Shootings are more brazen than ever

I lived in Chicago for more than 75 years and I was a Chicago cop for 33 years. I am shocked by the type of violence the city endured this past weekend. More than 100 people were shot and 20 killed, with multiple mass shootings.

I go back to the late 1960s, working the streets on the Southeast Side. Looking back, I can say unequivocally the violence was mostly aimed at rival gang members and seldom against innocent people and young children. Mass shootings and firing into crowds were almost nonexistent.

Over the holiday weekend, Chicago had at least four mass shootings with several children 17 and under shot, including a 6-, 7- and 8-year-old. One child was killed and two women were killed. I have not seen that kind of violence in my life in Chicago. I’ve heard some of Chicago's leaders say crime and or violence is down in Chicago, and I cringe.

Who in God's name shoots into crowds and kills children and innocent people? Are the people called violence interrupters a political myth? Crime and violence is down, and then we experience what has taken place in recent days. Whatever strategy is in place is clearly not working. The shooters and victims are getting younger and younger, and the number of innocent people being killed or wounded is growing. City leaders desperately need to rethink or come up with a new strategy.

Bob Angone, retired Chicago police lieutenant, Austin, Texas

Make July ‘Independence Month’

Last week we celebrated Independence Day. We just finished with Pride Month.

I’m sorry, but something’s not right here. Not to diminish the people of Pride, but I think we are undervaluing something of greater importance.

I propose that we make July Independence Month, or Freedom Month.

Instead of having fireworks, all on one day or several, we should spread them out all month.

We need a month where we focus on, think more about and teach more about our nation’s founding — the principles that define us as a nation. The Declaration of Independence is our founding document that lays out who and what we are. We were created by God, we were created equal and God gave us inalienable rights.

Now we take much of this for granted, because many nations have followed our lead. We were the first to recognize and do this. All the other nations then were ruled by kings.

We have millions of new people in our country. What are we doing so they understand what America is? Are we even teaching our own kids about this?

Larry Craig, Wilmette

We’ve given up government to big money, powerful companies

After learning of the Supreme Court's irresponsible ruling on presidential immunity, I went back and read the Declaration of Independence. It struck me that perhaps we all need to remember that the foundation and miracle of our government comes from such words as:

• "That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed ..." (Declaration of Independence}
• "We the People ..." (Preamble to the U.S. Constitution)
• "that governments of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth." (Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address)

We are not a government of special interests, big money, social media or powerful corporations.

Maybe it's time to go back to our origins.

Martha L. Koranda, Romeoville