Daley's agenda
is anti-gun,
not anti-crime
Burney Simpson's April
column on Mayor Daley's
"anti-gun campaign" was
accurately titled (see page 6).
Daley's legislative agenda is
anti-gun, not anti-crime.
Even without Daley's admission
— "If it was up to me, nobody
would have guns" (except YOUR
bodyguards, right Dick?) — the
truth would be hard to hide.
Nobody is dumb enough to believe
Chicago, with very strict gun laws,
has serious crime problems because
guns are being sent in from areas
that mysteriously (at least to Daley,
[U.S. Sen. Richard] Durbin and
[U.S. Rep. Rod] Blagojevich) have
lax gun laws and fewer problems
with crime.
The facts are Chicago has a
serious gang and drug problem.
Chicago has allowed gangs and
drug dealers to spread to other
cities throughout the state. Chicago
has infected the entire state
with its crime plague. Just ask
your local police or read
your local paper about
Chicago ties to gang
violence and drugs in your
community.
Let's do something sensible for a
change: Sue Chicago for exporting
crime and criminals. Then use the
money to train and arm Illinois
citizens against transplanted Chicago
drug lords and gang members.
Gary L. Larson
Decatur
Third airport is
not 'smart growth'
In the March issue, your article on
smart growth (see page 20) made for
good reading. The quote attributed to
Gov. George Ryan — "Illinois is home
to some of the richest farmland in the
world, but this irreplaceable resource
increasingly is being used to build new
shopping malls, factories and housing
developments instead of growing
crops" — struck an ironic chord.
I couldn't agree more with Gov.
Ryan on farmland being irreplaceable
but the governor should have added
one more item to his list of farmland
encroachments with that being the
proposed Third (Chicago metro)
Airport.
Janet M. Jares
Monee Township Trustee
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