Fatigue, possibly, however, the demand continues to be said: Democracy depends on many components, and one important element is voting, taken seriously.
In Illinois we started with early voting. Tuesday, Nov. 8 will be the last day to vote in person.
Voting is important and does count!
• We are in charge of our destinies to a point and must be compelled to take charge of our participation in democracy. We must make an effort to continue to be involved, especially when it may look bleak. Stay engaged. Make an effort!
• November 11 is Veterans Day, a reminder of the military veterans of all stripes who stayed engaged when serving, whether in popular or unpopular military duty. We can learn from their dedication of a wide variety. There is a salute on the back page this week. Keep it in your hearts and minds.
• First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton will celebrate Veterans Day, all day Friday, Nov. 11 with many activities and programs. Many communities take the opportunity to hold Veterans Day observances. Meaningful is varied in a wide range as in a democracy contains variations.
• Retired chief of police in Aurora, Kristen Ziman, will make a visit Tuesday, Nov. 8 to the Aurora Historical Society in a book-signing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. of her Remembering Blue recollection.
• Naperville city government is making an effort to be inclusive by introducing a series of events called Emrace Naperville. It means a year of learning. There is open invitation to attend the first Embrace Naperville: Empowering our Mission Through a year of Learning. at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Nov. 10 in the City Council Chambers at the Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street in Naperville. The event will include a keynote talk from Claire Babineaux-Fontnot, CEO of Feeding America, and a breakout session led by Nader Najjar, executive director of educational equity in Indian Prairie School District 204. Registration is required for the free event. Details and a link to register are at naperville.il.us/embracenaperville. Naperville’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) manager, Dr. Geneace Williams is leading the embrace Naperville series as part of her three-part listening, learning, and leveraging framework.
• The Naperville Police Department is a partner with Cassidy Tire & Service, 1580 W. Ogden Avenue, Naperville, on a catalytic converter theft deterrent even from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, Nov. 13. During the free Tat-a-Cat event, participants who register will be assisted by Cassidy employees in using high-temperature automotive exhaust spray paint to paint a unique ID number on the vehicles’ catalytic converters. The catalyticconverter is part of the vehicle’s exhaust system and contains precious metals such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium which thieves steal for cash.
• Clarity is best in expression from preferred phrases to correct word-usage to precise pronunciation. We all can do it with understanding, effort, and practice. Carelessness should be avoided. Emphasis on language remains diminished as a prevailing attitude in our country and has been for many historical and cultural reasons. We can do better without embarrassment or condescension. For example: We should use community instead of nondescript local; stay away from saying or writing, a number of, when seeking to be exact in a numerical value or larger description, with many or few; avoid partnering and instead use partnership or partner; we offer honor instead of recognize because recognize in a salute indicates a person otherwise would not be seen or recognized and honor is fully-comprehended as a distinct salute; using the word on is only correct when it is a pencil on the table and not doing something on Thursday, instead doing something Thursday. Perhaps a few more examples can be helpful which are minor in the long view, not life-shattering, and non-historical, however, helpful. Would pronunciation assistance be useful? One person on television recently shrugged when pressed on pronunciation of the word data, as in day-ta instead of dat-ta. He simply said, “potato or potahtto.” Wrong. It matters. Day-ta for data is correct. Dat-ta is dead end.