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
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
Springfield’s present $7 million debt was caused by the previous administration. Therefore, those hired by the previous mayor [Karen Hasara] should be laid off first!
Donald E. Palmer
Springfield
OUR NEW DIET DIVA
I thoroughly enjoyed Grace Smith’s column this week [“Four little words,” Jan. 8]. She’s my new reason to read Illinois Times. E.L.E.M. — “Eat less. Exercise more” — forever!
Eric Huber
Springfield
Thank you for such a great column about exercising! How true, how true — we read the magazines, books, hype on TV, etc. but it boils down to “Eat less. Exercise more.” I’m going to cut this article out and post it on the bulletin board in our break room at work. I may need to copy it and post it at home too!
Sharon Zuiderveld
Director, Jacksonville Public Library
Jacksonville
MESSAGE OF LOVE
About a year ago, my husband required surgery from a specialist which required our traveling to Florida. Anticipating the surgery to be over after three hours of waiting, I was told instead it was taking longer than expected to even begin the procedure. In that moment, an acute loneliness washed over me.
All morning, I’d noticed a small group of people at the far end of the waiting room off to themselves. I hadn’t paid them much attention until one of the younger women and I smiled at each other. Shortly thereafter, the group came to join me.
The young woman and I struck up a conversation and almost immediately her family members and I knew a lot about each other’s loved one who was undergoing surgery — and even more about each other. This group’s closeness with one another made them seem more like one person rather than a group of people. One of the older women responded to my comment of how seeing them all together made me miss my family all the more. “We’re your family today” she said. And with that, she enveloped me in one of the warmest hugs imaginable.
Seven hours later, after the surgeon told me that, while difficult, the surgery couldn’t have gone better, I completely broke down with relief. This angelic family was there to catch me, murmuring their thanks to God with unmistakable sincerity and devotion. This small group of people are in my heart forever — and I know I’m in theirs.
They were Iraqi.
Michelle Sullivan
Chatham
THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT
First Night Springfield, presented by the Springfield Area Arts Council, has become a long-standing New Year’s Eve tradition for thousands of people each year. This unique downtown celebration of the arts is a magical event, showcasing a variety of visual and performing artists, and concludes with a closing ceremony and brilliant fireworks finale by Stars & Stripes Fireworks. This type of successful, family-oriented, community event takes months of planning and could not be achieved without the continued assistance and support from the City of Springfield, event and button presale sites, local businesses, individual sponsors, local media sponsors, in-kind donations and our many community volunteers. We were proud to be the inaugural public event held at the new Center for the Arts, and look forward to becoming a primary tenant of the Center. Thank you, Springfield and surrounding communities, for supporting the arts and the 17th annual First Night.
Christine Ramirez-Campbell
Bobette Gerlach
Ann Frescura
Springfield
WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND
Do you support putting religious symbols on government property? Do you support letting all Christian sects and all religions put their symbols there, too?
These two questions should be joined at the hip. You shouldn’t be able to get by with just addressing the first one. We can’t allow one Christian sect to take their symbols through this door and then slam it behind them. . . .Would some Native Americans be allowed to put a “Holy Totem Pole” next to the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments? It would get very cluttered.
Sometimes a thing has to be played out so people will see the lesson it will teach. Here’s hoping that Democrats will come around to favoring an “all inclusive or nothing” position on this issue.
I have no doubts about who will be against an all-inclusive policy. The lesson will be learned.
Tom Ferrari
Tovey
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2004.
