Letter to the Editor |
Reader fears Midterm elections may be compromised

Here are the steps Republicans will use to stain and subvert the upcoming elections.

Dear Editor,

Will the 2026 Midterm elections be conducted in a “free and fair” manner? Could they be compromised in some fashion? Yes, but how?

Step One: Mr. Trump will declare, without verifiable evidence, that voter fraud will take place during said elections in Blue states. He signs an Executive Order limiting mail-in voting.

Step Two: Legislators in some Red states will promulgate creative laws to allow the “redrawing” of congressional district maps, to “gain” additional U.S. House of Representatives seats.

Step Three: Given unverified voter fraud allegations, the Department of Justice will instruct the FBI to initiate criminal/civil court proceedings against Blue states suspected of perpetrating such fraud.

Step Four: Again, based upon voter fraud allegations, the Department of Homeland Security will deploy ICE agents to large cities in Blue states to monitor, patrol, question, and detain registered voters “deemed suspicious.”

Step Five: Republican members of Congress will be instructed to promulgate new laws and statues designed to prevent full participation by all citizens eligible to vote, by introducing VOTER ID requirements, eliminating mail-in ballots, etc..

Step Six: Both the Director of National Intelligence and the Director of the CIA will declare evidence of foreign government interference with voting machines in Blue states and will impound said machines until a thorough investigation has been conducted. The election results will, therefore, be postponed until further notice.

Mr. Trump has installed loyal sycophants in all of the agencies cited above, who are more than willing to subvert “free and fair” elections taking place especially in Blue states.

WARNING, free and fair Midterm elections may not take place in 2026.

John M. Mishler
Harpswell, ME

About the author ~

John M. Mishler was a former Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Professor of Basic Life Sciences, Medicine, and Pharmacology at the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Harpswell, Maine.

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Letter to the Editor |
The U.S. shouldn't bomb Iran back "where they belong"

Americans must look to diplomacy over the destruction in dealing with Iran.

Dear Editor,

In his address to the nation, President Trump said the U.S. would bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, "where they belong." He even threatened to destroy "electric generating plants."

What will this mean for the most vulnerable, such as hospital patients, the elderly, and newborns in intensive care?

Historian and political theorist Achille Mbembe, author of Necropolitics, coined the term “death-worlds,” describing how the powerful impose conditions on populations that amount to a living death. Mbembe writes, “The ultimate expression of sovereignty largely resides in the power and capacity to dictate who is able to live and who must die." Gaza is a notable example.

Have we forgotten that, shortly after 9/11, some 60,000 fans at a soccer match in Iran observed a minute of silence for the victims? Or that thousands in Tehran held candlelit vigils, showing solidarity and compassion?

We must reject Trump's dehumanizing language, reclaim our shared humanity, and choose diplomacy over destruction.

Terry Hansen
Grafton, WI

Terry Hansen is a retired educator from Grafton, WI, who writes frequently about climate change and on human rights. He lives in Grafton, WIsconsin.

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Letter to the Editor |
Bigotry undermines the principles of our nation

President Trump claimed these violent felons did not attack anyone after issuing a blanket pardon to Daniel Rodriguez and others after the attack of Michael Fanone.

Dear Editor,

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) recently posted on social media that “Muslims don’t belong in American society.”

Similarly, in February, Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) wrote on X: "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one."

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has declined to condemn these comments, asserting, “I’ve spoken to those members and all members, as I always do, about our tone and our message and what we say.”

Anti-Muslim racism receives little pushback in our country. Imagine the furor if the word "Jews" was substituted for "Muslims" in these statements.

Bigotry against any faith community undermines the principles our nation claims to uphold. History shows where such dehumanization leads. Both citizens and elected leaders must insist that dignity and equality belong to all Americans, without exception.

Terry Hansen
Grafton, WI

Terry Hansen is a retired educator from Grafton, WI, who writes frequently about climate change and on human rights. He lives in Grafton, WIsconsin.

