To women who are supporting Donald Trump: If you think his ticket is protecting children because of their anti-abortion stance, are you aware that he and his supporters, who have written Project 2025, plan to discontinue Head Start programs for preschoolers?
They will also get rid of the Department of Education. They want no part in helping women care for young children after they are forced to give birth to them.
Monetary aid for higher education will be greatly curtailed for those who need it most.
There are many women who, after having a miscarriage, need a medical procedure but, in some states, they have to be on their deathbeds before doctors will help them because of anti-abortion laws. This is not protecting children.
It really comes down to this: The Trumplican Party sees women as inept, disposable, second-class people who need to be controlled.
This is a war against women and we cannot let them win. I don’t want to see my daughter treated like it’s 1824! So, even if you don’t like all of Kamala Harris’ policies, she is worlds better than the regressive and dangerous policies promoted by Donald Trump.
Cyndi Kehoe, Elk Grove Village
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Trump equates Black people with poverty and crime
As a Black woman, I’m deeply troubled by the growing trend of Black individuals pledging their support to former President Donald Trump despite his blatant dishonesty, incoherent statements and disparaging comments equating Black people with poverty and crime.
This raises fundamental questions about understanding our collective history and the enduring struggle for equal rights. It’s crucial to carefully consider how policies such as Project 2025 could profoundly affect your life. Do you genuinely believe that your support grants immunity from potential ramifications?
A distressing event unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021, as a large crowd forcibly entered the Capitol building. The scenes shown on TV of this traumatic incident left many viewers feeling deeply troubled and disturbed. Despite the chaos, Trump did not inquire if anyone was hurt or try to stop the situation. Instead, he watched.
If he wins the election, Project 2025 will come into full effect. The implementation of conservative policies is foreseen to hurt low-income individuals and the middle class. The conservative agenda is thought to prioritize policies that primarily benefit them, potentially leading to the absence of frameworks that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. The regulations aimed at safeguarding employees’ rights and the environment and holding corporations accountable might face significant challenges under such an administration.
It is imperative to comprehend the essence of democracy because if our democratic principles are endangered, the ability to exercise our rights will be compromised, resulting in the erosion of freedom and equality for all.
Setting aside our emotions and approaching voting with the utmost importance is crucial to understanding its potential impact on our lives. Within our own country, dedicated individuals are advocating for the rights of Black communities, and it’s essential to recognize their efforts.
April Jones, Streeterville
No accountability for Northwestern protesters
Pending charges stemming from the encampment at Northwestern University earlier this year have been dropped, and Cook County prosecutors have decided not to go forward with the case against four individuals charged with crimes. The Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern is astounded by yet another miscarriage of justice.
Earlier this year, the same jurisdiction failed to move forward with a case against students who were accused of tampering with the school’s newspaper, The Daily Northwestern.
While we strongly supported the university pursuing charges against any individuals who were found to be in violation of codes of conduct (specifically at the encampment on Deering Meadow earlier this year), we fail to comprehend the lack of accountability.
The Deering Meadow encampment reeked of virulent and intimidating antisemitism as participants assailed, heckled and harassed Jewish students, and hung posters reminiscent of Nazi-era Germany. Violators must be held accountable for abhorrent behavior and threatening acts that result in the intimidation of their peers, faculty, supervisors and law enforcement officers.
Rules are not made to be broken. Guidelines are intended to keep peace and order and maintain a safe environment for the entire University community. Short of that, it’s a banana republic.
Wendy Khabie, national co-chair, Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern
Hawthorne Race Course becomes classroom for a week
Time spent with horses can help build confidence and emotional awareness, reduce stress, and enhance problem-solving skills, yet youth in Chicago and adjacent suburbs seldom have that chance.
Our organizations are working to change that. In June, we produced a week-long program for students from Morton High School District 201 in Cicero to interact closely with thoroughbred racehorses stabled at Hawthorne Race Course. With the strong support of the school district and with the backstretch of the track as our classroom, students enjoyed lessons in thoroughbred training, stable management and operation, and racehorse care and grooming.
The inaugural Morton Urban Equine Program was designed to deepen understanding of equine management and racetrack operations. The high school juniors and seniors learned how the starting gate works and the track surface is maintained. They watched blacksmiths nail shoes and veterinarians perform routine checkups of the horses. Activities each day were curated to inspire possible interest in veterinary medicine, racetrack management or related fields.
