Last of two parts The first part is available at thevoice.us/mothers-in-prison-rarely-see-their-children-families Mothers in prison aren’t likely to see their families this holiday season, or any other day. Jill McCorkel, professor of sociology and criminology, Villanova University in Philadelphia, submitted the following article to The Conversation. “Some caregivers and incarcerated parents
Abdelnasser Rashid, 30, announced his bid Sunday, Oct. 27 for Cook County Board of Review as an independent democrat in 2020. Rashid is the chief policy officer for Cook County assessor Fritz Kaegi. He ran for Cook County Commissioner office in 2018 and almost won. It was so close a
Rachel Ventura, a Progressive Democrat who is challenging incumbent, Bill Foster in Illinois’ 11th Congressional District filed nearly 4,700 signatures with the Illinois State Board of Elections prior to 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 25. Illinois has a rigorous ballot access process that involves collecting hundreds of signatures from district residents.
By James D. Nowlan Many of us sense our great Nation, that city upon a hill, is slipping down the slope, yet we’re not sure how to restrain the slide. Our democratic process is wonderful, yet not perfect. For example, frequent elections, combined with candidates who think the fate of
Thinking-out-loud department: • Donna Crane’s recent column about women in government in America got me to thinking deep thoughts. Here’s one thought to explain why there are such low numbers of women in government. Sociologically, the United States is stuck in the 19th Century. Men ruled the roost, and women
I Pledge Allegiance Bridget Butler Aurora I pledge allegiance to a flag divided right in two- Divided by the red and divided by the blue And to the Republic for which it stands- So long as our Republic does not come from foreign lands But we say we are one
By Mavis Bates I recently presented a workshop at a youth conference on the climate crisis. One of the handmade posters in the hallway read, “My therapist told me to speak my truth: I’m scared.” Yes, our young people are scared about the future and they want us grown-ups to
By John W. Whitehead Twenty years ago, a newspaper headline asked the question: “What’s the difference between a politician and a psychopath?” The answer, then and now, remains the same: None. There is no difference between psychopaths and politicians. Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked
Transplant surgeon and Army Reserve Colonel Dr. Gordon “Jay” Kinzler (R) announced this week his candidacy for Congress in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District. Just as he answered the call of duty to serve his country when he joined the military in 2007, he is answering the call of duty again
Last of two parts Part one can be found at thevoice.us/incumbents-in-congress-continue-with-unfair-advantage. Tommy Sowers, Missouri 8th Congressional District candidate, posted April 2010 an article entitled: “The Cancer of Incumbency.” The former special forces soldier left a leadership position at the VA (Veterans Affairs) where he served as assistant secretary of Public
First of two parts Has anyone ever heard of term limits? If you were working in a restaurant and the foods you were preparing no longer tasted good, you could experience a limited term of employment! That’s the idea and many voters in the U.S. think it’s about time we
The League of Women Voters of Illinois welcomes a new League in the Aurora area. This newly-formed chapter will serve the Aurora, North Aurora, Montgomery, Oswego, and surrounding areas and continue the League of Women Voters mission to encourage informed and active participation in government, work to increase understanding of
August 23, 2019Dear editor; The August 15 column by John Whitehead in The Voice, entitled, “Mass shootings can lead to government tyranny guise” was the worst type of fear-mongering and misdirection. He wrote, “In the midst of what feels like an epidemic of mass shootings, these gun confiscation laws, extreme
First of two parts The new five-part Netflix series “The Family,” directed by documentarian Jesse Moss, is streaming now. EJ Dickson of the Rolling Stone magazine submitted the following article: “From the Illuminati to the freemasons to QAnon, there’s no shortage of conspiracy theories trying to explain how power is
What if : The headlines read: “Trump Loses Re-Election Bid”? First of all, The Donald thy president would tweet like he’s never tweeted before. Twitterstorms would thunder forth hourly right up to January 20, 2021, Inauguration Day. He would claim, among other things, voter fraud on a colossal basis, no
August 14, 2019Dear editor; Okay, I give, I want to Make America Great Again. That’s why I’m voting Blue in 2020 for Democratic Party members with brains and morals who will act as a check on our corrupt and incompetent president and GOP-ruled Senate. See, I’m not anti-Donald Trump, I’m
August 16, 2019Dear editor; Regarding ‘A disagreement in detail on State law,’ letter in the August 15 issue of The Voice, I too was dismayed at news reports of governor JB Pritzker’s signing HB 246. Wayne Lela expressed his dismay in what I took as a religious viewpoint. At the
August 13, 2019Dear editor; So, now governor JB Pritzker signed a bill, House Bill 246, that will ensure students in Illinois public schools will learn about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, individuals in State and National history. Of course, there is no fair and balancing law which
Aurora mayor Richard C. Irvin joined more than 200 bipartisan mayors from across the Nation signing on to a letter from The United States Conference of Mayors to urge immediate action from the federal government on gun safety legislation. “Whether it is a horrific mass shooting or a teenager with
Last of two parts The NAACP (National Association of Colored People) gathered two weeks ago in Detroit for its annual convention. Lauren Gambino, based in Washington, D.C., wrote a piece for The Guardian Weekly. She wrote how the NAACP convention urged presidential hopefuls not to shy away from being against
