Orientation, Opinions, Optics!
Often it is difficult to understand other individuals who are not in alignment with our way of thinking. Patience, perseverance, philosophical, often lead to accommodation, if not understanding.
The Voice provides an opportunity for anyone to express a way of thinking without offering approval or disapproval. The First Amendment is what often separates other countries from the enlightenment of those 18th Century thinkers in the American colonies and early years of the fledgling United States. It is not that the U.S. is always correct, however, it is the respect for the principles of the First Amendment that is important.
Although current thought in most quarters of the U.S. correctly accuses the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, for heinous crimes in Ukraine, built into the fabric of the Russian mentality is a lack of First Amendment. There is no respect for different opinions. Putin offers his will to prevail and will offer only disdain, or worse, to anyone who dishes up dissent.
The U.S. press and media often can be wrong, improperly presumptive, missing their respect for disagreeing individuals, however, a respect for the First Amendment is instilled into the psyche of most members of the media.
Indeed, there is no overt control of the media in the U.S., including television so-called news that is imbued by Russian government television. There is only one point of view on Russian television, sadly. When will the staggering number of Russian soldiers’ bodies tip the scale to significant dissent in Russia that will offer hope and change? Is it possible it may never arrive?
• Meanwhile, in The Voice, lack of space to accommodate all of the voices with information continues. We are forced to leave out many items that should be included. Therefore, we offer items in the space of relevance and importance:
• The largest food drive in the U.S. will be Saturday, May 14 when the National Association of Letter Carriers will pick up food at the mail destination of each household. Ample donations may be brought to the hometown post offices. Bags of non-perishables will be picked up by volunteers to supplement the letter carriers who deliver the mail. It is a dedicated service that was started in 1983 and soon will reach 40 years of service. Be thoughtful, helpful, charitable, to those who require food assistance. Unfortunately it is the tip of the iceberg which is somewhat invisible. We all can at least do a little to help. Or, more than a little.
•The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners have formed a relationship with the St. Charles Public Library for a unique plant sale featuring historic Inciari paste tomato. Tomato plants will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 14, at the Kane County extension office, 535 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. Approximately 200 plants will be available with sale on a fist-come, first-served basis. The tranplanta cost $14. each.
• The 17th annual Aurora Health Festival will be from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue in Aurora. The public is invited. Parking and admission are free of charge. COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots will be available for both children and adults.
• The Montgomery Village Board, staff representatives, government leaders, and the general contractors gathered in the evening Monday, May 9 to perform the official ground-breaking of the new 75,304-foot square-foot facility which is viewed in Montgomery as the long-awaited and necessary upgrade for the community. The new building is adjacent to the current Public Works Building built in 1974 and expanded in 1990 to accommodate water treatment. Montgomery’s population has more than doubled in size since 2000. It has surpassed 20,000. The completion date of the project is expected to be March 2023.
• Golf note: The Father George Glover Memorial Golf Outing will be Friday, June 10 and is presented by St. Peter Church in Aurora which will help raise visibility and funds for St. Peter Church! The fee is $95. with registration at 2:30 p.m. followed by dinner, awards, and raffles at O’Malley’s Pub and Eatery in Aurora.
• The Aurora Farmers Market will open the first Saturday in June. Every Saturday, June 4 through Saturday, Oct. 8, the State’s oldest farmer’s market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon, 65 S. Water Street.