TAGS: Muslim hate is growing in America, American politicians push xenophobia against Muslims, religious freedom is prohibited in the United States, Muslim bigotry goes against the ideas that built this country

Letter to the Editor |
When transparency becomes the target, a whistleblower's view from the back row

A community whistleblower recounts the reaction to recording public meetings. In his letter, he argues that transparency should not provoke fear if the governmental body is operating above board.

Dear Editor,

Being a known whistleblower is a wild experience because, apparently, sitting quietly at a public meeting with a camera now counts as an act of aggression. I walk in, take a seat, hit record, and you would think I just pulled the fire alarm. Heads start swiveling, whispers start flying, and before long someone decides the real emergency in the room is me documenting what elected officials are saying into a microphone.

My personal favorite is when people start recording me while I am recording them, as if we have entered some strange standoff where the last camera standing wins. I am not sure what they think they are going to capture. A man sitting in a chair? A citizen listening? The suspense is unbearable.

Then there is the dramatic parking lot energy after adjournment, when a few brave souls suddenly find the courage to confront the man with the notebook. I usually make a polite early exit because I am not interested in late-night debates next to a shopping cart corral. I am there for one reason, and it is not small talk. I am there to go straight to the source of the problem and deal with it at the head, not nibble around the edges to make everyone feel comfortable.

Here is what makes it funny and telling at the same time. No one panics over a camera when everything is clean. No one cares about public records when there is nothing in them. The only time a whistleblower becomes the villain of the story is when the story has something in it worth hiding. If the strategy is to intimidate the person asking questions instead of answering them, that says more than any investigation ever could.

Every time the focus shifts to me instead of the issue, it confirms I am looking in the right place. Targeting a whistleblower does not protect the public. It protects whatever cannot survive daylight. And if that is the reaction, then I will keep showing up, keep recording and keep digging. Because if a camera and a notebook shake the room that much, imagine what the truth is doing.

Alec Severins
Georgetown

With over 17,000 followers, Alec Severins is the founder of the Vermilion County Watchdog community Facebook page, an independent media and investigative journalism organization.

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letter to the editor about government transparency, whistleblower recording public meetings opinion, public records and open meetings accountability, citizen journalist documenting elected officials, intimidation concerns at local government meetings

Letter to the Editor |
Small towns don’t forget who shows up

As the primary approaches, a Homer resident urges voters to choose responsive leadership.

Dear Editor,

In the village of Homer, our "downtown" features more false fronts and vacant lots than businesses. Like many communities in the 15th Illinois Congressional District, we are hardworking people who feel more like "flyover country" to the Washington elite than a priority.

As the March 17th primary approached, I invited all seven congressional candidates to sit down for coffee with my neighbors. Six candidates accepted. Representative Mary Miller didn't even acknowledge the invitation.

Living just 35 miles away, her silence is deafening. While she makes headlines speaking to national influencers, she couldn't find an hour for the people of Homer. To make matters worse, after years of calling earmarks corrupt, she has suddenly reversed course now that she’s facing a primary challenge. It’s hard to trust a "foundation" that shifts as soon as an election gets close.

The 15th District is conservative, but we shouldn’t be a rubber stamp for an absentee representative. Republican candidates Judy Bowlby and Ryan Tebrugge actually showed up to listen. In the 15th, we know the difference between a politician seeking a platform and a leader seeking to serve.

This March, let’s choose someone who knows we exist.

Patrick Boylan
Homer

TAGS:

Letter to the Editor 15th Congressional District Illinois, Homer Illinois political opinion primary election, community concerns about congressional representation, Illinois 15th District voter perspective letter, local engagement issues in congressional primary race

Letter to the Editor |
The Silent Killers of Marriage: Control, gossip, and the in-law problem

Some in-laws, particularly mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, often interfere in a couple’s marriage, overstepping boundaries and causing conflict.

Dear Editor,

In the present day, too many marriages are being strangled, not by the couple, but by the in-laws who just refuse to mind their own business. Yes! It’s not lack of love, not money, not differences between husband and wife. It’s interference. Constant, shameless, toxic interference from in-laws — especially from mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who think they have the right to run the marriage like it’s their proxy war.

