The Tribune’s vendetta against President Donald Trump continues. Liberal college lecturer Storer H. Rowley goes after Trump like the newspaper’s personal attack dog. His Aug. 3 opinion piece is so over the top that I thought I was reading the satirical Babylon Bee.
The headline blares: “Six months into his presidency, Trump has created a police state.”
In Rowley’s opinion, Trump has created a “hellscape” of fear and chaos where unaccountable, masked immigration agents are hunting unauthorized workers “like animals.” Trump deliberately appeals to white nationalists. His police state tactics are causing blowback. Only people power and voters can stop a criminal president!
Nowhere does Rowley admit that the current situation was caused by the Joe Biden administration, which allowed countless immigrants to enter the U.S., and that Trump is trying to fix that situation. But Rowley does admit that “Americans voted to get the border under control, and to be fair, Trump’s administration has done that.” Hmm.
On the opposite page in print, eternal liberal Clarence Page dwells on the Jeffrey Epstein files, just like CNN, in his column “Trump drives a wedge into his own movement.”
And no surprise that the Tribune did not report on the Department of Justice investigation into the Democrats’ push to sell “Russia collusion” to the American public during Trump’s first term.
— Neal Lorenzi, Mundelein
Similar to dictator state
The op-ed by Storer H. Rowley is right on the mark. I don’t believe most Americans want to have a police state that scares Americans and legal immigrants. We should never have masked officers scooping up people from schools, playgrounds and their homes, with no constitutional rights, and whisked away to a foreign gulag.
We look like the dictator states we have always opposed.
— H. Prager, Vernon Hills
Unemployment is up
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested, detained and/or deported tens of thousands of workers; this has chilled many others from reporting to jobs where they fear being picked up by ICE. The Department of Government Efficiency has encouraged tens of thousands of federal workers to retire early or quit and mandated the firing of tens of thousands of additional federal workers by closing departments and offices; this has deterred many individuals who might join the federal workforce in a typical year from seeking federal employment.
Is it any surprise that unemployment is up and new jobs are down?
— Shirley Michaelson , Wilmette
Due process matters
Due process is a fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. It protects all people, citizens and noncitizens alike, from arbitrary government decisions and ensures fairness in legal matters. It’s a basic promise: Before the government can take away someone’s life, freedom, or property, they must have a fair chance to defend themselves.
But today, that promise is under serious threat.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberated on whether noncitizens have any right to a fair legal process before being removed from the country. Although the justices had different views on how much process is due, the court decided: Due process protections apply to everyone in America, regardless of immigration status.
Due process means having access to a fair hearing before a neutral judge. It means having the right to speak with a lawyer. It means protecting the integrity of our legal system and protecting our communities.
The Supreme Court’s reaffirmation comes at a time when immigration policies have made it easier to deport people without traditional legal hearings, raising urgent questions about the strength and future of constitutional protections for all of us.
Our organization represents residents from Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg, some of whom are immigrants. We are committed to ensuring all residents receive the legal protections to which they are entitled under the law.
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We value fairness and justice. Weakening due process protections for some puts all of our rights at risk. If the government can take away someone else’s rights without a hearing, what prevents them from doing the same to you?
Readers can take action by raising their voices in support of a fair legal process for everyone.
- Have honest and factual conversations with friends and family about why due process matters.
- Write to your elected officials and urge them to uphold policies that guarantee fair hearings and access to legal representation for immigrants and citizens alike.
- Support local organizations that provide legal aid to people facing deportation.
Most importantly, remember that standing up for due process isn’t just about protecting others; it’s also about defending the fundamental rights that make America a place of justice and fairness for all.
— Chris Jessee and Cammy Basak, co-presidents, League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington and Schaumburg Areas
GOP-led economies
In the last three months, the U.S. created a paltry 106,000 jobs. This, of course, was to be expected, as Donald Trump’s tariffs have brought uncertainty and chaos to the economy. His response? Fire the messenger.
But this poor jobs report is just another example of history showing that Republicans aren’t very good with the economy.
As recently as the fourth quarter in 2024, Joe Biden’s last in office, the unemployment rate was 4%. Biden delivered the longest stretch of 4% or lower unemployment in 50 years, while creating an impressive 15 million new jobs in just four years. That’s almost eight times more jobs what we saw with the last three Republican presidents combined. In his first term, Donald Trump actually lost 2 million jobs.
In fact, since 1990, the U.S. has created over 50 million new jobs. Almost 49 million of those jobs — or 96% — were created by Democratic presidents.
Poor job growth and economic downturns under Republican presidents are to be expected. Of the last 11 recessions that have occurred post-World War II, 10 have occurred under Republican presidents.
In more recent history, George H.W. Bush’s recession begat Bill Clinton’s economic recovery; more than 18 million new jobs were generated during Clinton’s term, the most in our history.
George W. Bush’s “Great Recession” begat Barack Obama’s economic recovery, one of the longest stretches of economic expansion in our history. Donald Trump’s COVID-19-related recession begat Joe Biden’s economic recovery.
History shows that electing a Republican president often leads to slower growth, while also leading to massive budget deficits driven by tax cuts for the rich — Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is forecast to add over $3 trillion to the national debt. In fact, the only presidents to reduce the deficit in the last 60-plus years were Democrats.
The tired belief that Republicans are better at handling the economy simply isn’t true.
— Frank Kern, Chicago
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