Weekly Reeder

“It’s the Jews’ fault.” I remember those words like they were yesterday, even though they were uttered by a co-worker more than 30 years ago. The newspaper we worked for had just undergone a major layoff and later that week I found myself eating a plate of spaghetti in a dive restaurant listening to what […]

Imagine being a woman locked in a state prison who is repeatedly raped by a male staff member. Recently, a federal jury in Springfield awarded a woman referred to in court documents as “Jane Doe” $19 million for such violations she suffered while incarcerated at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln. And how much did Attorney […]

“Paper checks are dead and cash is dying.” When I read that headline in the Washington Post last week, I cringed. According to the Post article, back in 2000, six out of 10 non-cash payments were made with a paper check. Today it is 1 in 20. Or consider this: 57% of Americans haven’t written […]

Nostalgia makes for lousy public policy. When I was in high school, my best friend’s dad was outraged that the state of Illinois mandated that students be taught consumer education. “My parents taught me how to calculate interest on a loan; why does the state need to mandate a class to teach something that basic?” […]

Bill Black was a lawmaker who alternated between being outraged and outrageous. The former Danville high school history teacher died Sept. 9. He was one of my favorite people in the Illinois General Assembly. Black was a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1986-2011, representing the 104th district, which stretches from Champaign […]

As I walked through the lobby of the University of Illinois’ Veterinary School, I looked at the photos of graduates lining the walls. Of course, I was drawn to the images of two people: my father and my wife. But sandwiched between their classes of 1960 and 2001 was another image that had a nearly […]

An unexpected conversation with a college acquaintance this past week has me thinking about the power of words. I first met Bill 40 years ago when I was a freshman in college. I was going through a rough time. I was away from home for the first time and was assigned a roommate that I […]

As I stood on the Australian shore last month, I pondered the majesty of the Pacific, but when I looked down, I couldn’t help but think of Rod Blagojevich. There at Rex Lookout in the Australian state of Queensland stood a plaque that once identified the politician who made the scenic overlook possible. But an […]

The congressman was a former crack addict. When I heard those words, I was flummoxed. It’s not that I found it difficult to believe that someone in public life had a substance abuse problem. During my 35 years covering politics, I’ve seen politicians drunk while debating legislation. And I’ve seen them holed up in their […]

Last summer I met my first Black veterinarian. I was accompanying my wife’s colleague to a veterinary conference in North Carolina and we sat down for lunch with a group of other animal doctors. One of them happened to be African American. What’s remarkable about this first-time encounter is that I’m the son and husband […]

There is a perception that last month the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions. But that is not the case. What it did was end race-conscious admissions. Former first lady Michelle Obama put it this way: “So often we accept that money, power and privilege are perfectly acceptable forms of affirmative action, […]

Please fill in the blank: “Our Father, who art in heaven, ____ be thy name.” This month, that question came up on the television gameshow “Jeopardy,” and none of the otherwise smart contestants could answer it. The social media universe exploded with indignation. (In case you are wondering, the correct word is “hallowed.”) The Rev. […]