Dismissing 'cheap talk' a cheap shot

The last line of Kristin McQueary's July 17 op ed 'The anti Rahm rumbles on the South Side' caught my eye: "We’ll see. Talk — even when shouted at protests — is cheap." She was referring to the shouts of protesters over the Harith Augusting police shooting last Saturday that elevated the shooting response to a violent confrontation between protesters and police. I understand McQueary was only making the political point in her piece that blacks routinely criticize Mayor Emanuel over police shootings and lack of community investment but re-elect him at voting time, and that may well happen again next year.

But to call protests, whether they echo at the planned Dan Ryan shutdown march, or crackle spontaneously in the violent streets bordering the Augustus shooting, cheap, is highly insensitive and insulting. They are cries of people left behind to wallow in third world pockets of poverty and despair, largely ignored by the federal, state and local governments in the 153 years since America's shame of slavery ended. I mourn from my perch of white privilege and comfort how all branches of our government turn away from the continuing shame that legacy left to devote governmental resources to widening the divide between those of privilege and those without. The protesters' voices are not cheap. It's the tone deaf characterization of McQueary and company that are not only cheap, they're a cheap shot.

DuPage Election Commission bill signing photo op missing key contributor

This Monday, Governor Rauner will do a photo op bill signing with DuPage County Board Chair Dan Cronin to abolish the DuPage Election Commission. One person will be conspicuously absent from the signing. She is Jean Kaczmarek of Glen Ellyn, Democratic candidate for DuPage County Clerk. Jean epitomizes good civic duty, having spent the last ten years working independently to highlight inefficiencies in the DuPage Clerk's office and need for it to absorb Election Commission duties, providing better voter services at less cost. Jean's tireless efforts have paid off with one major oversight: Jean's decade long contributions keeping this issue public have been totally ignored by the Republican governor and county board chair, allowing them to hog all the credit. Jean Kaczmarek must not go unrecognized for her contributions to good governance in DuPage County. We would all benefit if our elected officials would model their governance on her dedication and perseverance. Voters can recognize Jean's efforts by electing her DuPage County Clerk, November 6.