I’m a retired educator who worked as an elementary and high school teacher for 10 years and a university teacher for 38 years. My career was part of an educational family heritage: My father and mother, as well as my maternal grandfather, were Milwaukee Public Schools teachers. At this early point in Donald Trump’s second presidency, I have a very specific plea to all teachers in the United States: No matter what your specific instructional responsibilities are, please consider the vital importance of nurturing the promise of democracy in your classroom.
At this critical point in our country’s history, I believe that the vast majority of Americans are counting on judges to safeguard our founding constitutional principles: rule of law, equal legal protection, free speech, fair elections and balance of power. While judges have these professional responsibilities, we educators have ours. In my view, it’s our job is to safeguard the promise of democracy in our classrooms through the practice of common-good conversations, civic compassion projects, creative-expressive affirmations and fair-minded deliberations.
And certainly, other educational experiences could be added to this democratic curriculum list. I was part of a 33-member “Liberty Torch” relay team that ran through the 48 contiguous states over 47 summer days to celebrate our country’s 1976 bicentennial anniversary. It was a joy celebrating our country’s 200th birthday in a vast number of small-town and large-city venues, including an event in Tribune Plaza. Republican President Gerald R. Ford formally acknowledged our relay run: “For two centuries our nation has grown, changed and flourished. A diverse people, drawn from all corners of the earth, have joined together to fulfill the promise of democracy. … As we lay the cornerstone of America’s Third Century, the very special part in this great national undertaking being performed by the Members of the Liberty Torch Bicentennial Group is most commendable.”
Here’s my question to all American teachers: If Ford were alive today, would he commend the way we educators are engaged in fulfilling the promise of democracy?
— James Henderson, Chicago
Push back on rollbacks
Thank you for Michael Hawthorne’s excellent article “As Trump dismantles EPA, Great Lakes states will suffer, experts say” (April 2). Republicans have had a proud history of enacting legislation that provided significant environmental protections, such as during the Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush eras. Those eras appear to be long gone as the current administration is threatening very damaging regulatory rollbacks on polluting industries. True conservatives recognize polluters should have to pay for the impacts of their pollution, as well their related health consequences. Otherwise, if this administration proceeds with its plans, polluting industries will be getting a pass to generate more pollution related to mercury, lead, “forever chemicals” and carbon pollution.
Recently, many people nationwide took to the streets to express a very wide variety of grievances with this new administration. It may be smarter to focus a spotlight initially on things that will impact our families’ health. What’s going on at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have a direct negative consequence on the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we consume.
Let Congress and the White House know your health shouldn’t be for sale to benefit industry lobbyists and corporate donors.
— Dorelle Ackerman, Mokena, Illinois
Protests make difference
I take offense, to put it mildly, to Laura Washington’s column of April 9 (“Dems must stop the chat and get to organizing”). And I’m also not pleased by most news media downplaying the number of protesters on Saturday. There were several million nationwide.
I and a huge number of others do not believe that raising our voices and “making good trouble” do not make a difference. How else are we to let our elected officials know how we, the voters, feel? We’re not paid to write for newspapers or expound on our views on television. Our gathering for these peaceful and noisy protests is telling our elected officials who don’t respond to us and fellow citizens who are apathetic or not paying attention that there is a huge serious problem we need to fix. And it energizes those of us who are sick to our stomachs with what is governing our beautiful country.
Washington is not the only person who deserves to be heard.
— Hope Delaware, Woodstock
Warmup for presidential run
There is but one answer behind U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s record 25-hour Senate rant. He’s laying the foundation for a presidential run in 2028.
He realizes the party has no one of presidential muster at this time, although the California and Pennsylvania governors have aspirations for the office. Kamala Harris is out of the picture. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s possible run for the office is considered to be a joke.
Booker’s Senate stunt was a means to portray himself as a great orator, a leader who is empathetic to the average individual disparaged by billionaire types and President Donald Trump. His first step is to establish a patriotic presidential image possessed of statesmanlike abilities along with a visceral understanding and knowledge of domestic and international affairs.
At least from a performance standpoint, Booker did just that during his Hollywood-style act qualifying him for a Screen Actors Guild card.
And so Booker’s grassroots 2028 presidential campaign to defend the “little guy” against the “heartless rich” was just launched two Mondays ago along the lines of his buddy Barack Obama’s 2008 theme of protecting the common person. In fact, it appears Booker will be the Democratic Party’s 2028 candidate for the office.
— Earl Beal, Terre Haute, Indiana
China skilled at endurance
Think China will simply back down in a tariff war with the U.S.? History suggests a different kind of resolve. Having navigated devastating famines, foreign invasions, civil conflicts and revolutionary periods, Chinese society has developed institutional approaches prioritizing long-term stability over immediate comfort.
While U.S. trade policies often shift with domestic politics, Beijing’s economic strategy maintains greater continuity. China’s structure also provides resilience: State-influenced enterprises absorb strategic losses, targeted subsidies support affected industries and domestic market initiatives offset export disruptions.
China’s current leadership likely views temporary economic adjustments as preferable to precedent-setting concessions, especially given the living memory of significant hardships in many Chinese communities, raising the bar for unacceptable economic pressure.