Every day, mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law step into a marriage that does not belong to them, speaking ill of the wife, whispering poison into the husband’s ears, and trying to control decisions that are none of their concern in the first place. Let’s say it clearly: they are not part of the marriage. They are not the third, fourth, or fifth partner. They are outsiders to that matrimonial contract, yet they act as the hackers who have hijacked the couple’s shared operating system.

Let’s get this straight with in-laws: you are not part of the couple. You are not the wife. You are not the husband. You are not the decision-maker. You are not the critic-in-chief or quality assurance agent for their love. Yet so many mothers and sisters act like they were appointed to control every detail — what the wife should wear, the neckline of her blouse, the volume of her voice, how the husband should behave, where the couple's autonomy is exercised, even the calendar for conceiving a child. This is all madness disguised as “family involvement.”

In reality, it’s nothing but control, ego, and insecurity. The wife becomes a target of nonstop criticism, jealousy, and comparison. She is criticized for everything and anything: for speaking and for staying silent, for her opinions and for her clothes, for the food she makes and the air she breathes. These mothers and sisters poison the husband’s mind with their gossip, whispering, “She’s changed you,” “She’s controlling you,” “She’s taking you away from us.” And when he starts believing them, the marriage begins to bleed out and suffocate.

Let’s tell the truth: a mother’s role ends where her son’s marriage begins. He has graduated from his mother’s tutorial to his wife’s partnership. And a sister’s opinion holds no weight in her brother’s private life. A wife is not your toy to criticize, nor your competition to hate.

Against all falsehoods, stand this fact: one husband plus one wife equals a marriage. That’s it. No one else. The couple is grown, capable, and mature enough to make their own life decisions. They don’t need approval from anyone, not from a mother who wants to keep her son emotionally chained, not from sisters who think they have the right to interfere, and not from relatives who believe gossip is marital consultation or scholarly critique. This constant interference isn’t love…it’s psychological colonization and theft of privacy. Remember, a marriage doesn’t need a crowd. It needs boundaries, trust, and peace.

Yumna Zahid Ali
Karachi, Pakistan

About the author ~

Yumna Zahid Ali is a writer and educator who spends her free time reading, analyzing literature, and exploring cultural and intellectual debates. When she’s not writing for global audiences, she enjoys reflecting on societal issues and using her voice to challenge inequities, especially those affecting women. She also loves diving into history, believing that remembering the past is an act of defiance and a way to hold power accountable.

TAGS: toxic in-law interference in marriage, how family gossip destroys relationships, setting boundaries with controlling in-laws, effects of mother-in-law jealousy on marriage, protecting your marriage from outside influence

Letter to the Editor |
The truth will never be outdated

Dear Editor,

Illinois lawmakers have once again chosen left-wing ideology over integrity by embracing Governor J.B. Pritzker’s amendatory veto to the so-called Equality for Every Family Act, HB 2568. Despite its pleasant-sounding title, this legislation redefines what it means to be a mother, father, and family — not to promote equality, but to erase the natural and moral distinctions that God Himself ordained.

The act deliberately severs parenthood from biology, marriage, and Judeo-Christian tradition. It treats children as commodities and family formation as a contractual arrangement, rather than a sacred trust grounded in the union of one man and one woman. By rewriting the Parentage and Gestational Surrogacy Acts, lawmakers have paved the way for state-sanctioned confusion — replacing natural law and parental responsibility with government-imposed definitions — new constructs — rooted in radical gender ideology.

Children have a God-given inherent right — not merely a preference — to be known, loved, and raised by their biological mother and father whenever possible. This truth will never be outdated; it is foundational to human flourishing and social stability. By blurring those God-given roles, Illinois continues its descent into moral chaos, undermining both parental rights and the best interests of children.

