Last week my son walked away from his teaching career to manage valet parking services at a hospital, so the headline: “Illinois still suffers shortage of teachers,” on the front page of the March 28 issue of The Voice, caught my eye. With many friends and family members who are...
The expulsion and reinstatement of Tennessee House of Representatives members, Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, becomes more troubling the more we learn. Sure, I understand the importance of following protocol in legislative sessions. Pearson, Jones, and Gloria Johnson, should not have approached the podium during a session without being recognized....
In the November 24 issue of The Voice, David Hoehne wrote a letter to the editor challenging John and Nisha Whitehead’s “apparent elevation of Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group as an icon of free speech or First Amendment rights.” I want to thank him for that...
Many of The Voice readers know the name Diane Nilan, formerly of Hesed House, who has spent the years since her tenure there bringing attention to the problem of homelessness across the country. A name you might not recognize is the name of another unsung hero, Pat Van Doren. Pat,...
Many voters, such as I, make their best efforts to cast an informed, researched, ballot. If you are filling out a mail-in ballot, it’s easy to know which candidates and referenda need to be the subject of your research. But if you are casting your ballot in person in Kane...
Maybe you’ve wondered what is going on when you’ve watched teachers, or airline pilots on the picket line recently, or noted the narrowly-averted strike last week of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. There are two fairly simple reasons: • Reasonable days off; The Locomotive Engineers who nearly walked...
August 4, 2022Dear editor; In the June 30 edition of The Voice, Deena Sherman wrote “Change in Roe v. Wade requires understanding and action.” She mentions “The God of the Christian Faith does not work through the law, but through the Gospel of salvation through grace.” God does deal with...
I love it when Aurora is on the cutting edge of something great. A few weeks ago I met Norma Peterson at the Farmers Market in Aurora. She is the sister-in-law of the infamous Drew Peterson and has devoted her life to helping those who are victims of domestic abuse....
Friday of last week there was a seismic change in United States law because the 50 year old Roe v. Wade ruling, guaranteeing access to safe and legal abortion, was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. There were cheers from everyone who has been fighting for this moment for years,...
There was a celebration of the life of Wayne (Red) Kaufman Sunday, May 1 at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora. The beloved Aurora barber, who served the community for 63 years, was remembered by his family and friends who could not gather when Red died of COVID-19 at the height...
You probably have heard discussions on various newscasts about how differently Americans are reacting to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. With refugees from Syria, Central America, or Afghanistan, opinions varied widely in the United States about how much we should help. For refugees coming over our southern border, there has been...
I have been a lifelong hockey fan. From playing pond hockey and listening to the newly franchised Buffalo Sabres on WGR in the early 1970s, to sitting in the United Center in Chicago cheering on my adopted Chicago Blackhawks, I have loved the game for as long as I can...
Homelessness is one of those subjects no one really wants to talk about. It’s not as salacious as a crime story, or as fertile ground for heated partisan debate, as many other topics in the news, which is why it is seldom in the news at all. Consequently, it’s seldom...
There was a day when I lost sleep over debates about things such as politics, religion, and grammar. I once believed it was important to try and persuade everyone to see things as I did. That was back when debates were generally civil and the majority of participants actually listened...
We have grown accustomed to watching young women and little girls, in uniforms that expose their bottoms similar to ill-fitting undergarments, flip through the air at international gymnastics competitions. They make it look effortless, so we forget the cost. That is, until someone with the clout of Simone Biles reminds...
By Matt KruszewskiAurora In the June 24 issue of The Voice (thevoice.us/another-christian-church-chapter-evolves-on-its-role), Deena Sherman asks questions of the Roman Catholic Church in holding sacraments hostage when the sacraments are sought by those judged to have committed certain specific sins. However, it is not the role of priests and bishops to...
There has been talk recently about whether president Joe Biden should be denied the sacraments of the Roman Catholic (RC) Church for his stance on allowing women to choose to end their own pregnancies. The RC Church officially teaches that abortion is murder, and excommunication should be automatic. The funny...
Although COVID-19 has not caused the predicted baby boom, it instead has created a pet boom. With many individuals confined to more time at home they’re looking to adopt pets, so demand has led to an increase of pet-breeding. In an attempt to prompt empty shelters, rather than support the...
I always have liked State representative Stephanie Kifowit (84th State House District 84 in parts of Aurora, Montgomery, Naperville, Oswego), but she recently raised herself even further in my estimation. I watched as she played a substantial role in ending Mike Madigan’s long tenure as speaker of the House in...
I learned belatedly that my friend, Wayne “Red” Kaufman, had died of COVID-19. Saddened, I drove to the West Plaza Barbershop in Aurora to talk with Ed Bunce, one of Kaufman’s original partners, and Carlos Martinez, the current owner of the shop. Because I was the only patron at lunchtime,...
