I’m writing about the state of our political discourse, involving the politicians themselves and also everyday citizens of our country. Interactions have gotten routinely venomous and personal between politicians. We have lost an expectation of decorum and respectable behavior from the people who are supposed to be leading our country. Instead, they’re acting like toddlers. This behavior is consistent across all parties.
The U.S. Capitol is a place for maturity and level-headedness, not childish quarrels and tantrums. As a high schooler, I come from a generation whose members mostly cannot remember a time when the situation was less polarizing. It’s intensely concerning to me that my peers and the generations after me have been raised in a severely hateful and cuttingly partisan environment. Many worry about placing the future of our country in the hands of today’s youths, who seem like they will never be capable, and yet at the same time, people are comfortable raising youths with this mindset. Letting this continue will ensure adults’ worst fears of failure come true.
This kind of discourse has spread into the conduct of citizens, partly because it has been normalized by the people who determine the political conversation. Every single attack that they make on each other is magnified and spread until it seems ordinary and eventually acceptable.
Through all of these constant ad hominem attacks, we’ve lost sight of a very important rule to having a civilized and fruitful debate: the belief that though your opposition’s view may be wrong, they aren’t inherently evil for having that view. For example, take the very current issue of immigration. Someone might be lenient toward illegal immigration because they care about compassion, while on the other side, someone might be anti-illegal immigration because they care about safety. Both of these motives are admirable, whether you agree with the stance they take.
We as a society have forgotten that people have many different reasons for adopting a perspective, most often reasons that are well intentioned, even if they aren’t accurate. Demonizing the opposition rather than seeking to understand them has destructive consequences and is ultimately behind almost all instances of political extremism.
We can’t let this become the norm. In today’s America, there are very few things that can unite the people. It’s imperative that we unite over this or else devolve into barbarity.
— Danielle Davis, Northfield
Projection of ‘evil’
There is a deeper layer to the government shutdown that has not yet been discussed. Politicians in both parties project evil on the opposing party without seeing flaws within their own party. This has a deeply divisive effect on politics and society. Ideologies deepen the divisions. They oversimplify reality, and they give the emotional comfort of members having common beliefs. This increases the tendency of projecting evil on the opposing party.
Further, politicians need financial backing to run for office. If one does not play ball with the party ideologically and for financial backing, it is difficult to advance within the party. This also reinforces the inclination to project evil on the opposing party.
Withdrawal of these projections would reduce party-line votes and gridlock in Congress. The other party may have some ideas that should be adopted.
— William Schoenl, East Lansing, Michigan
Sportsmanship lesson
Thank you to Paul Sullivan for his column about the Milwaukee Brewers flying the “L” flag in their team picture after beating the Cubs in the National League Division Series (“Trolling Cubs with ‘L’ flag backfires on Brewers with NLCS flop,” Oct. 19). Bad karma or not, the essential message for all should be that good sportsmanship is never dead.
Fans may act this way, gloating when winning, and fans might revel in this kind of display from their teams. But before acting this way, professional athletes and teams should ask themselves what kind of example it sets for our children participating in youth sports.
— Bill Simon, Naperville
Stop using Amazon
In her recent op-ed (“There’s still time to protest if you stayed home on Saturday,” Oct. 21), Christine Ledbetter discusses ways in which citizens can passively express their displeasure with the government and those who appear to support the government’s policies. I would like to suggest boycotting Amazon. If enough citizens opted to shop locally for a while rather than ordering from Amazon, and if Jeff Bezos became aware of why business was falling off, he might consider redirecting more of his wealth away from supporting the Republican Party and toward assisting those entities being harmed by this administration’s policies. And perhaps even speak out against some of the more heinous policies.
It’s worth a try.
— Jeanne Martineau, Chicago
E-bike, e-scooter riders
The invasion of e-bikes and e-scooters in Chicago has been largely uncriticized and ridiculously unregulated. I bicycle, ride motorcycles and scooters, and drive a car. Frankly, I love anything on two wheels. However, my subjective observations are that the majority of e-scooter/e-bike riders ignore traffic laws completely, behaving as if they were unmotorized bicycles. Everyone riding or driving anything motorized in a city with traffic as heavy and congested as Chicago’s should be required to obey traffic laws, for their own and others’ safety.
If the city wants help filling the budget gap, simply require all e-bikes/e-scooters to be registered and display a license plate, so that those driving recklessly and illegally (whether renters or owners) can be ticketed like the rest of us driving motorized vehicles. Why just ticket automobile drivers for infractions? Why should e-riders be immune from traffic laws?
The city would take in millions in revenue from these changes alone.
— Lisa L. Smith, Chicago
Humanizing layoffs
Another mega-merger, another layoff affecting our neighbors (“Capital One layoffs hit former Discover HQ in Riverwoods,” Oct. 22). The plight of the 600 or so affected people — tucked into the Business section — might be overlooked by the time a reader makes it past all the misery that seems to pervade the Chicagoland and Opinion sections.
So kudos to Robert Channick for his reporting that masterfully blends hard business with human interest and his skill in taking an all-too-common headline about corporate restructuring and making it an engaging commentary on several levels.
— Jerry Levy, Deerfield
Columbus Day parade
On Oct. 13, I participated in Chicago’s annual Columbus Day parade, and it was a wonderful and memorable experience with the largest enthusiastic crowd in our four years of marching. The Chicago police need to be commended for being well prepared and keeping everyone safe to help celebrate Italy’s numerous contributions to this country.
What is disappointing is that the Tribune chose not to cover the parade, before or after the event. Chicago had other ethnic or social parades this year. Many of them got feature articles and numerous photos.
Perhaps the Tribune is following Mayor Brandon Johnson’s lead, who was also a Columbus Day parade no-show.
— Bob Gavenda, Crete
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