What’s Speak Out?
Speak Out allows readers to comment on the issues of the day. Email Speak Out at speakout@southtownstar.com or call 312-222-2427. Please limit comments to 30 seconds or about 120 words and give your first name and your hometown.
Jack and other right-wing Speak Out contributors should understand that it is the right wing who perpetuate a cancel culture. The right continues to deny/cancel advances and discoveries in science, historical events, human behavior and civil rights as well as an understanding of constitutional democracy. It is the right whose narrow version of history denies the truth, which is the purpose of these discoveries. By the way, it is the Indigenous who were the original settlers, not the invading Europeans. And, Columbus was never a founder of this country.
Denny, Orland Park
The left continues to sow the seeds of discord and the Columbus holiday is no exception. The so-called tensions concerning the holiday reported in the AP article in the Columbus Day edition are nothing more than the cancel culture at work attempting to vilify one of the founders of this great country. Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day ignores the violence perpetrated by these people on each other and the settlers of this country. The left’s slanted narrow version of history does a major disservice to the greatest nation in the history of the world, and for what purpose?
Geri, Tinley Park
I hope everyone had a wonderful Indigenous Peoples Day. It is great that Biden has restored protection to the monuments that Trump tried to open up to big business. These are holy lands to this country’s Indigenous peoples and I hope that these holy lands will someday be returned to their ownership, making it impossible for another president to again leave them open to destruction. To learn more about their magnificent history and culture, visit a museum as our history books don’t do them justice.
D., Chicago
Why is it so hard to criticize one race of people without dragging in another race? Simply put, Columbus Day was heartbreaking for some Italians because of the removal of the statues. A caller mentioned the statue of George Floyd having paint thrown on it, and said they were upset and hurt. Who are they? Why were they dragged into the comments in order to make your point? It should have all been about Columbus Day. Why bring down someone else?
BJ, Hazel Crest
Our president wants to open docks and extend shipping to 24/7 to relieve the supply chain backup. Is he aware we already have millions of job openings that employers can’t fill? The same could be said for the schools and 3- and 4-year-old education programs. Schools also have oodles of unfilled positions.
Mary, Tinley Park
God found a little boy in the woods in Texas in three days. However, he has failed to find Brian Laundie in over a month. So he’s batting .500. Not bad, I guess, but not so good if you’re really a god.
Marv, Bridgeview
To Dolly from Homer. Illinois expressways are basically flat and straight. Topography and blind curves do not come into play. Stop making excuses for bad drivers. Truck drivers sit higher than passenger car drivers and have a longer sight of vision. They should be able to pull over earlier so the don’t run into state police cars.
Frank, Palos Hills
Former Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President Dean Angelo died after a long struggle with COVID-19. Throughout his ordeal, neither he nor any of his family would confirm if he was vaccinated. Only a few hours after his death, current FOP President John Catanzara went public with a strong recommendation to his union not to comply with the city’s mandate that they report their vaccination status. This puts the city at risk for a 50% decrease in available officers to patrol the city. This kind of irresponsibility has not to stop.
George, South Side
I shook my head as I read Ted Slowik’s recent column about his visit to the Shalom Over 50 Group at the Shir Tikvah synagogue in Homewood. He visits the group as a guest, only to bad-mouth and belittle them in the newspaper. Their crime? They weren’t overly concerned about the Jan. 6 riot at the capital. They expressed concern about rising taxes and local violence. Slowik tries to tell people how to think, how to feel and what to care about. I say that people are allowed to have their own opinions.
Joan, Oak Forest
I only have one thing to say to White Sox fans. Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye! As to the players, I was rooting for them and wish them well next year.
David, Tinley Park
The company and the people responsible for the oil spills released into our precious lakes and oceans should be hung from the closest pole or tree. God only knows the long-range damage these idiots have done.
Joe, Alsip
The Black race always blames the whites for racism. Who then could be blamed when longtime Black Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims announced her retirement? Her comments included that she hoped her replacement was a Black woman. We’re supposed to believe there’s no racism there? She must’ve caught the Lightfoot disease.
RHS, Oak Forest
Ed and Bob, I suppose you get your news from Facebook or Fox, so that explains your misinformation on what the Justice Department actually did. The attorney general in addressing violent threats against school boards and teachers, which is illegal, called for a meeting of those affected to discuss strategies to address these disturbing trends. He also called for the creation of a task force with all affected to help with enforcement of crimes, and to help those effected to determine what behaviors are threats, how to report those threats and how to preserve evidence of those threats. He at no point called parents domestic terrorist’s.
Paul, Tinley Park