There was a reason Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling was a top choice for the job as top cop. It was on display on Chicago’s streets during the Democratic National Convention demonstrations: Leadership.
From the start of the day until the end of the day, he was front and center with the front-line rank and file. He was close enough to hear the jeers and vicious insults hurled at his female officers. It was obvious from Day 1 that he was in command and on top of the many situations that took place.
During my 33 years as a Chicago cop, that was not always the case. Leadership starts at the top, and being a former Marine, we had a saying: “Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.” Supt. Snelling gets it. Chicago’s cops are in good hands.
Bob Angone, retired Chicago police lieutenant, Austin, Texas
SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. To be considered for publication, letters must include your full name, your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be a maximum of approximately 375 words.
Thank you, Supt. Snelling
The Sun-Times failed to include a key quote in its online article Friday recapping Brandon Johnson’s victory lap after the Democratic National Convention (“Mayor celebrates city’s handling of DNC: ‘People fell back in love with Chicago’ ”).
Derek Mayer, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service in Chicago, had this message for Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling: “I’ve been in law enforcement for 24 years. I’ve traveled the world and I’ve lived in cities all over the country. I have never seen anyone better than you.”
Snelling credited his officers for overseeing nearly a week of daily protests with minimal injuries and complaints. That recognition of thousands of CPD officers and their law enforcement partners is also unquestionably true.
In a city devoid of political leaders, Chicago remains world-class because of leaders like Larry Snelling. Thank you, sir.
Mike Cello, Lincoln Park
Praise for CPD
Back in 1968, I was only 18, but I can vividly remember the street fights between protesters and Chicago police. Two years later, I got drafted and spent my training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, to become a military police officer. Part of that training was for riot-mob control. With bayonets fixed on our M16s, we would form a line and slowly march forward to an imaginary crowd, our boots pounding on the ground. Thank goodness I never had to use that training!
Fast forward to these four days when the DNC was in town. What a difference from 1968. The men and women of our Chicago police force were well-trained, disciplined and didn’t initiate any confrontations. They tried their best to stay cool and calm.
Hats off to our brave men and women who wear the uniform and uphold every day their mission to serve and protect us. And a shout-out to our superintendent, who showed his leadership by being out there on the front lines. Job well done.
Oh, did I mention my daughter is a police officer?
Ray Toczek, Portage Park
Cardinal Cupich lowered his standards at the DNC
I am a lifelong Roman Catholic. My church should be held to high standards and be called out when it isn’t Christ-like. Its leaders should have convictions in their faith and live what they preach.
Recently, Cardinal Blase Cupich gave the invocation at the DNC. He concealed his cross, failed to mention Jesus Christ, or use his words. He did not call out the abomination of having medication abortions at the site. Cowardly and weak, he didn’t promote his faith, he hid it.
If the cardinal was told by the DNC not to have any overtly Christian references or to stay silent about the evils of abortion, then the cardinal should have declined. Or better, stood outside in prayer for the health of mothers and their unborn children. Or, for more men to be active and present fathers in their children’s lives. Or, for many other worthy causes.
Doug d’Autremont, Plano
Can city keep up ‘convention treatment?’
The Democratic National Convention in Chicago has concluded, and the stage is now set for the final push toward electing the 47th president. Republicans and Democrats have chosen their candidates, and now the election turns to our communities, where every vote matters.
As a proud delegate representing the 7th Congressional District under Congressman Danny K. Davis’s leadership, I want to salute convention organizers, countless workers, proud volunteers, law enforcement officers, and all those who made this event safe, vibrant and enjoyable. The DNC was a testament to what Chicago can achieve when we come together, and the success of this convention is something we should strive to maintain every day in our city.
But the work continues. We must carry the message forward and do the work necessary to elect our presidential candidate. As importantly, we must build on this convention’s positive momentum. I experienced firsthand the clean streets, efficient transportation and unprecedented kindness from law enforcement, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Chicago.
This level of care and pride should be reserved for more than just a convention. We cannot go back to the way things were. Let’s make the “convention treatment” the new standard in Chicago — from clean streets to a heightened sense of safety and unity. Together, we can extend this spirit across our neighborhoods and throughout the entire state of Illinois. Now is the time to ensure that this energy drives us forward into a better future for all.
State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago
Stop discriminating with driving tests for seniors
I am an over-80 Illinois driver whose last accident was in 1980 when a 26-year-old, rushing to take his bar exam, ran a red light and T-boned my car.
