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Illinois

* What’s going on today? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

posted by Isabel Miller
Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 7:41 am

Comments

Congrats to the Hawks on their great luck and drawing the first pick of the draft, and likely selecting a rare phenom, Connor Bedard.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 8:29 am
Good morning,

I’m back in the Land of Lincoln and very glad to be.

Spending time “south” means Waffle House and other things I enjoy, but where this becomes Illinois-centric is the fact while I was out of state I was around folks from “all over” and the comparisons can’t help to be discussed.

“Opposite Land” is indeed the far right, almost embraced by those same folks, as they look at Illinois through Cable News talking points, but what is surprising (not really, but…) is women, young women (under 28) and the higher educated look at these southern states far different than what we even see Illinois.

What is attracting young folks back is as always, jobs, even as those erroneously harp on “high unemployment” while in the same breath complain there’s not enough workers for their preferred services. Young folks are looking to safe places like Illinois, and Chicago, while having real concerns about crime, urban plight (homelessness especially) but see Chicago/Illinois as “safer” in rights, and more welcoming to diversity, as the phony smiles and fake hospitality in the “south of today” masks so much of what is not welcomed, and the more comfortable those living south feel, they’ll tell you “what we don’t accept”

My point in this anecdotal comment is that we here need to stop running down our great state as others sincerely look for beacons of humanity towards human rights, women’s equal rights, the opportunities to flee hatred, real hatred others now feel empowered and embolden to not only say aloud but act on towards others.

While reading the blog yesterday Rich, who moderates this place unmatched by any blog, bar none, those empowered and emboldened commented in ways that 10, 8 years ago, folks never would’ve typed, but now “must own” someone by the real vile hatred these commenters want normalized. If one thinks anything is ruined by pointing out the worst in people who feel normalizing hate are banned, there are places in the “south”, real places, not tourists places, where you can feel “safe as a snowflake”

In the end, “Illinois”…

There are two sides.

Nuance to allow hate or vile thinking is for the cowardly that won’t face the dire reality that diminishing rights and freedoms is already happening, and weakening laws for guns is well on its way. Illinois is a wall that needs care, not dismantlement.

Stop “both sides”, argue fiercely for Illinois like it matters, because it does

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 8:37 am
Southern Illinois Honor Flight is in DC today, and there is a grand welcome home party planned for them tonight.

Comment by Vote Quimby Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 8:51 am
Keen insights, OW. Very keen indeed. Thank you for your wisdom.

Comment by H-W Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:01 am
Two thoughts: (1) Dylan has ceased to be a top flight pitcher. (2) The Sox will never reach .500 this season.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:03 am
(Tips cap to - H-W -)

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:21 am
the Ethan Katz era must end. the entire pitching staff is a problem, not just Gio or Cease of late. where’s Coop?

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:23 am
===the Ethan Katz era must end===

Nah. The Jerry Reinsdorf era must end.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:24 am
=Nah. The Jerry Reinsdorf era must end.=
tick toc

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:37 am
go cards

Comment by flea Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:41 am
WAtch for Will Smith, 18, out of Boston during NHL draft. Not only an amazing hockey player he is the grandson of Retired Rep. Patti Bellock. Kid is going far.

Comment by Forgotten one Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:46 am
Holding out Illinois as a model for the nation?

That’s unreal.

Comment by Gravitas Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:51 am
===That’s unreal===

lol

Sorry your raison d’etre has been ruined.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 9:54 am
59 - Real SOX, Real Fans, Real Beer, Real Buicks…

https://www.chicagotribune.com/visuals/vintage/chi-140910-flashback-59-go-go-white-sox-pictures-photogallery.html

Comment by Red Ketcher Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:00 am
Maybe our leaders in Springfield can wrap their heads around the reasons why population is exploding in “opposite lands” and not here, and do what they can to reverse these trends instead of denying the trend.

So many flashing red lights, Chrysler plant, Guggenheim etc. and so little change of course.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:05 am
19-41 expansion cost is $380 million, not $280 million. Budget negotiations ought to be a doozy this year!!

