We’re all different shades of brown

I’m compelled. I have to say it: All lives matter!

We are all created equal and we are one race, the human race. Unfortunately, racism has been created and appropriated by man. On the inside we are all the same — all humans have red blood, a heart, arteries, bones, muscles, brains, veins, etc.

The wonderful reality is that, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” (I Sam 16:7) which is the center of our character and being.

It is not just an issue of being white or black; although people are judged by the brown pigment in their skin, we are all shades of brown. My grandchildren are a beautiful shade of light brown, their parents ashen white and dark brown. As Martin Luther King indicated in his famous speech, how wrong it is to judge peoples’ character and actions by the color of their skin.

Therefore, it has always saddened me when humans are classified by their ancestry, culture or country of origin. Why don’t we say Swedish-Americans-that’s me, Indian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Korean-Americans, Bolivian-Americans, South American-Americans, etc.? Why do we classify shades of brown as African-Americans and make color an issue?

We are all Americans — one human race; all different shades of brown.

Marge Hamberg

Huntley

Still time to slow down climate change

I am afraid of the recent hot weather and then the news that the world set new record temps, not once but twice. One weather incident does not confirm “climate change,” but the trends are clear, as well as 25 to 30 percent of extreme weather events due to increased temps.

Recent surveys show 70 percent of Americans know climate change is in part due to human activity; we are currently putting 10 trillion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. We are seeing the results of this.

But there is hope, which comes from solutions out there just ready to be used by all.

Some require spending money on energy efficiency with new furnaces or air conditioning, or a solar roof, LED lights, a hybrid car or better yet, an EV car.

Big changes are also needed because of the short time left to reduce the problems before there is a tipping point.

If we enact a carbon fee on coal, oil and gas industries at the source, we can reduce GHG 50 percent by 2030, and if we return 100 percent of the money to all of us, then people can buy renewables, energy efficient appliances, and even hybrid/EV cars.

We are asking Sen. Kirk and Sen. Durbin, who is very environmental, and the representatives to Congress, Hultgren, Roskam, Foster, Duckworth and others to pass carbon fee legislation to slow down climate changes while there is still a time left to make changes.

This would create more jobs in renewable industries, level the playing field in the energy sector, and push us towards a 50 percent solution to the climate crisis. Legislation is underway to fix HFC pollution, like the ozone problem.

Sandy Kaptain

Chairwoman, Elgin Green Groups350.org

Why you should read Hillary’s book

In 1996, Hillary Rodham Clinton published the book, “It Takes a Village.” As the mother of an eight-year-old son I picked up the book, read it beginning to end and it inspired me to further get involved with our community, volunteering in our local school

My eyes were opened to see children in need and reaching out to those children who need extra encouragement. Her book inspires me to this day to volunteer and encourage others to do so in our community and beyond to help children achieve their potential. Without feeling safe and being fed creates a huge roadblock in a child’s ability to learn.

We the people can come up with ways to volunteer to make a difference. Hillary’s work at the Children’s Defense Fund and the writing of this book jarred those who read it to reflect on this and work to do something about it.

As Michelle Obama pointed out in her speech at the Democratic National Convention the future we build is for our children.

How we view the needs of all children and get involved does make a difference, maybe one child at a time, maybe more.

What we say and do is observed by children and acted out in their own lives. We need positive role models who set the tone of our country, who can inspire and lead with strength, determination and civility.

I encourage anyone who wants to see a real picture of who Hillary is at her core to read her book, or at least think about the title. It may help you see who she really is, and even more, reach out to a child.

Roberta Wheatley

Glen Ellyn

Mainstream media replete with bias

The mainstream media in the U.S. is so biased they often don’t tell legitimate news stories that cast a negative light, or the truth about liberals.

ABC, NBC and CBS morning news shows are replete with liberals and ultra liberals. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos is a political hack and a financial contributor to the Clintons. You would have to search far and wide to find a more ultra liberal than Matt Lauer on NBC. And of course CBS has their liberal lineup led by Gail King and her liberal companions.

Collectively they never question a liberal, excuse me, they now like to call themselves Progressives. They never vetted Obama and we were stuck with him for eight years now.

Who asked about his college transcripts or associates in his early working years as a community organizer.

What did Obama study in college? What do his former classmates and professors have to say about him?

Now they are going to do the same with Hillary.

All softball questions. Nothing about her failed bar exams or being fired from a D.C. law firm. Nothing about her difficult relationship with the truth.

Now I know all of you liberals and progressives out there are going to say what about Fox News. Fox is as conservative as CNN is liberal. Only nobody watches CNN.

So you have three main stream media outlets, each with a biased agenda for most of the U.S. to get their news. Wake up America. Challenge what they say and research the facts.

This election will impact our lives for the next 50 years. Do we really want a liberal bias telling us what to think and how to vote? Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America, is crying in his grave.

Doug Eden

St. Charles

Did Dann nod off during Hillary movie?

Dann Gire, I’m so sorry you missed “Hillary’s America.” I saw it recently, in spite of your “pits” review, and found it absolutely enthralling! I respectfully submit that you either fell asleep during the screening, or that you were expecting, from the movie’s name, to see a political propaganda film produced by Hillary.

You really owe it to yourself and to your readers to take another look at “Hillary’s America”.

Marvin A. Schulgen

Lombard

Questions we must ask about abortion

Prior to the 1900s, complications of pregnancy and childbirth were a large part of the reason that average female life expectancy was only 28 years. A lot of women died from pregnancy and childbirth.

In the 1900s, procedures for abortions to save women’s lives were an important part of lengthening female life expectancy.

Prior to the mid-1970s, pro-life abortions of medical necessity, as well as D&C procedures for women who had been raped, were legally performed in hospitals by trained doctors.

Only elective abortions were illegal and were performed by criminal practitioners without medical training in dirty secret rooms with crude, often homemade, instruments such as coat hangers.

Criminal practitioners caused many women to suffer permanent injury or death. The decision to legalize elective abortions was not entirely about women’s right to choose. An important reason was to remove elective abortions from organized crime and put them in the hands of trained doctors in proper clinics, which happened very quickly.

In that sense, it was an anti-crime and pro-life decision. The huge increase in demand for elective abortions that followed was not anticipated.

Before banning abortion, two questions should be considered. Some pregnancies are nonviable and will kill the woman and baby. Is it right to ban lifesaving abortions that have always been legal?

Elective abortion is an ugly thing, but changes in law will not eliminate the demand for it nor prevent it from happening.

Do we wish to hand elective abortions back to criminals who will resurrect a very deadly illegal industry?

The only good answer is education with personal responsibility and self-control to eliminate unwanted pregnancies.

Unfortunately, Nature fights against that and many do not want or may be incapable of the hard path.

Rich Lorimer

Streamwood

A message for Hillary and friends

I have a message for Hillary Clinton and her friends — the glass ceiling is imaginary. Gravity is real.

George Kocan

Warrenville

Blaming the wrong cause for killings

According to the Daily Herald, 70 individuals lost their lives to violence in Chicago in June and only 65 individuals lost their lives in July. Based on the administration this is a great achievement, especially considering the fact that the relationship between the community and the police is improving.

It’s a sad commentary when five fewer individuals killed is considered a success and it’s measured based on the relationship between the community and the police. Of the 65 lost lives, one was killed by police officers.

The others were black on black crimes.

The media concentrated its effort was on the killing of the car thief and never mentioned how the others were killed.

The media would have us believe that the police are the evil people and not the drug dealers and gang bangers,

Since the problem is not placed on the culpable, it Will never be solved.

Silvio Pontarelli

Mount Prospect