Editorial Roundup: Illinois

Bloomington Pantagraph. September 25, 2021. Editorial: Jelani Day, family deserve answers Many people have already done their best for Jelani Day. For their sake and his, we must insist on coming to a conclusion about his story. The LaSalle County coroner Thursday identified Jelani Day as the deceased person whose body was found on the bank of the Illinois River on Sept. 4. The Illinois State University student was last seen on Aug, 24. The effort to find Day was widespread and extensive. The family reported him missing Aug, 25. Searches, including a gathering of 100-plus supporters at the Illinois State University Bone Student Center, were conducted. The case received national attention. One way to at least reduce some of the pain felt by Day’s family, friends and community is to find out exactly what happened to him. His car was found two days after he was reported missing. The vehicle, with Day’s clothes inside, is discovered in a wooded area in Peru, about 60 miles north of Bloomington. Investigators are understandably releasing few details at this point. A toxicology test is being done. Expressing ‘œthoughts and prayers’� in support to those in grief has the makings of a cliché we don’t hear. But it’s the best we can offer those in pain. We embrace the words of Day’s mother, Carmen Bolden Day, who post on Facebook her gratitude to ‘œevery single person who has thought about, prayed for, talked about and searched for Jelani. We love each and every one of you for making Jelani’s story personal.’� A family so caring deserves every answer it wants. ___ Champaign News-Gazette. September 24, 2021. Editorial: Emanuel’s past complicating ambassadorial nomination Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wanted to keep the top job in his city, but his unpopularity with Chicagoans made it impossible. He wanted to be U.S. Secretary of Transportation in the Biden administration, but his unpopularity with the super-progressives in the Democratic Party made it impossible. As a consolation prize, Biden has nominated Emanuel to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Japan, and he should win confirmation. But it’s not a sure thing, because the Democrats who didn’t like him before still don’t like him. Speaking for the hard-core left, party leader U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called Emanuel’s nomination ‘œdeeply shameful.’� It’s not easy to agree with Ocasio-Cortez on the issues, but she has a solid point here. It’s one that Democratic U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both prominent Emanuel supporters, will have to ignore when and if they eventually cast their expected ‘œyes’� votes for Emanuel. Ocasio-Cortez objects to Emanuel’s nomination, as do many others, because of the leading role he played in the attempted cover-up of the 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer. The mayor tried to push an out-of-court settlement with McDonald’s family quietly through the Chicago City Council. But he was found out. He resisted release of the shooting video until he was elected to his second term. Despite Emanuel’s best efforts, a judge ordered the video’s release, dooming his plans for a third term as mayor. For those who do not recall, the video revealed a horrific display of unjustifiable use of deadly force. McDonald was shot 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. It was not until after the video’s release that Van Dyke was charged in the case. Convicted of second-degree murder, he was sentenced to 81 months in prison. In a recent story about the controversial nomination, The Washington Post wrote charitably that Emanuel was criticized ‘œover his handling of the deadly shooting.’