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Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705;
fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com.
THINGS ARE TURNING AROUND
Much of what Rod Helle says in his commentary
“Caging the beast” [July 6] is true and profoundly tragic. The
United States does spend more on armaments than all the other nations of
the world combined. The Bush neocons got away with it by labeling it
“defense” spending. All the millions spent on
“defense” were not enough to prevent the attacks on our troops
in Somalia or on the U.S.S. Cole or on the World Trade Center or the
constant attacks on our troops in Iraq. How many Iraqis have been killed
since the coalition forces became their protectors? Where in the world are the gigantic enemies of
America that require such obscene expenditures for military hardware?
Coalition forces were able to crush Saddam Hussein’s armies as though
they were Boy Scout troops; most were smart enough to throw down their
arms, get out of their uniforms, and melt into countryside. Will Iran be
Bush’s next target, or maybe North Korea? Americans elected an
immature frat boy as president, handed him the world’s most powerful
force of arms, and then stood back and let him play as though they were his
own tin soldiers. Thankfully Americans are beginning to awaken to the
sickening morass that George Bush has led us into. And here is where Rod
Helle has lost me. Americans are coming to the realization that Bush has
led us away from the true American democratic principles upon which this
great nation was founded 230 years ago. We are opening our eyes to
Bush’s failed concepts and are asking, no, demanding of candidates
for political office that America turn back to the rule of law and to the
basic precepts of the United States Constitution as envisioned by our
founding fathers. America has sunk to the depths under George W. Bush,
but we are climbing out of his pit of imperialism and will once again
become a nation that Americans and peoples around the world will look up to
and admire. We are on our way up once again. Charles Skibbens Decatur
HELLE’S HEALTH REPORT
It must cause Rod Helle severe depression, massive
indigestion, and high blood pressure to live in the United States. Once
again, he is tossing around his opinion like it is the truth. He even
throws in some quotes to help rattle his little saber. Helle basically says
our society would collapse without our looting and pillaging of weaker
nations and raping the natural world. And which countries would those be?
This spits in the face of all veterans and troops that never made it back.
America hasn’t invaded a foreign nation just to
take what we want or need. The United States has been the one to stand up
against tyranny and thuggery since our nation’s onset. Sure, history
is not pretty or nice, but pretty and nice get you conquered. Our nation
has witnessed what happens when others, not to mention the United States,
have failed to act or played the neutral side. Protecting our national
interests and citizens is the utmost duty of our government. However, not
everyone agrees how this is performed, and that is your right. But that
right was given to you by our troops and is protected by our troops. To categorize all our troops as “country
destroyers” is a lie and reeks of cowardice. Bad things happen in
war, and atrocities have occurred. But the whole force is not guilty
— [the responsibility falls] on individuals and groups of troops. And
they should be punished accordingly. Also, to compare our military and
government to the Weimar Republic (the government that preceded the Nazi
regime) and Soviet Politburo is ridiculous and simply a pathetic attempt at
grandstanding to grab the reader’s attention. Chris Callahan Springfield
DUMPING THE HOMELESS ON THE POOR
I have never written a letter to the editor but felt
compelled to do so in light of the recent articles in the paper concerning
homelessness and the proposed homeless shelter and service center that the
Salvation Army hopes to build [see R.L. Nave,
“ ‘Major’ change,” July 6]. One would hope that
Springfield, the capital of Illinois, would be a progressive city receptive
to learning about the problems confronting the homeless population and
working toward a solution in our community. However, some city residents
and at least one alderman seem to stereotype the homeless population as
bums and undesirables. This only leads to furthering the oppression of this
population. Homelessness can be the result of mental illness,
drug/alcohol dependence, past criminal activity, and many of other socially
unacceptable behaviors. However, these groups are not the only people who
find themselves homeless. Individuals and families, with and without
children, become homeless for a variety of reasons. Job loss through
downsizing, astronomical medical bills regardless of insurance coverage,
and disability or death of a breadwinner are also some factors that can
lead to homelessness. Letters protesting building a center at J.
David Jones Parkway were abundant. Few of the area residents wanted a
homeless shelter and service facility in their neighborhood. In addition to
not wanting “undesirables” in their neighborhoods, they cited a
lack of resources in the neighboring area as a reason to keep this shelter
out of their backyards. The Salvation Army lost the bid for this property,
and now the media reports that they are considering the Goodwill Industries
site on North 11th Street. Thus far I have not seen one letter to the
editor rebuking this location. Is this because most of the people who live
in the area of North 11th Street are the poor, the working poor, and
renters rather than homeowners? Do their voices not count, or do they
better understand the problems facing the homeless and as a result choose
not to object to a service designed to help the less fortunate being
located in their back yard? The 11th Street site may be a good location as it is
close to medical facilities, mental-health facilities, and bus lines.