I have no objection to taking driving tests to occasionally prove that I can drive safely for two or three miles while someone watches me, but I do vehemently object to the discriminatory requirement that it must be done every year simply because of my birth date. And, to add insult, the Secretary of State’s required online appointment “improvements” often mean that I must drive 20 or 30 extra miles every year to prove that I can safely make that very trip.
Please write to your state rep and ask them to support the elimination of this narrow-minded Illinois-only regulation by endorsing House Bill 4431.
William Murray, Palatine
Add housing on pedestrian-friendly streets
WalkScore.com reveals an interesting trend: the most in-demand and expensive neighborhoods are also the most walkable. Neighborhoods such as Wicker Park, Bucktown, River North and Lincoln Park score very high on walkability and are among the city’s most expensive. Chicago faces a housing shortage, and upzoning pedestrian-friendly streets — increasing housing development allowed in these areas — could alleviate this issue.
Chicago lacks pedestrian-only streets but has designated 59 “Pedestrian Streets,” where certain building types are allowed to enhance walkability. These streets are crucial for vibrant local businesses and community health. However, restrictive zoning on some pedestrian streets, such as Broadway from Diversey to Cornelia, limits housing density, allowing only three homes on a standard-size lot above retail space. The restrictive zoning contributes to rising rents and a need for more affordable options.
Upzoning designated pedestrian streets would allow twice as many homes per property. Not only would the number of homes available increase, but it would also serve as a significant boon to all the fun businesses in the area and make it easier for new businesses to fill vacant storefronts, including some of the large storefronts on Broadway.
The city faces a severe housing crisis, with a shortage of 126,125 affordable units and one of the highest rent increases in the nation. Chicago also needs to catch up with other major cities regarding new construction, with Chicago second to last out of the 20 largest cities in the country regarding new units constructed this year. Upzoning pedestrian streets could double housing availability and support local businesses by increasing foot traffic.
Four alderpersons are already working on upzoning Western Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue to attract more housing. Expanding this approach to other pedestrian streets could address the housing crisis and boost local commerce. Walkable areas with more residents are safer and more desirable, benefiting the community and businesses.
Chicago needs to build more housing on walkable streets, where it’s most wanted. Allowing higher density on these streets will help resolve the housing shortage, support local businesses and keep the city vibrant. Without more housing, rents will continue to rise, forcing residents to choose between staying in their beloved neighborhood or moving elsewhere.
Adam Drakulic, Urban Environmentalists Illinois
Election is a character test
The lies, nonsense, insults and lies Donald Trump keeps spouting are discounted by a lot of his supporters because they favor his policies, even the ones that didn’t work the first time he was president. Some of his fans are in the Trump personality cult, and his phony macho bluster is enough to captivate them. So it’s up to independents and undecided voters to consider whether it matters what kind of person represents their country. And if that person’s character, morality, ethics and egocentric traits qualify him.
Ed Stone, Northbrook
What’s Trump’s plan?
This is addressed to all Trump supporters. I challenge you to name a single instance when Donald Trump actually laid out an agenda as to how he will accomplish all those wonderful things he is promising to do once he is elected.
Not once have I heard or read even an inkling of how he plans to do the things he is promising to do. Even his promise to Christians that they will not have to vote again is not one he can keep unless he manages to get rid of the Constitution, which would be much more difficult than he imagines. He was a disaster as a president and seems to be going further and further off the deep end each day.
Regina Gomory, Crystal Lake
‘Dumb’ remarks
What a laugh I get hearing Donald Trump describing Kamala Harris (and just about anyone else who disagrees with him on just about anything) as ”dumb.”
This is the man who thinks elections are determined by the size of crowds and ratings, and not by counting all the votes. His claims of election fraud in 2020 were rejected by courts in more than 60 cases. That’s not too surprising since Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani admitted that “we have lots of theories, we just don’t have the evidence.” Trump tried to overturn the election through illegal pressure even after the Electoral College had voted.
He took out ads calling for the execution of the Central Park 5 in 1989 and never apologized when they were proven innocent. He says pictures of Harris’ crowds are AI-generated when there are plenty of witnesses who were in attendance. His solution to the COVID crisis was: “I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute.”
That list just scratches the surface of dumbness. How dumb does he think his supporters are?
Kevin Coughlin, Evanston