Indeed, several of the students remarked that their time in the program had them thinking about becoming veterinarians. That’s good news for a profession that is facing a daunting shortage of workers. Our guests said the chance to touch and interact with horses was their favorite part of their time on the backstretch — an experience that, before this program, would for most high school students have been unimaginable.
The Illinois Backstretch Charitable Foundation, the benevolent arm of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, hosted the initiative with Amplify Horse Racing, a Kentucky-based nonprofit promoting equine education for youth. We both are committed to education and forging stronger community bonds with the racetrack; we recognize the program’s transformative potential. By introducing young people to horse racing and care, we are nurturing a new generation of enthusiasts and professionals who will carry forward the legacy of these majestic animals.
In urban communities like Cicero, where access to horses is limited, racetracks such as Hawthorne can serve as invaluable educational resources. We look forward to expanding and deepening the reach of programs such as these, ensuring that more young people can benefit.
Annise Montplaisir, executive director, Amplify Horse Racing, and Chris Block, president, Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association
Immigrants help our economy
Immigrants are essential to the identity and history of the U.S., which has been a beacon of hope for many immigrants. Immigration is also an essential ingredient in economic growth, as the economy is creating many more jobs than we have people to fill them.
Countless new reports and studies have highlighted the positive impact of immigrants and immigration — including asylum seekers and refugees — on the U.S. economy in the short and long run.
As baby boomers retire, younger immigrants step in to fill crucial labor market gaps, bringing with them a unique set of skills and qualifications. Nationally, immigrants with college degrees are more likely to hold an advanced degree than U.S.-born graduates. They fill critical shortages at both ends of the skill spectrum, from high-tech positions to agriculture, hospitality and service jobs.
As millions of baby boomers become elderly, the U.S. health care system faces unprecedented demand, adding jobs faster than any other segment of the economy. Many health care businesses and providers struggle to find enough workers, and shortages in some rural areas are particularly acute. Immigrants have already been filling some of our most glaring health care needs. They are twice as likely as the U.S.-born to work as home health aides and twice as likely to work as physicians and surgeons. Let’s work harder to find pathways to integrate our newest citizens and provide access to education and opportunity.
Laura Lambert, East Hyde Park
Harris smiles; Trump smirks
A profound difference: Kamala Harris smiles broadly. Donald Trump smirks.
Ted Hild, Springfield
Shaking his head at Trump
It continues to astonish me that a man who is a liar, who tried to overthrow a fair and free election, is guilty of serious crimes and is unbelievably ignorant is the Republican nominee for president, again. God forbid he be reelected. Our country would never be the same. Why doesn’t the mainstream media harp on this like they did on Biden’s age? This man has been normalized instead of denounced like the fraud he is. I fear for America and it’s hard-won democracy.
Ken Weiss, Palatine
Trump’s a grump
I think the Democrats will be able to pull this one off. Over the next three months, voters will see Kamala Harris as young, smart, and dynamic while Trump will come across as a grumpy old man.
William Dodd Brown, Lincoln Square
The problems with guns
Again, someone has written complaining about the Second Amendment without fully understanding it. This amendment is No. 2 for a good reason. It provides for our common defense from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. We have our armed forces to do that. To back them up are millions of armed Americans, some with military-type rifles. They are willing to lay down their lives to defend our great country. Many have served in the military. Many trained in land-based fighting, like the Army, Marines and SEALS.
There are foreigners who would like to conquer this country for its natural resources. Others, to impose their religious beliefs. There is much evil in the world. Just look at the Middle East, Ukraine and North Korea. And watch out for drifting balloons from other countries. They could disburse deadly viruses or toxins over our major cities, starting on the West Coast.
Unfortunately, there are serious secondary problems with firearms. Many individuals who own them should not. We must close the loopholes in our laws to keep them from possessing firearms, and take them away if they do.
Some use firearms to rob, rape, shoot and murder others. This is absolutely horrific. Society must quickly identify individuals who commit crimes and bring them to justice. If convicted, they must be removed from a free, peace-loving society and placed somewhere where they can do no further harm. In criminology, this is the basic theory of special and general deterrence.
Finally, never forget the old adage. “When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.”
Michael C. Flynn, retired Chicago police lieutenant, Norwood Park