Walter Jacobson's Perspective

The shock and terror of an attempted assassination of Donald Trump and another weekend of gun violence in Chicago. I’m trying to find something good to think and feel about. How about the 20th birthday of Millennium Park, also known as Millennium Campus? It’s been 20 years since it all began and has now become one of the ten most popular tourist attractions in the United States. 24 acres of a stunningly beautiful, educationally enlightening, and fun place to be. An on-campus ice rink, a 40 foot climbing wall, a magnificent outdoor theatre presenting symphony music to hear. For children, a fantasy land in the spirit of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” including a tube slide and a big ship to explore. For mom and dad, a masterpiece of botanical landscaping to stroll through alongside the largest beer garden in Chicago next to a variety of open-air art galleries and the amazing Bean to selfie. And the star of it all, Chicago’s Art Institute, one of the world’s most celebrated art museums. Not to mention those famous Crown Fountains. The open-air photo gallery showers for all people of all ages to splash around in. Millennium Park and Campus, a $490 million treat. In our difficult world right now, it’s hard to be thinking or feeling anything that’s better, or even as good as, Millennium Park and Campus, almost all of which, for all of us, is for free.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

In our windy, wonderful Chicago, the only thing more powerful than a politician is a newspaper. Specifically, the Chicago Tribune being read every day by hundreds of thousands of people. Which means that what the Tribune says matters. A lot. Three days ago, on page one of the Tribune’s opinion section, its columnist Laura Washington, one of the best Chicago newspaper and television commentators, flexed her considerable muscle on the subject of Chicago’s annual Pride Parade. Time to move it, she said, out of the peaceful Lakeview neighborhood, where it’s been marching for more than 30 years and often causing bad behavior by a million alcohol and now marijuana-using parade watchers. Move it downtown to State Street or Columbus Drive, said Laura Washington’s Tribune editorial, where it can be better monitored by police. The Pride Parade last week was described by the Tribune editorial as leading to fights and arrests, charging assault and battery, and obstructing and throwing bottles at police and unlawfully bearing firearms. When the parade ended, hundreds of the people watching turned back into the bars on Clark Street. So why, asked the Tribune, does City Hall continue to march the great Chicago Pride Parade in Lakeview? At the end of the parade, said the Tribune, it was replaced by an aftertaste of chaos. How sad but accurate.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

Summertime is trouble time and a good time to say “bravo” to a Chicago Alderman trying to prevent trouble. That’s Alderman Brian Hopkins of the 2nd Ward, which includes part of the downtown business district and West Loop, River North, and Streeterville. Hopkins has proposed an 8:00 PM curfew for children under 18 walking those neighborhoods unaccompanied by a parent or guardian to prevent misbehaving and dangerous children from breaking into stores to steal things or just roaming around looking for trouble, beating up a tourist or a neighbor or two enjoying an evening outdoors. That happens. We all know it happens as it did happen at 9:15 PM recently in Streeterville. A bunch of teenage bullies walked up to a 40-year-old pregnant neighbor and her husband. According to police, one of the bunch said to the couple, “We own this neighborhood and we want you out of it.” A 14-year-old bully boy then punched the husband while a 16-year-old bully girl grabbed his wife’s hair, knocked her down, and dragged her along the cement sidewalk. The bullies ran away but were caught, arrested, and charged with battery. She lost her baby. The Hopkins 8 PM curfew is opposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and a few members of the City Council who sent the curfew to a committee to stop it from being passed, saying it’ll violate the First Amendment to the Constitution that guarantees the right to free speech. And they say it’s confusing to enforce, will punish non-criminal behavior, and cause a drain on Police Department resources. The mayor and members of City Council opposing the curfew also say it’s unnecessary. I say they’re unnecessary.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

Finally, finally, tonight, the presidential debate live on cable TV, CNN. If you have cable and plan to watch, what are you thinking? What are you hoping to see and to hear? Like millions of people around the world, I’m hoping to see and hear if Trump and Biden are healthy and clear-headed enough to do the toughest job in the world? Donald Trump is 77 years old. Joe Biden is 81. Both of them may be too old to do the job the way they’re saying they’ll do it. Each of them is insisting he’ll do it better than the other, and their so-called independent doctors are being instructed to deliver that message. In a three paragraph statement eight months ago, Trump said his doctor said his cognitive exams are exceptional but said nothing about what was involved in the exams. About other matters of candidate health, Biden’s press people say Joe Biden works out lifting weights and exercising on a Peloton bike machine. Any more about health? No, nothing. Maybe in the debate tonight, Trump and Biden will ask each other about cognition and health. Maybe. But don’t count on it.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

The bad news about Justice Clarence Thomas of the US Supreme Court is getting worse with more revelations of Justice Thomas keeping a secret that he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts from a billionaire political donor suspected of buying votes on issues that are, or soon may be, considered by the Court. The latest bad news is about Justice Thomas receiving from that political donor some round-trip private jet travel between various destinations in the US and once even to Indonesia for an 8-day yachting vacation, courtesy of the ever-generous political donor. None of which did Justice Thomas disclose in his personal financial reports the Justices have pledged to disclose. The reason we know about it is that the US Congress is investigating money gifts to members of the Court, and the media, and a few members of Congress, are asking questions that have embarrassed the Court into creating, oh reluctantly, the first Supreme Court code of ethics in 200 years. There is strong language in the code requiring Justices to itemize the gifts they receive and whom they’re from, but very weak language on how to enforce the code. For almost 200 years, the Court avoided a code until now it’s created a great code of ethics that seems to be unethical.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

