Wednesday Letters: Rejoice that Lucas Museum won’t be built

Shame on the Sun-Times for the headline “Ugly parking lot victorious over Lucas Museum.” It’s a distortion of the facts. It is possible to see the lake over the parking lot, and we should all rejoice that now this view won’t be interrupted by a strange white monstrosity. Furthermore if the city ever wants to plant green space there, it will be a lot easier to get rid of a parking lot than a so-called “museum”. We are so lucky this project is going elsewhere and we should thank, not malign, the doggedly courageous Friends of the Parks for fighting so hard for all of us.

Andy Austin, Hyde Park

Stand up for middle-class workers

After reading the article by Jim Hightower regarding the closing of Nabisco, I felt I had to write. I used to live a few blocks from Nabisco’s plant and would smell the wonderful fragrance of cookies baking coming home from work. For 600 people who did quality work and many who probably worked there for most of their life to lose their job because of such greed of their executives is unconscionable. Let’s stand up for all middle-class workers in the United States. I for one will stop buying all Mondelez International products which includes Nabisco snacks, such as Chips Ahoy, Oreos, Triscuit and Ritz Crackers, & Planters nuts. There are many other brands of cookies and snacks that we can buy. Let’s hit them where they will feel it most, in their greedy pockets.

Carol Olson, Orland Park

We need a boycott

Now that the manufacturer of Oreos is shamelessly moving jobs out of Chicago and into Mexico, all in the name of greed, I am calling for a nationwide boycott of America’s favorite cookie.

Wait … I’m not sure if I can hold up my end of the bargain.

Sandie Minor, McHenry

Commemorate, don’t celebrate

In America, we commemorate Pearl Harbor, Veteran’s and Memorial Days. Our next holiday is July 4, to commemorate or celebrate. I have had the privilege to live in this country for my entire life, fortunately with sufficient housing, clothing, food and health care. America is a country that has brought us great work by people in all fields. We have given refuge from prejudice and despotism to people around the world, including my family. A commemoration is in order; maybe also a celebration.

However, our country forcefully expanded to 50 states, typically with little concern for native people who lived on these lands. Descendants of people taken here 300 years ago live on the South or West sides of Chicago, where walking outside can be fatal. We have often extracted natural resources with little regard to the impact on water quality, ecosystems or species.

May we therefore acknowledge that a commemoration will suffice, with no need for fireworks or parades. I write as someone who has marched in or helped plan about ten July 4 parades.

Let us observe the founding not of America, but of the U.S.A., which is actually a country mostly between the Rio Grande and the 49th parallel. My atlas shows America actually between Cape Horn and the Beaufort Sea, so anyone moving from within these boundaries to the USA is in fact moving to America from America.

David Rubin, Des Plaines

Impending doom?

Is Illinois facing impending doom on Wednesday? Is our lack of fiscal budget going to cause us a $2 billion loss and stoppage of road construction?

The Legislature is feeling the heat of this loss, so why Gov. Bruce Rauner is not feeling this heat is beyond me. It appears Rauner is so focused on his personal agenda and having it his way, he does not know how or want to negotiate any budget.

For some he is by far the worst governor of Illinois ever, driving the state to the lowest points, lack of trust, and highest unemployment. He is considering a second term; I feel he should consider resigning. Illinois should not reward our governor for failing to find workable solutions, crashing the economy, allowing many to lose their jobs and retirement funds. Is Rauner’s agenda going to make us like Scott Walker’s Wisconsin, where people work two or three low-paying jobs to place food on the table and a roof overhead?

Scott R. Zuhr, Park Ridge