Having read your articles about the NATO summit being held in Chicago this weekend, it is embarrassing that the major newspaper in town would react like a small, provincial town in the backwaters of Mississippi or Alabama. Our guests, including the protesters, are not extraterrestrial aliens but international leaders and engaged citizens living in a 21st-century world.
In addition, this event, however it enfolds, will not destroy the reputation of our city nor the reputations of any local or national politician.
However, if you continue your normal gloomy outlook and reporting about the weekend, your status as a positive and leading factor in the culture of Chicago will be questionable.
The Tribune should embrace this wonderful event with a banner headline such as “Welcome NATO members to the greatest city in the United States.”
As far as the protesters, you should welcome them as well and encourage them to live out the ideals of American democracy, where every voice and opinion has the opportunity to be heard in peaceful assembly.
— Jerry Jelsema, Chicago
