jackson

The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., biography

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., Founder and President of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, is one of America's foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over …

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Faith is stronger than the sword

Christmas decorations light the streets. Malls are full. Christmas music fills the air. But this year, there is a somber undercurrent to the celebration. We will all hug our children a little harder. Our hearts will be in our throats as they go out to …

After Newtown: Will we finally act?

Do not turn your eyes from the horror of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn. Twenty children, their teachers and aides, their school principal shot repeatedly, in some cases beyond recognition, by a 20-year-old wielding a semiautomatic assault weapon. As he has …

A battle in Michigan for the American Dream

Tuesday, thousands will demonstrate at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing to protest a frontal assault on working people. Republican majorities in the state House and Senate have vowed to jam through right-to-work legislation this week. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who originally said this wasn’t …

Nothing ‘balanced’ about focusing on cuts for vulnerable Americans

The pressure is growing in the face-off over the so-called “fiscal cliff” in Washington. The president put his plan on the table. Republican Speaker John Boehner rejected it out of hand. And then . . . nothing. Republicans refused to make a counteroffer. They are …

Kickbacks exploit inmates’ families

In Cook County jails, prisoners are charged as much as $15 a call to be in touch with their relatives. The exploitive rates can force families — already struggling with the burdens of having a loved one locked up — to choose between supporting their …

‘Fiscal cliff’ scare just a fake crisis

Why do imaginary phantoms terrify, while real-life horrors seem normal? Why do our elected representatives act in ways that trample the values of those who elected them? Consider the current debate in Washington. The city is in full uproar about the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the …

Obama voters want jobs, better cities

Elections have consequences. President Barack Obama’s stunning re-election victory came dramatically from the same emerging majority coalition — a rainbow coalition — that brought him to the presidency in 2008. At its heart are minorities, young people, single women and union households. What do they …

Don’t reward GOP obstructionists

Tuesday is Election Day. Please make certain that you vote. In the close presidential election, it is clear that every vote counts — and we must ensure that every vote is counted. I believe President Barack Obama has earned our vote for his re-election. He …

Obama has worked for all Americans

When former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for president, Romney campaign chair John Sununu dismissed it as just a black man standing up for one of his tribe. That racial gibe fits a campaign with a yawning racial divide: Obama is struggling …

Richest 1% is mobilizing to protect its privilege

‘Corporations are people, my friends,” said Mitt Romney. And in Citizens United, the conservative justices of the Supreme Court agreed, ruling that corporations, like individuals, are free to spend unlimited sums in so-called “independent expenditures” for candidates. The result — as TV viewers in contested …

Moderators should force a real debate on vital issues

Debate moderators always get a bad rap. As Jim Lehrer and Martha Raddatz demonstrated, candidates’ zealous supporters tend to blame the moderator if their champion doesn’t fare well. That’s not fair, but I do suggest moderators should be held accountable for whether they raise questions …

Bain sends Illinois jobs to China

Mrs. Dot Turner has worked at what is now Sensata Technologies in Downstate Freeport for 43 years. The company does sophisticated work creating sensors for automobiles. It enjoyed record profits last year. But not enough for its owner — Bain Capital — which is moving …

Ignore debate zingers, focus on issues

As Wednesday’s presidential debate approaches, the political junkies are gearing up for a shoot-out. If history is any guide, much attention will be paid to the political horse race. Much debate commentary will be about technique: Will President Barack Obama be crisp? Will Mitt Romney …

A shocking silence on lives cut short

The silence is deafening. Last week, the New York Times reported a horrifying measure of America’s shame. Life expectancy for white women without a high school degree had decreased by five years since 1990, according to a study in Health Affairs. Five years. The least-educated …

Important school issues are ‘off the table’

The Chicago teachers strike has gotten national attention, much of it presuming that the biggest issues are pay and evaluation. But the Chicago Teachers Union has stated that the two sides have been very close on pay. And union members have no objection to evaluation; …

The poor could be strong swing vote

Nearly 50 million Americans now are in poverty. One in four children will grow up in impoverished households. Redressing poverty is a national emergency and a moral imperative. In our money-drenched political debate, the poor receive little attention. Yet they could be the key swing …

Counter GOP by telling the truth at Dem convention

Inevitably, the Democratic Party fest in Charlotte, N.C., will be compared to last week’s Republican gathering in Tampa, Fla. The speeches by the vice president and president will be contrasted with those of Republican nominees Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney. The Republican convention was marked …

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