The main reason behind the violence in Chicago can be summed up in one word. It’s the G word and it isn’t guns. It’s gangs. Preach all you want about gun control. But guns themselves do not kill. Gangs do kill people. Two recent shootings serve as prime examples.
The killing of Brittany Hill, 24, shot in the North Austin neighborhood as she talked to two male friends while holding her 1-year old child, is another of a long list of senseless acts that occur too often. Another innocent bystander becomes collateral damage of alleged gang violence.
The killing of Alejandro Aguado was a despicable example of senseless gang violence. He and two friends walking the 606 Trail were confronted by three gang members who requested their gang affiliation. After stating that they were not in any gangs, the assailants didn’t like their answer so Alejandro was shot and killed.
We can talk endlessly about gun control to no avail. Gangs already have guns and can easily get more. What needs to be done is to identify and arrest gang members who continually and coldly pull the triggers without remorse. I hope Mayor Lori Lightfoot has a plan to make this happen.
—Gary Pearson, Northbrook
Robert Mueller’s rationale for speaking up
The one absolute in the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump and the investigation conducted by now former special counsel Robert Mueller has been Mueller himself. He is a respected individual in Washington with a reputation of being fair, impartial and honest. He never rose to the baiting remarks aimed at goading him into some petty dust-up. He busied himself with the important job he was assigned. Mueller stayed out of the fray despite being a main player, declining any comment or discussion of the ongoing investigation. Above all he kept the investigation impartial and within the boundaries of this nation’s laws.
Mueller has now come forward with his thoughts on the investigation’s results and the questionable release of Attorney General William Barr's comments concerning the decision not to allege obstruction of justice by the president. The thought of a miscarriage of justice is probably the only thing that could have forced Mueller to come forward. It's apparent he thought long and hard before making his decision to make his thoughts on this subject public. A solitary man who shuns the spotlight would only take this step if he felt he had no other choice. Mueller, being an honest man who cares for this country and justice, spoke the truth. It remains to be seen if we care enough to listen to an honest man.
—John Segovich, Streator
Pair graduated income tax with pension reform
Kudos to the Tribune Editorial Board for addressing the unfairness of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the General Assembly placing the graduated tax referendum on the ballot without pairing it with some form of pension reform. (‘Let the people vote’ on pension reform, too, May 29) I am a committed Democrat, but still believe if you are going to raise taxes on the wealthiest taxpayers in the state, it is only right that public pension reform be a necessary part of the solution to the state’s fiscal problems.
There is no question that Illinois’ comparatively low flat tax rates over the years, together with no tax on retirement income, have contributed greatly to our state’s financial difficulties. However, the same is also true that the 3% compounding of public pensions year after year, together with blatant abuses of the system, have been equal, if not greater, contributors to the problem. Further, given that House Speaker Michael Madigan and the Illinois legislature voted to reduce the pension compounding, only to have the Supreme Court overturn the legislation, is a clear indication that now is the time for the Illinois Constitution to be amended on both the tax and pension reform issues.
—Bob Karlblom, Lake Forest
The peril of political hatred
Hate in this country is reaching critical mass. Not just racial but religious, ethnic and equally evident today, political hatred. If one were to go back and review history just prior to the Civil War, there are some frightening similarities. Yes. back then the issues were between the free states and the slave states and how we should move forward with the territories that weren't yet states, but also how we wanted to move forward as a country. And the biggest issue at the heart of the problem was uncompromising differences between the two sides. Unfortunately it took a civil war and the loss of over 625,000 people to finally resolve the issues.
Today it's not a matter of free states vs. slave states, but it is red states vs. blue states, and what each side stands for. And our elected officials are in the same mindset as back in 1861, that no compromise is better any compromise.
If we had the ability to go back and poll the politicians and the people of the country, I don't think too many would agree that the loss of over 625,000 lives was worth the inability to compromise. Yet here we are today, with each side digging in and refusing to listen to the other. I don't think our founding fathers sat in a room and were in unanimous agreement as to what should be in our Constitution, but they compromised for the betterment of the country.
Philosopher George Santayana is quoted as saying,"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Let's hope that's not the case.
—Bill Kalnes, Burr Ridge
The beauty of the Dunes
All nature lovers, environmentalists and conservationists should wholeheartedly appreciate the iconic grandeur of Indiana Dunes becoming a national park. It's an invaluable habitat replete with biodiversity, ecosystems and a plethora of diverse wildlife species. An idyllic nature haven and wonderful public land for visitors and tourists alike. Let's embrace it and make it even more green and pristine for wildlife, ecology and the natural world.
—Brien Comerford, Glenview