True equality is not achieved by denying reality or redefining the family. It is found in upholding truth, honoring motherhood and fatherhood, and protecting the vulnerable — especially children — from the experimental social agendas of adults.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

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TAGS: Union of one man and one woman, Children have a God-given rights, Judeo-Christian tradition, Sentinel Letter to the Editor, ordained natural and moral distinctions, Sentinel opinion-editorial page

Letter to the Editor |
Women don't need permission: Challenging the word 'Allowed'

Dear Editor,

Let’s talk about this fun-police-mandated word “allowed.” Allowed by whom? By the same paragons of virtue crowd that burned women alive for being “too smart”? By the ones who outlawed women from reading, voting, and owning property because it threatened, bruised, and fractured their fragile egos? The same people who still panic and experience a total neurological meltdown when a woman dares to sit at the head of a boardroom table? Oh, yes—thank you, mighty overlords, for your generous crumbs of liberty.

But here’s the delightful irony: women were ruling empires from golden thrones and commanding vast armies while men were still drawing stick figures in caves. Women birthed nations—literally—while men wrote laws deciding if those same women could even own their own bodies. Women ran revolutions, resisted oppression, and rebuilt entire societies while men stood around acting like referees of existence, blowing their whistle: “Okay, fine, you’re allowed now. Don’t get too cocky.”

Too cocky? Sweetheart, women don’t need cocky—they’ve got capable. And capable terrifies you. Let’s correct the narrative, shall we? Women have been running kingdoms, civilizations, households, revolutions, and movements long before anyone scribbled the word “allowed” onto their lips. Cleopatra didn’t wait for a consent slip or a committee’s approval. Joan of Arc didn’t ask if it was “okay” to lead an army. Rosa Parks didn’t sit on that bus thinking, “Gee, I hope the men let me do this.”

Hatshepsut declared herself Pharaoh and ruled Egypt with unparalleled prosperity. Boudicca led a massive rebellion against the Roman Empire. Tomoe Gozen was a legendary samurai warrior, respected for her skill and ferocity long before any man dared to diminish her glory.

Artemisia I of Caria, the brilliant naval commander who fought for Xerxes at Salamis, whose strategic advice was so valued by the Persian king that he reportedly said, “My men have become women, and my women, men.”

Yet somehow, today, in the year where we pretend to be “progressive,” the phrase “women are allowed” still gets thrown around like a consolation prize. Allowed to work. Allowed to inherit. Allowed to drive. Allowed to speak. Do you hear the ridiculousness? It’s like saying, “You’re allowed to eat, but only if we feel generous.”

The next time “allowed” is uttered, remember: women decide. They don’t negotiate for power. They take it.

Yumna Zahid Ali
Karachi, Pakistan

TAGS: Women empowerment, feminism, gender equality, social commentary, Yumna Zahid Ali

Letter to the Editor |
Don't Increase Hunger

Dear Editor,

The new administration has now cut billions of dollars from food stamps (SNAP) in the budget. This is cruel. This will take food away from the hungry, including children and senior citizens. We have a government out to starve its own people, take medical care away from the sick and perpetrate other evils. They must be stopped.

According to our state legislators, Illinois cannot possibly make up for the billions taken away. Non-profit food pantries will be stretched to their limits.

In 2023, 13.8 million children lived in households that experienced food insecurity, up 3.2 percent from 2022, according to the Food Research and Action Center (frac.org). Taking billions out of food assistance will worsen these already intolerable numbers.

Where will these people go? Possibly many will go begging on the streets or turn to worse to support their families. This in a country that used to claim to be generous and compassionate.

Why are they doing this? Because they believe that most (maybe all) the recipients are scamming the system. Even if true, their sledge hammer approach affects everyone indiscriminately. Instead investigate what the real situation is. Improve the vetting process. Don't hurt the needy.

They should visit soup kitchens such as the one where I volunteered and note the number of people for whom the meal we served was the only meal they had that day.

We must stop this outrage to humanity. If you have any compassion, please, please contact your congressman as soon as possible and demand that he/she work to roll back these cruel, un-American cuts.