For as long as I can remember, the Sunday morning newspapers for me have been an every Sunday must, because in addition to behind-the-scenes politics, there are all kinds of news. Like last Sunday, the news about Harold Terens and Jeanne Swerlin of Florida traveling to France to get married on the 80th anniversary of American forces during World War II, the landing on the beaches of Normandy. After their wedding, Harold and Jeanne were invited to a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden. There were speeches, cheers, and a standing ovation by a happy crowd offering toasts. In my Sunday papers, there were pictures of Harold and Jeanne, he being a veteran of the Normandy landing, she being his sweetheart for many years. Harold is now 100 years old. Jeanne is 96. He said the wedding was the best day of his life She said he’s the best kisser ever. And they kissed again until he came up for air and said, “That’s it for now,” to which she replied, “You mean there’s more later?” Together, they said, love is not just for the young. We get butterflies too. And also a little action. So what’s left for me to say is that from Chicago, Harold and Jeanne, congratulations! Best wishes and a toast to butterflies! And for more years of your love and kisses!

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

Heads up, everybody! Heads up! Kim Foxx, the State’s Attorney of Cook County, wants us to know she is instructing prosecutors in her office not to prosecute people who are driving cars that are stopped by police for routine traffic violations, then searched for illegal guns and drugs. She says too many people are stopped because they’re Black or Latino, most of whom she says are not found to be carrying poor hiding drugs or guns. In other words, the problem is more racial than criminal. The police are saying that stopping and searching is the best way to prevent guns and drugs from doing damage to Chicago neighborhoods, especially neighborhoods on the West and South sides. The State’s Attorney says she’s facing increasingly more incidents involving police stopping people of color. Some members of the Chicago City Council are saying if neighborhoods are to be safe, police and prosecutors must do everything they can to get drugs and guns off the streets. My neighborhood has had gun trouble, so I know the fear of what can happen and the value of a message delivered publicly during a prosecution. And I disagree with our State’s Attorney. Please, Ms. Foxx, don’t put restraints on your prosecutors.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

Like so many people, I am glued to news about Donald Trump. But right now I’m thinking about a famous political person here in Illinois who is every bit as well-known as Trump because he was for so many years our Secretary of State. Of course, I’m thinking about Jesse White, whose name and no doubt his picture are soon to be, if they’re not already, prominently displayed in the downtown Chicago high rise that’s just been named by the General Assembly of Illinois, the Jesse White State of Illinois Building. An honor so well-deserved after a quarter of a century of Jesse White being Secretary of State and a master politician of clarity, honesty and a big warm heart. Jesse White, a champion of statewide campaigns, now 89 years old and having been elected and reelected six times and having created and developed the legendary Jesse White Tumblers and trained to tumbling perfection more than 17,000 Chicago children. Jesse White mastered Illinois politics to become the first and still only Black Secretary of State, described by friends and political foes alike to be always, always focused on making life better for everybody. About that, like so many people, I say yes. Yes, yes! For sure.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

It’s not a surprise, not at all a surprise, that the Chicago Bears are wasting no time at all to cash in on Caleb Williams, the recently-drafted college superstar quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears owners and managers in Halas Hall appear to be charging the cost of hiring Caleb Williams to Bear fans, especially season ticket holders. Depending on seat locations at Soldier Field, the Bears are now pricing some tickets as much as 40% more than what they cost last season, without Caleb Williams. The average charge for a season ticket now being sold is about $7000, causing some season ticket holders and sports reporters to question, “Why?”. To which Halas Hall is not answering but seems to be thinking, “Oh, it’ll be easy to convince season ticket holders to be happy to pay whenever the Hall asks them to pay.” Despite being not much good at winning, it’s been easy for the Bears for so many years to charge so many dollars for a season ticket. In our town, the only game easier to play than politics is the money-new-stadium game in sports featuring the Bears versus the Bulls versus the Cubs versus the Sox versus the Hawks and now, watch out, versus the Sky. At this moment, Da Winner seems to me to be Da Bears.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective:

There’s big news being made by the Boy Scouts of America, changing their name from Boy Scouts of America to Scouting of America, a change halting a treasured tradition of more than 100 years calling that group of elite young men the Boy Scouts of America. I never made it to the Boy Scouts, but I was a Cub Scout and am now so interested in the name change I’ve Googled Boy Scouts of America and found many now-famous Americans who, when young men, did make it. Famous in sports like Michael Jordan and Hank Aaron. In space, the astronauts Neil Armstrong and James Lovell. In movies, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Harrison Ford. Martin Luther King and Walter Cronkite were Boy Scouts, as were Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford and John Kennedy. The list of famous men who, as boys, were Boy Scouts is very long. No girls, because the Boy Scouts kept them out of Boy Scouts of America until just a few years ago when a few girls were allowed by the boys to participate in a few Boy Scout activities. How embarrassing. So embarrassing that on February 8th of next year, 2025, the Boy Scouts of America will officially, legally, become Scouting of America. Sometimes it takes time to change. For the Boy Scouts of America, it’s about time.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: