Casualties of War
See stories below.
Your friends and neighbors . . . really
You’ve seen the ads: A trio of smiling faces–a white man, a young black girl, and an Asian man–all radiating friendliness and openness, framed by a banner that asks, “We’re all Americans . . . but which one of us is a Muslim?” The punch-line answer is all three. That ad debuted in February, the…
Mums the word
Tip of the week “Autumn Jewels” is the name of this year’s mum show, November 8 through 23 at the Washington Park Botanical Gardens. The conservatory is open noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss this spectacular display of chrysanthemums. By now your petunias are leggy,…
Groveling for 50 bucks per month
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – The line sometimes stretches a mile long. Former soldiers and employees of the Iraqi Army, 400,000 in all, are paid a $50- per-month “pension” by the occupying forces. The only catch is, they have to stand in line to get the money. The lines in Baghdad are the worst. There is only…
Your Turn … 9-11-03
Scary oversight In last week’s listing of area Haunted Houses, we neglected to mention the Springfield Jaycees Haunted House, a local institution since 1979. Proceeds fund a variety of charity programs, including the purchase of Christmas gifts for underprivileged children. This year’s haunted house will be at the Capitol City Shopping Center, October 15 through…
Remembering Evan James
Memorial Day was always special for Donna James and her family. It was her son Evan’s birthday. Now the date carries a miserable irony. A few years ago Evan joined the Marine reserves after graduating from high school in La Harpe, a town halfway between Macomb and the Mississippi River. September 11, 2001, was supposed…
Now Playing 9-11-03
Welcome revelers of the nightlife. Enter with me into the world of live music, which includes within its realm the great sport of people watching, the sublime art of spirit imbibing, and the good old pastime of dancing to your heart’s content. The fine fellas in Black Magic Johnson invite you to the second annual…
Republican roundup
This seems like a good time to rate our various U.S. Senate candidates. Let’s start with the Republicans. • Jack Ryan. A handsome multimillionaire with three Ivy League degrees, he quit his career as an investment banker and went to work as a teacher in an inner-city school. This guy could catch fire. He’s putting…
Bards of the Sangamo 9-11-03
by Lee Gurga A few turns around the Windy City with a Chicago girl who doesn’t seem to have opened the sports section lately! Jivin’ Chicago Girl High steppers, high heels, high signs, high rises I’m just a Chicago girl, living in a Chicago world High rises, high heels, high steppers, high signs Sophisticated clothes,…
Il Professore
Joe Bonefeste’s a true gentleman. The former Sangamon County treasurer is such a wellspring of enthusiasm, optimism, good humor, and goodwill–you can’t help but feel ennobled by his presence. Though he’s small of stature, his voice is clear and strong, and he commands respect. With a quick step, the 81-year-old sings out greetings and felicitations,…
Knoepfle 9-11-03
mr lincoln in his garden here now the sun westering abandons these pools of light they shimmer in the deep woods earlier there were miracles of butterflies resting in tall grass prairies sunning for their solar power regal fritillaries black swallowtails and those monarchs beyond simplicity of belief gearing for mexico and the fall flowers…
Family plot
Girl Scout Troop 44 gathers in a prairie just west of Springfield. For the past year they’ve been restoring a cemetery that saw its last burial in the 19th century, but shoulder-high grass had long covered all traces of these resting places. The graveyard is important because one of Springfield’s founding families is buried here.…
Grim realities
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Fadia was crying when we arrived, but she quickly explained that it wasn’t serious. The teenager was hungry and had a stomachache. The pain would soon pass, she said, as tears welled up in her red and swollen eyes. Her family’s home–in a tiny, poverty-stricken Christian ghetto in Baghdad–was one of my…
Rolling in the dough
John Crain bakes every day. He bakes scones, rolls, and all sorts of bread–white and wheat and sourdough and cranberry walnut. Yet he’s still amazed by the simple magic formula: a bowl of milk, flour, yeast, and eggs can be transformed into warm, delicious loaves. “I just like baking bread,” he says. “I love the…
Prisoners of war
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – The American soldiers smashed through 68-year-old Ali Ahmed’s door at 2:30 in the morning. According to Ali, the Americans roughed up one of his four sons, then handcuffed everyone except his wife and 12-year-old boy. The soldiers ransacked their tiny apartment, took what little money they had, and finally hauled Ali and…
Civil war brewing?
One of the most consistent and ominous prewar warnings to the Bush administration by Middle East experts was that removal of Saddam Hussein without the most careful political and social engineering would result in the breaking apart of Iraq into warring factions that would battle each other for decades. The hawks in the White House…
The highway side
SEVENTEEN The Vibrant Produce Company was in downtown LA, in an industrial area off Central Avenue. I crossed the Los Angeles River more than once searching for the place. I found streets with names like Industrial and Terminal, Market and Produce, but it took a while to find Vibrant Avenue. When I pulled up around…
Lost lives
Since March 20, 287 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives during the invasion and occupation of Iraq. As of this week, total deaths among coalition forces are 337. More soldiers have lost their lives since May 1, when President Bush declared that major combat operations were completed, than during the actual war (148 compared with…
Unheeded advice
Excerpts from “Doctrine for Joint Urban Operations” by U.S. General John Abizaid, published by the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, September 2002: • “Urban operations increase support demands due to the high level of injury and exhaustion of personnel, damage to equipment, and to the potential need to provide support…