Anthony Buttitta
Des Plaines

Anthony Buttitta is a 21-year resident from Des Plaines. He enjoys the sense of community that comes from being close to people and supporting local, independent businesses. Success comes from maintaining a positive, confident attitude and trusting in God.

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Letter to the Editor |
People of Assam deserve accountability from cabinet member

Dear Editor,

I write with deep concern over the unfolding controversy involving Assam’s Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, his family’s dairy venture, and a significant ₹50 lakh subsidy meant for dairy farmers. An RTI revelation highlights that 90 state-owned Gir cows reportedly went missing from Rangiya Railway Station, only to seemingly reappear at a private dairy firm run by the minister’s wife in the same region.

This dairy enterprise, JMB Aqua Agro Pvt. Ltd., registered in Shillong and spanning more than 104 bighas with Gir cattle, poultry, horticulture, and fishery operations, experienced spectacular growth: revenue rose by 13.9%, profit by nearly 500%, and assets by over 1,900% in 2022–23. Notably, the minister’s wife was appointed managing director in March 2020, and their daughter was added as a director in 2023.

While family-run enterprises are not inherently wrong, the opacity here is troubling. Were public subsidies—intended as lifelines for small farmers—diverted to a privately controlled operation aligned with political influence? And how did 90 Gir cows vanish from public inventory, only to surface under the minister’s firm? These gaps demand investigation.

Furthermore, the timing is striking. Minister Baruah has publicly positioned himself as a protector of cattle and rural livelihoods. Yet, the alleged misdirection of funds and livestock undermines that commitment. As RTI activist Dilip Nath has demanded, it is vital to trace the procurement of cows under the Garukhuti project, track the subsidy’s approval to the minister’s wife, and examine declarations of business interest.

In a healthy democracy, public trust hinges on transparency—especially when government schemes are involved. Hence, I urge:

1. A judicial or independent probe into the missing state Gir cows, their procurement, and eventual placement.
2. Full disclosure of the subsidy approval process, including eligibility assessments and any conflict-of-interest disclosures.
3. A review of public asset declarations by the minister and his family to ensure no discrepancies.

The people of Assam deserve accountability, not "cash for curd" schemes serving political families. Let this inquiry affirm that governance is neither opaque nor partisan, but truly public-centered.

Bineet Bishal Borthakur
Guwahati

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Letter to the Editor |
When empathy is absent, we will have devolved backwards

Dear Editor,

On March 22, 1933, Dachau opened as the first concentration camp of the Nazi regime. Initially, it imprisoned political opponents, later incarcerating the undesirables, Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the physically and mentally impaired and others on the margins of society. Few in Germany raised voices of opposition either because of ignorance, indifference or fear of retaliation.

The recent comments of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier would have been applauded by those who supported the ideas of isolating the unwanted of Germany in the 1930’s. Suggesting that alligators, pythons and the vast wetlands of the Everglades are sufficient deterrents to anyone wishing to escape only indicates the level of dystopia to which he has sunk. Obviously, he has never trekked through the jungles of the Darien Gap, crossed the shark infested and storm-tossed waters of the Atlantic, or risked his life and the lives of his family members with smugglers in a search for freedom.

Bill Bullard authored the following, “Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge because it requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, because it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”

I would suggest that Mr. Uthmeier, should apply the moral and mental effort to comprehend what he is condoning? When empathy is absent or viewed as a weakness, then humanity no longer possesses its inherent dignity and value, and we will have devolved backwards into our animal instincts.

Rev. Leo F. Armbrust
Glen Ridge, Florida

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Letter to the Editor |
Illinois bill HB2827 is anti-family

Dear Editor,

Another unnecessary anti-family bill is advancing in Springfield. The Homeschool Act (HB 2827) will impose fines and jail time on parents who don’t file a “Homeschool Declaration Form.” In other words, those that don’t register with their local district and provide their curriculum for the school to review will be punished, fined, and even serve jail time.

