Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you there’s something you’d like to comment on in Elgin or beyond, send an email to ksorensen@tribpub.com. Please include “speak out” in the subject line.
Reasons for shootings: What is the difference between mass shootings in some other cities and shootings in Chicago? Four words in Chicago: “No one is in custody.” Failure of law enforcement to enforce laws, gang members in our police departments, entitlement attitude and lack of morals, ethics and parental supervision as well as the limitation of parental rights to discipline their children are the real reasons we have 13- and 14-year-olds carjacking and killing in the streets and others doing mass and drive-by shootings.
Times have changed: While watching the recent Teddy Roosevelt documentary on the History Channel, I was struck by all the changes that have occurred in the Republican party over the years. By today’s standards Ronald Reagan would surely be too moderate for most born again conservatives and Teddy, with his progressive ideals, would be much more effective as a left-wing Democrat.
Question asked: Why is law enforcement nationwide not speaking out against sale of automatic weapons?
Why I’m a liberal: My conservative friends, and most of them are, have been asking me for my entire adult life why am I a liberal? Well, let me tell you why. Every single one of these people will fight tooth and nail to protect the fetus, but when a 10-year-old girl gets slaughtered in her own classroom, they won’t lift a finger to help. That’s why I’m a liberal.
Schools need guards: I’m a conservative and I’m in favor of the Second Amendment, but after this Texas shooting I’m starting to really question if assault weapons are really necessary. Also, I’m disappointed. I listened to the president’s speech and he didn’t say anything about single-point entry and the possibility of having an armed guard in every school. If you can have an armed guard at a dispensary, at a Costco and at a White Sox game, you can have an armed guard at a grade school. That could have helped.
Must be nice: I see once again some Cook County officials have decided to pay themselves increases. Excuse the expression, but the pigs are feeding at the trough. They also voted that the raises keep going year after year. Must be nice for a part-time job.
