Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com DO YOU FEEL A DRAFT? Our military is overextended, and we need […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Proxy fight
This year’s only Illinois Supreme Court race is just about the hottest political thing going. The 5th District race pits appellate justice Gordon Maag, a Democrat from Glen Carbon, against trial judge Lloyd Karmeier, a Nashville Republican. For many, this race isn’t between two candidates; it’s an all-out proxy war fought on behalf of, and […]
Posted inOpinion
Protect Illinois wilderness
A green carpet of moss at the campground welcomed the two of us to the trailhead. We crossed a dry creek bed and followed the sign for the White Pine Trail. Past a green swamp, then up easy slopes, a cool September breeze followed us into the Shawnee National Forest. A mile later, our trail […]
Posted inOpinion
common sense 10-7-04
Thank you, Nicole and Jeff Rank for standing your ground — and standing up for all of us. This young couple from Charleston, W. Va., was arrested on the grounds of the state Capitol during a July 4 appearance by President George W. Bush [see Hightower, “Is this America?” Aug. 5]. They came to see […]
Posted inOpinion
Statehouse murder
Up until last week the Capitol had been one of the safest places in Illinois. No one had ever been killed there in its entire history. And then some unbalanced kid stops taking his meds and all hell breaks loose. William Wozniak, security guard, who had a wife and two kids and a mortgage and […]
Posted inOpinion
Common sense 9-30-04
I bring you tidings of great joy! At last our Congress critters have done something to lift people up from the economic doldrums we’re in. They’ve raised wages in America! You’re not silly enough to think for a moment that Congress would raise your wages, are you? No, no, Nanette — for the past several […]
Posted inOpinion
Bar hopping blues
You can’t tell me 3 o’clock bars are all bad. There’s one with a big fluorescent placard out front that offers a blunt lesson in democracy: “SAT NIGHT FREE WITH VOTER REGISTRATION CARD,” the sign reads. “VOTE OR GET SCREWED.” Don’t know if the sign has anything to do with it, but on this Saturday […]
Posted inOpinion
letters 9-30-04
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com WE CAN’T AFFORD BUSH’S SPIN With more than 1,000 American soldiers dead […]
Posted inOpinion
Common sense 9-23-04
With the election looming, President George W. Bush is back to claiming that he’s a “compassionate conservative.” As evidence, he cites his centerpiece education law, the No Child Left Behind Act. This is supposed to be a “tough love” reform, compelling all public-school students to pass standardized tests. If the kids fail the federal government’s […]
Posted inOpinion
letters 9-23-04
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com RING SOME PHONES Since it was established in 1919, the Coney Island […]
Posted inOpinion
Community by design
The weekend was full of neighborhood moments. Friday evening we walked from our house a couple of blocks, past children skipping rope on the sidewalk, for walleye sandwiches at Suzie-Q’s. We ran into several neighbors and friends, as we always do there. On Saturday I played uncle to a 3-year-old at the park across the […]
Posted inOpinion
Planet Blago
Over the last few weeks it’s become clear that Alan Keyes, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, lives in his own little world — and it’s a pretty odd planet. In Keyes’ version of reality, pro-choicers are like terrorist sympathizers, his Democratic opponent Barack Obama has a “slaveholder mentality,” and Jesus would never even consider […]
