Laura Washington, in her column on Sunday, found fault with the repeal of Cook County’s sweetened beverage tax, saying the repeal endangers the lives of Americans of African descent because of their potential to contract diabetes. So Washington would rather tax the heck out of black people than support better public education on the causes of diabetes in the first place? It is not rocket science. Sugar-sweetened drinks are poison to a majority adults of all colors.
Mike Koskiewicz, Portage Park
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What were those ‘tough’ words?
I am neither a Democrat nor Republican, but given the history of racism, lies and deceit from our current president and his cronies, I take anything they say with extreme reservation. What exactly were the “tough “ words Trump — if not the word Sen. Dick Durbin claims he heard — and why don’t President Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. David Perdue or Sen. Tom Cotton tell us?
Steve Maciontek, Avondale
No good argument for legal pot
Six members of my immediate family have jobs that require them to take random drug tests, which mean they would lose those jobs if they tested positive. While they would never knowingly ingest illegal drugs, with the legalization of recreational marijuana someone could think it was “funny” to put it in food and let them eat it without any knowledge of what was in it. Beside that, why would we even want young adults to have easily access to any drug? I truly believe that for some people, though not all, marijuana is a gateway drug to an addiction that won’t end with pot. Aren’t we supposed to want what’s best for our children? I’m sorry, but I don’t think legalizing marijuana is in anyone’s best interest, except those for whom getting more tax money is a priority — and that I find very sad.
Janet Lumm, Schaumburg
Trump and our national soul
Your editorial on Sunday, “President’s Racism Steadily Erodes Our Nation’s Soul” was a perfect antidote to a year of poison coming out of the Oval Office. You correctly pointed out how racism and xenophobia have no place in American History since most of us are from nations that the world despised at one time or another. Our president’s words and actions prove almost daily that he is a despicable example of a leader for our nation and for our place in the world.
You pointed out the reprehensible behavior of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who refuse to allow legal status to the DACA recipients, also known as the Dreamers, who came to our country illegally as children. You wondered how “decent” Republicans could allow these young, hardworking people to live in legal limbo. But are there any decent Republicans out there?
Would decent Republicans vote for a loud mouthed, sexist, racist, misogynist and uncouth bully with no political experience or the desire to be briefed on any policy?
If there are any decent Republicans out there, why are they so silent? Their silence can only be interpreted as agreement with Trump’s hateful policies. That is the most indecent action of all.
Jan Goldberg, Riveraide
Draw the election map blind
There is only one way to end gerrymandering. Whoever draws the boundaries of a legislative district should have access to no demographic information about the people living in the district.
This information includes, among other things, income, age, gender, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, employment status and government assistance. Knowing any of these things about potential voters can influence how somebody will draw voting districts. Therefore, those who draw these districts should know only where people live and natural and civic boundaries, such as city limits or major geographic barriers that can separate or isolate people, like major highways, rivers, mountains, and the like.
There is one problem. It is commonly believed that minority groups, of whatever kind, are best served when the boundaries of a district are draw in such a way as to ensure that a person of that minority group is elected. I would think that they might be better served by having many candidates over many districts who will need their support to win rather than having all their voices in one district.
Unless or until minority groups, of any kind, are willing to accept the results of a blind district drawing, gerrymandering is here to stay.
Larry Craig, Wilmette
