Every morning, I wake up and read the Tribune, hoping some other horrible thing hasn’t happened in our country. It was a breath of fresh air to get a good laugh from the chair of the Illinois Republican Party, Kathy Salvi, on Friday morning (“Give Illinois students choice”).
She said: “If Donald Trump and Republicans are for something, Illinois Democrats are against it, even when it helps our children and empowers our families.”
The Republicans did exactly that to President Barack Obama for eight years; they wrote the book on the block-everything tactic and continue to dismantle every good thing Obama did for the U.S. on a daily basis (goodbye, Obamacare; hello, war in Iran).
Good to see Salvi is continuing the longtime standard of Republican hypocrisy.
— Kirsten Vick, Glenview
Outrage is not evenly applied
Selective outrage: Two members of Congress resign after being accused of sexual misconduct. One presidential candidate was elected after being found liable for sexual abuse.
— Richard Barsanti, Western Springs
Trump redefines boundaries
Once again, President Donald Trump redefines the boundaries of ridiculousness.
Initially, Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself in papal white with a miter. When Pope Leo XIV expressed a Christian view that nations should pursue peace through negotiation instead of violence, Trump immediately went to his playbook and labeled the pope as “weak on crime.” He then doubled down, claiming that if he were not the president, Pope Leo XIV, an American, would never have been elected pope.
Trump also posted an AI image of himself in Jesus-type robes with the laying of hands to heal the sick. When blowback mounted, Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, chose to defend Trump, saying it was a misunderstood “joke.” Trump then said it was an image of him as a doctor, even though there is a woman plainly in prayer, with hands folded, looking up at Trump.
Seriously, just how stupid does he think most of us are? Not everyone who does not cow to him has a low IQ.
Maybe Trump should spend some of his time actually reading the Bible instead of just selling them.
— Tom Smoucha, Arlington Heights
Pope should clean own house
I’m disgusted with this feud the pope started with President Donald Trump. I’m a devout Catholic who has seen a lot of missteps with the leaders of the Catholic Church. From embezzlement to sexual crimes, the pope should worry about cleaning his own house before going into someone else’s house.
I’m very proud that we finally have a pope from the United States, let alone from the Chicago area, but he should worry about rebuilding the church, not about politics.
— Terry Cornell, Evergreen Park
No virtues will transform war
So boastful Catholic convert JD Vance appears to either ignore or reject the Catholic doctrine of “just war.” So be it.
But let me also suggest the following to President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President Vance, who continually praise the courage and ability of our armed forces in this Iran war — no amount of individual or communal sacrifice or bravery can transform an immoral, unjust war into a moral, just one.
— Bill Janulis, Wheaton
Hungary’s election offers hope
The people of Hungary are celebrating. The 16-year illiberal, undemocratic, authoritarian rule of Viktor Orbán is ending. Orbán and his Fidesz party became the template for Project 2025, Donald Trump’s second term and the current Republican Party.
Orbán’s autocratic rule, his takeover of the press and courts, and the corruption of his family and oligarchic friends became intolerable. Voters turned out in huge numbers to take their government back.
There is now hope for us as well.
— John Regan, Lemont
May the world forgive the US
How do we begin to ask the world’s forgiveness for the nightmare inflicted by the United States of America? Who could imagine this inane and destructive reality?!
To Canada and Greenland and so many others, forgive the insults you have had to bear. Your countries are stellar, respected and cherished by most Americans.
May our American court system survive to attempt to save our democracy. May humanity in the United States find a way to sustain itself as food, rent and emotional support are stripped away.
May the world know that Americans are ashamed and suffering and locked into despair and destruction, which now affects the world. We are going backward in time regarding the progress made by the most devoted humans throughout decades.
And now we are living with politicians who are destroying our country and the hope the United States has always inspired. Never before has the possibility of such ignorance, cruelty and destruction been possible in this form.
We ask the world’s forgiveness until we can save our country and offer you our respect once again.
— Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow, Chicago
We need more positive news
In these days of the news being nothing but doom and gloom and totally depressing, it was such a delight to see two stories of hope and promise on Tuesday. First was the arrival at Montrose Beach (“First piping plover sightings”) of Monty and Rose’s offspring and another plover to hopefully add to the family tree of piping plovers, which had 88 breeding pairs across the Great Lakes last year. What an incredible story of survival and people working together to make that happen. Good luck especially to Pippin, who is missing a foot, which makes him even more special (and handsome).
On the same day, in the Nation & World section, there was the gorgeous photo of Fatou from the Berlin Zoo, who is the zoo’s oldest resident and the world’s oldest gorilla in captivity. She was sporting a fabulous hairstyle while eating her beautiful 69th vegetable birthday cake. You go, girl!
Speaking of beautiful gorillas, let’s give a shout-out to Brookfield Zoo’s Binti Jua, who is 38 and made worldwide news in 1996 when a child fell into her Tropic World exhibit. She gently picked him up and brought him to zookeepers. We were thrilled to see her live to enjoy her new amazing outdoor great ape habitat, which opened last July (thank you to the very generous family who was the main donor for that exhibit). Stop by to see it and ask a guest guide or docent to point Binti out.
Speaking of guest guides and docents, thank you to those people who donate their time, often at their own expense. We truly appreciate them as they enrich our lives.
We need more stories and pictures like these to uplift our lives during these trying times, so thank you for printing those articles with photos.
— Karen S. Roseler, LaGrange
Flowering trees a spring treat
No sociopolitical venting today. Just this. As I was walking Thursday, I was reminded of the old Joyce Kilmer poem “Trees.” I will be so bold as to suggest a couplet he might have overlooked.
“A tree who may in springtime wear/ A crown of flowers in her hair.”
Such a period is all too brief here in the Midwest. For some trees, it is almost passed. But the crown has not yet slipped from all the crab trees, redbuds, magnolias and my personal favorite — the beautiful, and often overlooked, contorted, wind-sculpted native hawthorns. And others that I cannot name.
Take some time to look around and savor our brief springtime treat.
Remember: “Poems are made by fools like me./ But only God can make a tree.”
— R. Staneiak, Woodridge
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