Letters: We must resist gangs
October 12, 2012 9:58PM
Updated: November 15, 2012 6:09AM
Do Chicago gangbangers seek to be No. 1 in criminal activity, because of domestic casualties? Gangbangers have no respect for their communities, due to possession of their “turf,” where in some cases, innocent victims end up dead or injured in their crossfire.
I presume Chicago would have a gang task force — at least to monitor their daily criminal activity by learning their hideouts to save innocent bystanders’ lives. If only these idiots — these criminals — would take their duels out of the city or go out at sundown like in the old Westerns.
In Joliet, during one recent city council meeting, ladies approached the podium with a complaint about the presence of gangbangers on their street. They called the police at various times, to no avail. No police were sent to investigate, because of lack of funds and the economy. Perhaps they didn’t care. This was the impression the ladies got.
They also stated that police should patrol high-density gang areas. Of course, they are afraid of retaliation from gangs. These families are defenseless.
Is the city of Joliet equipped with a gang task force? If so, is it doing its job in monitoring gang activity? Or are they relying on citizens to be their eyes and ears?
If violence continues, we might have to have family members become vigilantes, armed to protect our families. We are taxpayers and demand more patroling in areas infested by gangs.
If the governor passes the concealed-carry gun law, we can defend our families and ourselves. If no action is taken, we can have a mass protest. Who do the gangbangers think they are? They think they own the streets, but taxpayers own them.
Felipe “Phil” Garcia
Joliet
Ryan’s war against women
A pine cone is not a tree, but Paul Ryan is sponsoring a national “personhood” bill declaring a fertilized egg to be a human being. Even the conservative state of Mississippi said a big “no” during a 2011 referendum.
The bill would criminalize women who use hormonal birth control and IUDs, whether it’s for reproductive or health reasons. This insanity shows Ryan’s “war on women” is real.
Ryan is one of those radical Republicans, including tea-baggers — who ruined our national credit rating — and the religious right who expect women to be barefoot and pregnant. How can families stay financially afloat when their health and reproductive opportunities are dragged backward? Big families are unaffordable unless you are wealthy like Romney and Ryan.
I don’t hear Ryan laying any reproductive responsibilities on men. He cosponsored HR-3 with Todd Aikin to redefine rape as though women cannot be trusted. And when the U.S. Census declares that more than 32,000 pregnancies each year result from rape, it’s clear that Ryan and Aiken don’t have a clue about women, rape and pregnancy.
Republicans never proposed a single jobs bill, but introduced hundreds to restrict women’s reproductive rights. They also voted to increase funds for millionaires while reducing funds for poor children. No wonder there is a growing trends of women crossing into Mexico to obtain abortion-inducing medication.
Ryan is big government poking its nose into our most personal affairs by spying in our bedrooms and monitoring every pregnancy. Jesus fed the poor and healed the sick but refused to condemn adulterers. Ryan has it the other way around and, thus, does not represent Christian values. The Catholic Church agrees, declaring Ryan’s budget immoral because it removes much-needed help for the poor.
Gloria Weidner
Wilmington
On the road again
I was one of the people who got tainted gas in my care in the middle of August. I want to thank Mike and his crew at D’Arcy Volkswagen for their care and concern in finding the problem.
I would also like to thank Cindy Compire from BP for helping me to find the necessary papers to send in. I received my settlement in less than a month. Thanks, BP.
Gloria Hritz
Joliet