Considering the limited historical effectiveness of broad tariff strategies in rebalancing trade, policymakers might explore approaches that acknowledge complex historical contexts and seek pragmatic solutions. Ultimately, recognizing the diverse historical, political and cultural factors shaping economic decision-making across the Pacific is key.
— Matthew Tushman, Oak Park
How things stand now
China holds a threatening “live fire” exercise up close to Taiwan, while our weak secretary of state focuses on browbeating our allies in the European Union.
Russia feels the U.S. has given it tacit approval to continue destroying the cities, people and democratic institutions of Ukraine.
The security officials in our government can’t seem to manage the important and long-established protocols for protecting secret communications and the intelligence shared with us by others.
In Chicago and its suburbs, and in cities large and small across the country, citizens of every political stripe, color and persuasion flood the streets in response to the yet-to-be-fully-realized damage inflicted by an unelected, seemingly self-appointed Department of Government Efficiency czar.
While the man behind it all — the Fomenter-in-Chief — keeps his constituents apprised of his triumphs on the golf course.
I find it hard to comprehend. But despite the warnings and his publicly pronounced intentions beforehand, those who voted for the present regime and those who couldn’t be bothered to vote, know exactly how we got here.
— Michael P. Walsh, Chicago
Russia holds all the cards
Tribune foreign affairs columnist Daniel DePetris (“Vladimir Putin obstructs President Donald Trump’s best-laid plans for Ukraine,” April 8) nibbles around the edges of reality concerning the Russia-Ukraine war. His current take on the war suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin is sabotaging President Donald Trump’s best efforts to end the war quickly through negotiations in order to capture more Ukrainian territory.
But the reverse is true. The U.S., NATO and Ukraine are preventing the negotiations from achieving peace. Why? Because all of them refuse to accept the war will not end till they recognize and address Russia’s core interests: no NATO for Ukraine, neutrality for Ukraine going forward and an end to attacks on Russian-leaning Ukrainians in Donbas.
Putin is not feigning peace to stay on Trump’s good side merely to gobble up more Ukrainian territory. He’s simply not going to negotiate with adversaries who refuse to recognize Russia’s core interests. No peace agreement will occur in Trump’s first 100 days, nor even in his first 1,000 days, unless he accepts this reality of what it will take to end the war.
DePetris claims a frustrated Trump has but two options: ramping up the war with another multibillion-dollar weapons package to achieve victory or just walking away to saddle Europe with prosecuting it. Wrong. Trump has but one urgent task: Accept reality that Russia holds all the negotiating cards and will never cease hostilities till its core interests are addressed.
DePetris surely knows this. However, his career as a Defense Priorities fellow and a Tribune columnist is contingent upon never admitting or criticizing America’s role in provoking, if not starting, senseless wars and refusing to quickly, sensibly end them.
That is unfortunate for his readership. It is infinitely more unfortunate for the war-weary people of Ukraine.
— Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn
Suffering is unnecessary
I have worked my entire life, and I am watching my hard-earned efforts being drained because of one man’s ego. The president will not suffer in his retirement, but millions of Americans will. Yes, I am very angry. Yes, I will protest. Yes, I will vote. But I do not have the ear of the man who has caused so much suffering to his fellow citizens.
All of this pain was unnecessary and poorly executed. He is either a fool to begin with or being poorly advised. Either way, if you believe the lies that this will lead us to great wealth, then you are poorly advised as well.
President Donald Trump fiddles while Rome burns, and you will find yourself in ruins.
— Marla Cowan, Glenview
No longer the one who leads
The United States of America is no longer “the leader of the free world.” We have stopped leading, and the free world has stopped following.
— David Passman, Skokie
Gun control efforts reversed
The New York Times report in Wednesday’s Tribune on the current administration’s efforts affecting gun control (“US moves closer to ending ‘zero tolerance’ gun policy”) cites a rollback of efforts to strip federal licenses from gun dealers found to have repeatedly violated federal laws and regulations. Reporter Glenn Thrush points out that the requirement for background checks on private gun sales is likely to be reversed. Lethality-enhancing devices will no longer be banned. Even local government efforts to expose police violence (Los Angeles County} are being ordered to disband.
Are we all feeling safer now that gun dealers are not required to follow the law, criminals can get guns and other devices easily, and rogue police need not fear consequences?
Watch the violent crime rate rise unless people demand commonsense legislation now.
— Margaret Sents, Glenview
Making our voices heard
I wholeheartedly agree with Curt Fredrikson’s letter “It’s time to show up” (April 7). I attended my local protest and was stirred by the sheer number of demonstrators. On Saturday, we, as individuals and as one large unit, let our voices be heard and our feelings be known. I am skeptical as to whether Republicans are listening to us, but Democratic leaders are hearing us.
According to demonstration organizers, protests voicing opposition to the administration’s policies occurred in more than 1,400 locations across all 50 states. These drew up to an estimated 3 million participants nationwide. Mobilize.us is an excellent resource for locating events, petitions and volunteer opportunities. I attended this organization’s “Unhappy/Happy Hour” so that I could unpack the week’s news cycle and speak with informed individuals.
Another resource is 5calls.org. The website states, “Calling your congressperson is the most effective way to influence policy.” Let’s look to U.S. Sen. Cory Booker as our inspiration and make our voices heard.
— Moisette Sintov McNerney, Arlington Heights
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