However, is it the best location to house people who are trying to overcome
drug and alcohol addictions and address mental-health needs and the other
factors that may be associated with their homelessness? These factors, not
only location, need to be considered. Gail Mayer Sherman
THE RIGHT TO VISITATION
R.L. Nave’s article, “Deadbeats or dead
broke” [June 22], focused on one of the important factors necessary
to raise a child whose parents are not living together: child support. Another equally or possibly even more important
factor is developing a loving and healthy relationship with both parents.
For noncustodial parents (usually fathers) this can only be achieved during
their periods of visitation with their children, sometimes as seldom as
every second weekend. The article left a misleading impression by quoting
me asking why the state should provide custodial parents free lawyers to
collect child support. The balance of the quote, which Nave left out, was:
“. . . when noncustodial parents get no help from the state in
enforcing their visitation rights.”
I am a strong supporter of the state’s programs
to assist custodial parents in collecting child support. But the state
should also assist noncustodial parents in enforcing and obtaining their
and their children’s equally important right to spend quality time
with their children. In fact, the two go hand in hand. A recent U.S.
Census Bureau study showed that noncustodial parents receiving regular
visitation were much more likely to pay child support than those who did
not. Sam Cahnman Springfield
THE RULES APPLY, BOTH WAYS
Boy, I agree 100 percent with Nina Bain about not
having children if you can’t support them, but she should check the
parental guide about the rules [“Letters,” July 6]. I think she
qualified as a parent too — and should have taken her own advice. I
quote her letter: “The law should read: ‘are you financially
able to support a child without government help, government assistance or
loans for the rest of your life?’ ” I gather she knew that she
could not support a child on $375 a month long before she got pregnant. The
rules apply to both genders. Betty Moake Girard
DON’T READ THIS, MR. FAULKNER I am not addressing this to Danny Faulkner because
there is no talking to people like him [see “Letters,” June
29]. As long as his house is nice, there is no problem. And this is why
some neighborhoods are like they are: attitudes like Mr. Faulkner’s
“Hey, my place is nice; somebody else needs to fix the
problem.”
The way I see it, if you like your neighborhood you
will do anything to keep the thugs and drug dealers out and talk to the
right people if you have problems. Good luck, people living in the neighborhood across
from the Pillsbury mill — it sounds like you are on your own. You
will never see anything come into the Pillsbury mill area until things are
cleaned up. LaDonna McClanahan Springfield
WHAT TO DO WITH FLAG-BURNERS?
Tim Thornton made some very good points in his
defense of our right to burn the flag [“Letters,” July 6]. This
simple act of defiance should be protected, if for no other reason than we
live in a free country. He is exactly right: If I feel the only way to
express my disappointment with our current leadership is to burn the flag
(because they are already trampling all over it), then I should have that
right. People’s emotions have prevented them from
seeing what they are asking for. What do we do with these criminals when
they burn the flag? Do we set up reeducation camps for those who can be
forced to follow the crowds? What about repeat offenders? A firing squad at
dawn? Where does the control over us subjects end? What right will be
banned next? Maybe our right to self-defense, our right to be secure in our
persons and property — oops, those have already been assaulted. The Bill of Rights was designed to restrict the power
of the government over the people. We now find the government trying to
pass amendments to restrict the power of the people. This is just
fundamentally wrong and should be vigorously opposed at every turn. Name withheld by request Buffalo
VANDALS ARE AT IT AGAIN
My wife and I, on July 4, visited Union Square Park,
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and the Old State
Capitol. The quilt exhibit at the library was a delight. The
design creativity and quilting skill in the creation of each were
tremendously impressive. Each quilt was beautiful. The Old State Capitol had a display of portraits of
all Illinois military personnel who have lost their lives in Afghanistan
and Iraq. The portraits are pencil drawings made by Cameron Schilling, an
Eastern Illinois University student. He had drawn portraits of several
soldiers for their funerals at his father’s funeral home. This is
when he got the idea to draw portraits of all the fallen American heroes.
The portraits will be presented to the families at later date. Looking at each, studying the facial characteristics
and the ethnic diversity of the youthful faces in the portraits, puts a
lump in the throat and tears in the eyes. Reading the names, hometowns,
military information, and description of death causes a rush of emotion
— heart-wrenching sadness, anger, and shame for our country for
allowing the ill-advised Iraqi war and deep sympathy for the young men and
women whose lives were wasted, as well as sympathy for their families. The Union Square Park and the renovated Union Station
are an outstanding complement to the ALPLM. The park’s
configuration, structure, and landscaping and, of course, the Abe Lincoln
sculpture are fantastic. But, sadly, there always seems to be a few senseless
individuals who delight in defacing beauty. Skateboarders have already left
their signature black scuff marks on the cream-tinted concrete walkways. First they vandalized the marble in the rear of the
museum, and now this. When they are caught, the punishment of the criminals
must be severe enough to deter other intellectual midgets from future
defacement of private and public property. Confiscation of the implements
of vandalism, lengthy home confinement, and public service seems
appropriate. Serious consideration should be given to making the parents of
the vandals liable for the cost to repair the damage. John D. Kolaz Springfield
This article appears in Jul 6-12, 2006.
