As a hospice chaplain and a state representative, I am guided by a simple truth: We are all connected. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” I see that every day, whether sitting with a family in hospice or amending a bill in Springfield.
At its best, government reflects that interconnection. It’s how we come together to serve the common good, to make sure every neighbor has a fair chance, a safe home, and the food and health care they need. When one person falls behind, the whole community feels it.
But lately, that shared sense of connection has been strained. The lingering trauma of COVID-19 and the loneliness that comes from so much time online have left many feeling isolated and less empathetic. When compassion fades, we all lose something essential.
We see it now as fear spreads through our immigrant communities. When neighbors are afraid to go to work, take their children to school or seek medical care, the harm ripples outward. Businesses lose trusted employees, schools lose engaged students and hospitals lose patients who delay care until it’s too late. Our economy depends on stability and inclusion, not fear and division.
That same ripple effect happens when programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are cut. Families must choose between rent and groceries. Children, veterans and seniors go hungry. The harm doesn’t stop there: Local grocers lose business, health outcomes worsen and the strain spreads across our entire community.
Yet even in hardship, I’ve seen neighbors step up, delivering meals, stocking food pantries, organizing neighborhood watches and supporting immigrant families harmed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. These acts of kindness remind us that connection isn’t lost; it’s being rebuilt, one caring act at a time.
— State Rep. Nicolle Grasse, D-Arlington Heights
Don’t provoke agents
Here’s a radical idea for preventing violent confrontations between federal agents and protesters. Suppose Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson and national Democrats stop encouraging confrontations with inflammatory demagoguery. Suppose protesters observed a nonthreatening distance from agents enforcing federal law enacted by Congress. Suppose no one throws objects. Then federal agents would have no excuse to respond with force.
That would also allow an already stretched-thin Chicago Police Department to redirect officers to the job of protecting Chicago residents instead of protecting federal agents. It would also remove any excuse to send the National Guard into communities to protect agents who are being assaulted.
— R. Staneiak, Woodridge
Diversity in military
A heartfelt thank you to the staff of the Tribune for the story about the Navajo code talkers (Nov. 11).
My father served as a highly decorated senior master sergeant in the Air Force. I represent his voice when I write that he was extremely proud of all of the service members who worked under his leadership in Bomb Nav. He did not care about the backgrounds, the color and the gender of his soldiers. He cared that they loved the United States of America and that they were masters of their trade.
Because of my dad, his staff and thousands more like them, bombers could fly their missions, soldiers could come home and the United States of America stayed safe.
Articles about the Montford Point Marines and the Navajo code talkers remind us that the armed services are made of loyal men and women from every ethnicity, gender, religion and background.
We are living under this current administration and secretary of defense who seem determined to erase the history of the men and women who proudly served this country in every branch of the armed services. Many served without thanks. Many served without recognition. Many served without receiving jobs or benefits that were duly theirs after their service.
We cannot let their stories go untold. We cannot let veterans and their service be wiped from print or official websites.
Thank you for being the voice of so many.
— Patricia Kluzik, Elgin
Necessity of change
After reading the Tribune article “‘This is a Veterans Day like no other,’” I had to respond to how interconnected our struggles are. The Statue of Liberty has long been the first beacon of America’s light and hope, which guided my grandparents’ boat to shore. As a 74-year-old retired reading teacher, grandmother, and active supporter of peace and justice groups — including Veterans For Peace — I read the news with alarm. Mass deportations, militarization in our cities, and constant cuts to crucial programs such as food assistance, health care and education are shameful tarnishes to the legacy of that great statue and its values.
This systemic failure confirms the necessity of change. As my professional mantra states: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” As Jesus was forced to do to the money lenders in the temple, it’s time to turn the tables over and fulfill the promise of a “more perfect union.” Perhaps we all need to get into a little “good trouble.” For God’s sake, the Eucharist was not even allowed into the Broadview processing center!
The issue boils down to our priorities. When the national debt is staggering, we spend billions on border enforcement and trillions on military and nuclear weapons and yet allow billionaires to evade their fair share in taxes, the system is fundamentally broken. Even children grasp this absurdity; in a simple exercise of distributing “budgetary pennies” among education, health care, housing, environment and military, students consistently fund the first four and leave the military with little.
We must heed the call from groups such as About Face: Veterans Against the War. Take action: Call your representatives to enact comprehensive immigration reform, oppose troops in our streets and stand against authoritarianism.
It is high time to follow the Peace Alliance’s all-inclusive, simple demand: Give peace a bigger piece of the budgetary pie!
— Concetta Smart, Crete
Immigration in the US
In 1910 and later in 1914, my grandfather and grandmother were processed at Ellis Island. They were both from unstable Eastern European countries speaking different languages.
Like most immigrant families, my grandfather worked hard raising a family but hadn’t become a citizen. During the mid-1940s, much like today’s environment, my grandfather was rounded up for deportation. My father was an Army officer in Europe, preparing for the invasion, so his oldest sister fought and saved the day.
Three years later, my grandfather became a citizen. He was like most immigrants who came to our country after and in between wars: His priority was raising a family.
Immigration has always been a challenge for both the countries and the immigrants. Without immigrants, we wouldn’t be the most successful country in the world. But we could do a better job on handling it!
— Mike Krauss, Wayne, Illinois
Durbin lacks courage
Many have praised U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for his courage on his recent vote. I respectfully disagree. Durbin is not running for reelection. Didn’t anyone else notice Sen. Tammy Duckworth did not vote to reopen the government?
If Durbin had “courage,” he would have negotiated with the majority party. Durbin voted the way he did because he knew there would be no consequences which is hardly the definition of courage.
— Mitch Johnson, Western Springs
Honorable service
Thanks to the Tribune Editorial Board for the description of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin as an “honorable public servant” (“In defense of Dick Durbin, honorable public servant of our state,” Nov. 13).
Illinois has been graced with the services of this intelligent, thoughtful, good and honest man for many years, and our state has been the better for it. His qualities are not much on display on our national scene right now, and his recent vote has demonstrated again his ability to fairly deal with ambiguous situations, weighing the factors with an eye to public good, not political popularity.
— Patricia Groh, Wilmette
Note to readers: As part of our annual Thanksgiving tradition, we’d like to hear from you about what is making you feel thankful this year. (Sincere thoughts only, please.) Email us a letter of no more than 400 words by Sunday, Nov. 23 to letters@chicagotribune.com. Be sure to include your full name and your city/town and use the subject line “Thankful.”
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
