As director of sustainable practices at Shedd Aquarium, I am disappointed that for the second year in a row, shark is being served at Taste of Chicago. Nearly 50 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, meat and cartilage, and another 50 million are accidentally caught by fishery nets and hooks intended for other species. This adds up to about three sharks killed per second.
Shame on Ald. Tom Tunney of the 44th Ward, who claims that licensed street vendors are taking up too much room on the streets around Wrigley Field. Tunney said "it's a public safety issue." I have been going to the Friendly Confines since 1945, and street vendors are as much a part of the ambience as the ivy vines! If Tunney really cared about the safety of the fans, he would rescind the rights given to nearby bars and restaurants for sidewalk sitting areas. They take up far more room than the vendors and often cause fans to walk in the street, even on days and nights that the Cubs are not home!
There is no question that the killing of 9-year-old Chastity Turner was a tragedy. Nor is there a question that the blame or understanding of "why" goes beyond the arrest of the two young men accused of the shooting. As a parent, as a Chicagoan and as a member of the community I, too, am saddened and outraged that we live in a society where senseless killings have become routine and where young people increasingly feel that conflict can be resolved with a gun.
So let's see: One of the firefighters from New Haven, who has a learning disability, worked extra hard studying for the test and paid for tutoring help out of his own pocket in hopes of doing well enough to gain the promotion and related pay raise. He passes the test to qualify but does not get the promotion because the city did not like the results and was afraid of possible lawsuits from people who obviously did not work as hard. And for this man, according to Jesse Jackson, it is merely an "inconvenience." Incredible.
While Western countries are worried about the H1N1 (swine) flu, the Far East is still dealing with the bird flu, which was big news about a year ago.
The Chicago Public School system does not retain new teachers, nor does the administration value its veteran teachers ["CPS needs solutions to teacher turnover," June 29].
On Sunday, you ran two touching police stories several pages apart, but kind of related.
Interesting how the Chicago riot cops (aptly named) proudly claim "not one shot was fired," as if the demonstrators in Chicago of 1968 -- honestly trying to stop a war that was claiming up to 6,000 lives every week in Vietnam -- posed a threat to national security.
Amid the rhetoric and horror over doomsday state budgets and draconian cuts, I'd like to remind people that before the Senate adjourned, we passed a revenue package that would help Illinois achieve a balanced budget.