Comment by Born in the Shadows Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:06 am
Took the L to the Loop for dinner with friends on Friday, was early so walked around, walked on the riverwalk, up and down State Street, back to River north for dinner. Took the L home.

On Sunday took a walk along the lakefront - the beach was crowded and teenaged boys actually went in. I got my feet wet.

Illinois - Chicago is glorious.

Comment by Banish Misfortune Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:07 am
Taken together, the White Sox, Cubs and Cardinals are a combined 41-66. Gotta love the Midwest.

Comment by H-W Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:09 am
===Maybe our leaders in Springfield can wrap their heads around the reasons why population is exploding in “opposite lands” and not here, and do what they can to reverse these trends instead of denying the trend.===

Denying women’s rights and making weapons easier to purchase ain’t the answer.

Corporate greed to ease in their own profits while union denying or busting isn’t how Illinois “runs its railroad”

While you support denying women their rights to their bodies, and while you endorse less gun control, less organized labor, greater corporate profits, “child” labor, book banning and burning, you embrace all that and Trump now too…

… the reason there’s no 60/30 or signature is that the minority opinions pushed on majority folks in southern states, like Texas now wanting the Ten Commandments in schools…

My friend, - LP -, your own regression went from supporting Rauner’s ignoring of Trump to embracing all things Trumpian, like Bailey’s unpopular opinions too.

Polling says you’re on the wrong side of things, yet you seemed puzzled by what you want isn’t popular.

Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, Florida, so many choices to be at home yet you’re here… and pointing out who left?

If you’re looking around to see who’s the mark and you can’t find them…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:18 am
OW - The problem is most of the people “running down our state” are the ones like Proft, Kass, IPI, Wirepoints, etc who want to turn our state into another backwards red one.

But I agree with the general premise that anyone left of the Heritage Foundation should be proud of what they stand for.

Part of why I enjoy the twitter accounts like the Socialists / Nomads for Pritzker is they are unapologetic. Too many old school dems are afraid of their own shadows, and run head first into unforced errors. (Yes, I’m looking at you Durbin)

If you got into politics for more than just to line your own pockets, you should be fighting for what you believe in, not hemming and hawing. In that regard I think midwestern Dems have started figuring things out (including IL, but also MN and MI). We’ve seen what the right in our own state and the states around us are trying to do, and we’re not putting up with it any more.

Comment by Homebody Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:19 am
Oswego Willy,
You have me thinking. Perhaps we could try advertising the rest of our state as well (something like Missouri did with the land of the big red apple back in the late 1800s) We could advertise our other metropolitan areas (Peoria, Champaign, Springfield, Rockford) as areas that are livable, comparatively less expensive than Chciago, and maybe a bit more southern in culture (well, except Rockford). Getting more people in those places might attract businesses, too. One of the reasons Caterpillar moved their headquarters out of Peoria was the impossibility of getting engineers. If suddenly there were a whole lot of ex-Tennesseens willing to live in Peoria, that might be different.

Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:23 am
- cermak_rd -

===we===

There’s no “we” for me, that’s for those who are actually doing something, my email is silent, as is my phone or text.

Here’s why I take umbrage, and I’m not picking on you, or your thoughtful and gracious words, me, you, anyone can observe or make points to what’s next, all that can be done is those with the ability do it, and it’s not me, and no one is asking.

All “we” can do is help “them” make choices that become opportunities, and my comment isn’t worth much more than any others’ good thoughts.

Hope that makes clear my thought to “we” in a very thoughtful comment.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 10:39 am
Connor freaking Bedard, baby!

Comment by TJ Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 11:00 am
“Taken together, the White Sox, Cubs and Cardinals are a combined 41-66.”

There is a real buzz in the hockey world in Illinois because of last night’s draft—maybe not in Blues country but in other parts of the state. There is nowhere to go but up for the Bears, they drafted someone who can really help Fields. Some good rebuilding going on (hopefully).

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, May 9, 23 @ 11:32 am