Kudos to Neil Steinberg on his happy and heartwarming column written as a letter to Pope Leo XIV. I would also like to offer my prayers and well wishes to Neil's sister, Debbie. She sounds like an amazing individual, and I hope she continues to fight her illness with the bravery and determination that she’s exhibited.
I recently went in to have a spot removed from my kidney. During the operation, my surgeon discovered the growth to be an aggressive Stage 3 clear cell cancer, and the entire left kidney needed to be removed. Though I had been alerted by my surgeon that this could happen, the aftermath was a bit jarring. My family and my doctors from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital have been so supportive and upbeat, that my recovery has gone very well.
I agree with proverb “a cheerful heart is good medicine.” I would also add that “a cheerful heart is good medicine" for healthy people too. I have tried living my life with a positive attitude and a sense of humor. I’ve always believed that stress kills, so being happy works well for me. I truly believe I’m a very fortunate man. My latest health ordeal was a slight setback for this recent retiree; but there are far more many people who are suffering and struggling more than me.
Rick Kalin, Belmont Heights
It's now clearly in the open. There's no doubt President Donald Trump is actively aiding and abetting Russia — no ally of the United States — by purchasing Russian diesel fuel, delaying or denying Ukraine Starshield and Starlink intelligence, canceling or delaying sanctions approved by Congress to put pressure on Russia to stem or stop its continued aggression against Ukraine.
Russia, by providing arms and intelligence to Iran, has enabled it to attack U.S. bases in the Middle East, resulting in the death of American personnel and billions in damage to U.S. assets.
One can only conclude that these acts of treachery are the actions of Trump working as an agent of Russia. The spineless Republicans have ample justification to impeach Trump on charges of treason. It's time for action. Congress cannot allow these actions to continue without consequences.
Stephen M. Morris, Lincoln Park
As an elderly Caucasian and lifelong Chicagoan, it always staggers and stuns me the way the wealthy play the working class to serve their ends. Private charter school profiteers haven't been this excited since Rahm Emanuel did their bidding and closed public schools. The destruction of public education has been a long-term goal of the wealthy, resulting in the "CTU Derangement Syndrome" that is the driving force behind all their efforts. It's a standard neoliberal scam: Privatize the profit and socialize the cost.
Let's face it. A predominantly Black-and-women-run Chicago Teachers Union fills the elite white power class with abject fear.
Edward David Juillard, Morgan Park
