial]. But kids don’t need public schools to help them become literate.
My father taught me how to read when I was 4. He told me later that I’d asked for this when I was 3½, but he made me wait six months. He used the book “Why Johnny Can’t Read and What You Can Do About It” by Rudolf Flesch.
He succeeded. This, even though he’d had to drop out of high school to work to help his family. He spent most of his life operating a ComEd substation, before they were automated.
When I see a bumper sticker that says “If you can read this, thank a teacher,” I just say “Nah.” The book is still available, is not expensive and will still work — if it’s used.
Jean SmilingCoyote, West Ridge
Harming business
Donald Trump is ramping up tariffs on foreign imports to “protect” American business. He says our nation needs to be able to export crops and goods with fewer foreign restrictions. American agriculture and the auto industry, to name a few groups, are being harmed as foreign countries retaliate with their own higher tariffs.
Donald Trump has already ordered banners for his 2020 presidential campaign. Where will those banners be manufactured? China!
I wonder what the tariff is on imported banners.
Karen Wagner, Rolling Meadows
Lack of cooperation
We all saw the Rev. Michael Pfleger’s march of protest. We saw him with his arms locked to Police Supt. Eddie Johnson. We saw the people from all over the city march and shut down one of the busiest highways in the country. We then read the news, 15 shot and four dead.
The City of Chicago has a 14.2 percent conviction rate in homicides. This is due to lack of cooperation by the community with police. This deadly code of silence within these neighborhoods is the real killer. Mothers plead and beg every week for” someone, anyone to come forward. These pathetic pleas for cooperation in finding the cold-blooded killers fall upon deaf ears.
They can march along the Dan Ryan, the Eisenhower, the Kennedy and the Tri-State Tollway, shut them all down and still, with no one willing to report the crimes and testify against the shooters, the killings will continue.
The day the real revolution comes will be the day when individuals from within the community bravely and fearlessly stand up and take the personal responsibility in an effort to identify the killers and shooters.
The day that the community works with the police and begins to testify against these thugs in court.
Until then, the cries of despair will continue to fall upon deaf ears.
James Ries, Tinley Park
