Because of the Chicago Tribune editorial entitled ”Auction off the skyboxes,” and because of the repetition of statements based on rumors, untruths and innuendo, it is imperative for me to set the public record straight on the controversy surrounding the Chicago Bears` skyboxes.
As a journalist and as a longtime supporter of the Chicago spirit and the spirit of the Chicago Bears, I am appalled that false information spreads from one media organization to another, and that some reporters make little or no effort to verify information before rushing into print.
What is essential to grasp first about this controversy is that I have never discussed affirmative action as a basis for leasing a skybox. When comments to this effect were made in the public print, I immediately contradicted the statements in communications to Jesse Madison and the press.
The truth of the matter is that I only discussed this matter with Mr. Madison one time. I saw him at a public meeting and mentioned, in passing, that Johnson Publishing Co. was interested in leasing one of the skyboxes if the Park District decided to make the boxes available to the public. I also said to him that it was unfortunate that no blacks or other minorities were among the lessees of the boxes. I make no apologies for that statement. For it is still my opinion that blacks, females and members of any ethnic or minority group should not be excluded from any civic, cultural or sports programs offered in this city.
I believe, in other words, that blacks should have an equal opportunity to play on the football team or to manage the football team or to watch the action from the end zone or the 50-yard line or the skyboxes. For, contrary to the common view, we are not only fighting to include the disadvantaged; we are also fighting to make sure that blacks, minorities and women have a right to reach for the stars.
Someone suggested that we were only interested in skyboxes because the Bears are a championship team. But Johnson Publishing Company leased a skybox from the Chicago Blitz franchise not because it was a championship team but because we believed all Chicagoans should have an equal chance to participate in Chicago enterprises.
The approach we made to Jesse Madison was consistent with my philosophy and record. Although we were not on a waiting list at the time, we had made inquiries and knew that no skyboxes were available. We thought the boxes that might be available for lease by the Park District provided a mechanism for correcting an error and ensuring participation by blacks and other minorities. It is scarcely necessary to say here that I believe the Park District should receive the best price for the boxes and that I was not expecting any concession in that regard.
To sum up, I believe in affirmative action programs for the disadvantaged, and I also believe in equal access for all Americans at all levels of American society. I have owned and operated a business in Chicago for 43 years, and I have never requested special treatment or government assistance for myself or for my company.
To be accused of seeking special treatment now simply because I told the truth (about the absence of minority renters of skyboxes) is a total perversion of my personal ideals and the editorial thrust of our magazines.
