Opinion

My four months of struggle with Springfield’s public-transportation system makes me sure that people who don’t have cars here are victims of discrimination. Like most residents of my native Kazakhstan, I have never driven in my life. When I came here, I was sure that public transit would be better than it was at home. […]

Talk about bitter irony. George W. Bush wrapped himself in the flag and campaigned under a political theme of “support our troops,” yet, even as he campaigned, troops in Iraq continued to die precisely because he failed them. Propaganda won’t stop roadside bombs and other blasts. For the deadly reality of war, our troops need […]

The next time you get discouraged about Illinois politics, take a look at Kansas. Or South Dakota, where U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin spent the week before Election Day campaigning for the doomed Tom Daschle. “South Dakota was the most incredible political scene I have ever witnessed,” Durbin recalled as we sat in his Springfield office […]

Fair warning: This column could get sloppy. Normally I try to plug this space with something newsy, something issue-oriented, some kind of meaty food for thought. But signs suggest that today, for a limited time only, I can take a break from controversial current events and simply say something nice for a change. First sign: […]

One of the most despicable aspects of this year’s presidential campaign was the deliberate, determined effort by the Republican Party to keep people from voting. I don’t just mean the notorious efforts in Florida by First Brother Jeb Bush to purge the voter rolls of thousands of eligible African-Americans; I’m also talking about tactics used […]

As the death toll rises in Iraq, thoughts turn to the next strategy for stopping this war. The easiest way would have been to elect John Kerry, but that didn’t work. It might not have worked even if he had won the election — he only promised to be a better warmaker — but it […]

I’ve been chastised by Wal-Mart! Imagine my distress. The largest corporation in the world apparently was stung by one of my recent commentaries [see Hightower, “Wal-Mart milks taxpayers,” Oct. 21]. I had pointed out that Wal-Mart, which touts itself as a model of “free-market” success, actually has built its market muscle by squeezing more than […]

The U.S. Air Force is in rapture over its new baby, the F/A-22 Raptor. Taxpayers, however, can be forgiven for being less than enraptured by the recent birth of this fighter jet. It’s the most expensive warplane in history, it’s not needed, and there are serious doubts about whether it’ll even work. Conceived 23 years […]

Mila Dvoretskaya-Lemme went to the polls on Election Day and came away underwhelmed by the choices. Never mind the candidates; there were no crullers, no crumpets, no soda pop, and no lemonade. Mila comes from Kazakhstan, where democracy is wrapped in a colorful ritual that includes flowers, music, kids, and bake sales. The festivities lure […]

It didn’t take long in the homeless shelter for me to realize I am among exceptionally gifted people. Funny. Smart. Kind. Troubled, too. But many seem no more troubled than a lot of other people I know. I went in thinking this would be a good place to learn and cameout thinking it would be […]

At last, the Golden Age of television is upon us again! But, alas, this is not the golden age of TV quality — but literally the age of TV gold, when advertisers have become the programming. Leading the way is the Disney’s ABC television network, which has now opened its expanse of our public airwaves […]