Durbin, Kirk and their reprehensible votes
On Aug. 3, U.S. Sens. Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin voted to continue giving a half billion of our tax dollars a year to Planned Parenthood, an organization that specializes in the “termination” of preborn human beings through abortion.
Recently it has been learned that Planned Parenthood illegally dismembers and harvests the remains from these aborted babies and sells them.
While a majority of U.S. senators voted to end funding of Planned Parenthood, the 60 votes needed weren’t obtained. Durbin and Kirk voted to continue giving our money to this inhumane organization.
The moral and legal ethics of selling the organs of freshly aborted babies are disgusting to most Americans. Thanks to modern technology, we have a window into the reality of pregnancy and the abortion industry.
It is intellectually impossible to deny that abortion terminates a human life. It’s murder. There simply isn’t any reason for taxpayer funding of abortion.
I call on Sen. Kirk to embrace the pro-life principles of the Republican Party Platform and urge him to protect the women and preborn babies being exploited by those who promote and profit from death, destruction and the selling of baby body parts.
David E. Smith, executive director
Illinois Family Institute, Carol Stream
Elected school board for Chicago
In appointing Forrest Claypool to run Chicago’s public schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is delaying the ultimate solution to superior schools — a publicly elected school board.
In poll after poll and confirmed by an advisory referendum in February, Chicagoans want an elected school board because this is the gold standard for superior schools.
Every school district in Illinois except Chicago has an elected board, and Chicago deserves the same. An elected board is the best way to mobilize citizens, businesses, teachers and parents for the best schools.
I salute Claypool for his service to Chicago. Looking ahead, I call on the mayor, Gov. Bruce Rauner and all government officials to pass legislation to give Chicago an elected, not mayoral-appointed, school board.
Roger Romanelli, Chicago
The Daily Southtown welcomes letters to the editor. Email them to letters@southtownstar.com and include your name, address and phone number. Only your name and the town you reside in will appear with the letter. Please keep a letter to no more than about 200 words. The Southtown is not responsible for the accuracy of the opinions expressed in letters to the editor.
