I am a constituent and generally a supporter of state Sen. Robert Peters, and I share his love of our city and of the South Side. But I take issue with some parts of his gushing op-ed in the Tribune (“Chicago is ready for the DNC,” April 18).
It’s true that Chicago has hosted at least 25 major-party conventions since the first one in 1860, where Abraham Lincoln was nominated for president. But there have been only two since 1960. The 1968 convention is famous for many reasons. One was the police riot in which large numbers of anti-war protesters were beaten after they assembled peaceably despite Mayor Richard J. Daley’s refusal to allow them a permit (as should have been done under the First Amendment). Largely because of the Vietnam War, and the Democratic nominee’s support of it, the Democrats lost the presidency.
In 1996, Mayor Richard M. Daley, the elder Daley’s son, hosted the Democratic convention at the United Center. Health care activists wanted to protest at the convention against the Democratic National Committee’s decision to remove a commitment to universal health care from the party platform; that commitment had been in place for decades. As in 1968, the protesters were denied a permit. A lawsuit was filed. The resulting compromise allow a fixed protest site about 1 1/2 blocks from the convention entrance, barely visible or audible to delegates. For several days, I was with other protesters, including my medical colleague, the legendary Dr. Quentin Young, in a pen formed by steel crowd barriers.
Now, in 2024, there is a similar situation. Protesters against the devastating bombing of Gaza by the U.S.-supplied Israeli military have been denied a permit to protest in reasonable proximity to the convention. The outrage of the protesters is a normal humanitarian response: more than 30,000 civilians have been killed and 2 million made homeless; starvation and medical crises are widespread; and aid workers and journalists have been killed. The Israeli onslaught has been generally supported by President Joe Biden and the centrists of the Democratic Party (and most Republicans). But with or without a permit, the protest will take place.
Hopefully, the demand for a cease-fire, and for justice for Palestinians, will be heard and seen by the convention attenders. Let us hope that Mayor Brandon Johnson does not make the same mistake as Richard J. Daley in 1968.
And let’s hope (from my point of view) that militarism by Democrats does not again cause loss of the White House.
— Peter Draper, Chicago
Retaliation for Iran attacks
I am a member of the Jewish community who is outraged by Iran’s wide-ranging launching of missiles and drones into Israel. I am thankful that due to Israel’s defense capability and with the help of the United States, Great Britain and some Arab neighbors, the attack was repelled and not one Israeli civilian lost their life.
Israel has vowed to retaliate. Nothing good can come of it. Israeli attacks within Iran would intensify hostilities in the region and would almost certainly lead to further bloodshed on both sides with the potential for the United States to be drawn into battle to aid our ally.
The world economy would be strained as sharp increases in the price of oil and stock market jitters and declines could be expected to ensue.
I agree with the world leaders who have stated that Israel should “take the win” and rest.
— Oren Spiegler, Peters Township, Pennsylvania
Members of the human tribe
In an April 20 letter (“Reducing Jews to just religion”), Mark Segal takes issue with an April 14 letter from Olga Vilella (“Judaism and Israeli politics”), who in turn takes issue with an April 11 op-ed by professor Kenneth Seeskin (“When does anti-Zionism start to become antisemitism”). Segal claims that Jews are a “nation” in addition to being practitioners of Judaism, a religion. He must make up his mind.
Long ago, a very wise man from Canaan once advised his followers to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. If I were to decide tomorrow to change my religious practices to those of Judaism, then that would make me a Jew. I would remain, however, a citizen of the United States of America, which would mean that I am still a member of the American nation. Narrow tribalistic mentalities have no place in the modern world.
Vilella is on the right track. We are all members of the human tribe. Segal’s mother was a member of the human tribe too — not the “Jewish nation.” No matter what he (or she) might think.
— Bill Porter, Vernon Hills
A life without fossil fuels?
It was Earth Day on Monday, and op-eds called for the end of fossil fuels. We can all feel better because we saved the earth. Really?
Let the protesters live with their choices before they force them on us.
1. Get rid of all of your synthetic clothing that was made with hydrocarbons.
2. Don’t use cars, buses, trains or planes that burn fossil fuels.
3. Don’t purchase anything (e.g., food, Amazon goods, etc.) that needs to be delivered by vehicles using fossil fuels.
4. If you solely use electric utilities in your life, don’t complain about their rising cost as demand skyrockets.
5. Don’t oppose nuclear power generation as an alternate source of electrical capacity.
6. Don’t complain about rising construction costs if plastics and other hydrocarbon-based materials are no longer used in your house.
7. Don’t rent an apartment with gas heat, a gas stove or a gas water heater.
8. Say goodbye to tailgating and barbecues using propane appliances or charcoal briquettes
9. Perhaps you should learn how to ride horses to get around.
I don’t want our society to return to the 1800s.
— Keith Dubas, Bloomingdale
The value of the Great Lakes
As a lifelong Chicagoan, I truly enjoyed Howard Learners’ op-ed on caring for the Great Lakes (“This Earth Day, let’s celebrate and protect our Great Lakes,” April 22). The lakefront was my family’s go-to place for picnics, fishing, swimming and even Sunday morning breakfast cookouts!
I hope future generations will enjoy as much as mine did.
— Carole Bogaard, Oak Lawn
Cyclists ignoring stop signs
The op-ed writer stating that bicyclists should be able to yield but not stop at a stop sign ignores the safety of pedestrians (“To prevent cyclist injury, death, we need stop-and-yield law,” April 19). Even though required by law to make a full stop at a stop sign, the writer admits to not stopping at a stop sign because he feel it puts him at a disadvantage. But this practice puts pedestrians at extreme risk in my experience as a pedestrian, bicyclist and motorist in downtown Chicago.
A moving bicycle passing the stop line enters the crosswalk in a split second. If the bicyclist does stop at the stop sign, the bicycle will be going slowly through the crosswalk and thus is easy to see and avoid, and even a collision may be minor. If the bicyclist does not stop or worse yet proceeds through the intersection at high speed, as many do, the bicyclist risks seriously injuring crossing pedestrians.
— George Wheeler, Chicago
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