Many parents choose to homeschool in response to the mandates being passed into law in Springfield. For example: since 2019, students are now required to be proficient in LGBT history. In 2021, they passed a law that required sex ed be taught starting in kindergarten. Five-year-olds are taught to define what lesbians, homosexuals, and transgenders are, while the curriculum gradually gets more graphic in older grades. It’s some of the most sexually explicit material in the nation, supplied by Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion and sex-ed curriculum provider. Such curriculum is an invitation to early sexual activity.

Moreover, this bill allows a truancy officer to interview a child without a parent present for the purpose of launching an investigation.

The bill redefines homeschooling to a single family and prohibits 2 or more households from receiving instruction under a cooperative agreement.

One seriously flawed reason for this bill is to protect children from homeschooling parents “who don’t do it the right way.” As if the state does it better!

On average, homeschooled students score 15 to 25 percentile points above their public school counterparts on standardized tests. Black homeschooled students test scores are even higher - 23 to 42 percentile points higher than Black public school students!

The Illinois Report Card is the state’s official window into how students are testing in math, English Language Arts and Science. The 2024 numbers are nothing but shocking, as they have been for many years.

Only 31.1 percent of high school seniors met or exceeded proficiency in ELA while the graduation rate is at 88 percent. If more than two-thirds of students can’t read, why are they passing them to the next grade and then graduating them? Public schools are sending them into the world ill-equipped. The overwhelming majority can’t read! And our tax dollars are funding this ongoing disaster.

Math is even worse. Only 26.1 percent of high school students can do math at high school level.

They need to focus on the glaring problems in Illinois public schools and not the families who sacrifice to equip their children to become well-educated productive citizens.

I say, “Get them out of public schools and start homeschooling!” Homeschooled children are not the problem. They are the solution!

Urge your state lawmakers to reject HB 2827.

Kathy Valente, Director of Operations
Illinois Family Institute

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Letter to the Editor |
Public school systems across the state are failing

Dear Editor,

Homeschooling is on the rise and some school administrators are very concerned that they’re losing tax resources with declining enrollment numbers.

Representative Terra Costa Howard (D-Lombard) is targeting homeschooling families with HB 2827, claiming that she wants to protect children from parents “who don’t do it the right way...”

During a committee hearing last week, she argued that government officials “have a duty to ensure that children actually receive an education and that they don’t fall through the cracks of our system.”

Yet, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), less than 32 percent of high school seniors can read and less than 27 percent are proficient in Math.

ISBE reports an 88 percent graduation rate, which means that more than 228,000 students are being left behind.

Where is the concern about these students who are “falling through the cracks?”

Furthermore, students’ physical wellbeing is at risk. A 2018 Chicago Tribune investigation revealed over 500 cases of sexual abuse and rape by Chicago Public School staff against students over a decade, exposing grave deficiencies in hiring, training, reporting, and oversight.

This led to the creation of the Sexual Allegations Unit (SAU), which has reported 446 complaints of sexual misconduct in 2023, and 469 new complaints of adult-on-student abuse in 2024.

We know that these serious problems are not limited to Chicago schools. Public school systems across the state are failing in their responsibilities of educating and protecting children in their care.

Representative Howard doesn’t seem to understand that bureaucrats have proven themselves to be disqualified from doing the job that she thinks they can do.

Moreover: why diminish educational freedom in Illinois? Why usurp parental rights just to expand failing government authority over more students? Why try to fix something that doesn’t need fixing?

HB 2827 would punish families who do not file a declaration form with up to 30 days in prison and a $500 fine. This is alarming. Why would she separate families over a missing document?

This bill is unwarranted. Decades of homeschooling success demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that HB 2827 is a solution in search of a problem.

It is foolish to criminalize some of the best people in the state: Loving parents who want to educate, nurture and equip their children to be future productive members of society.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

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Letter to the Editor |
Pritzker can't call the kettle black

Dear Editor,

During his recent budget address, Gov. JB Pritzker pretentiously proclaimed, "We don’t have kings in America – and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one," referring to President Trump. '

Ironic when you consider it was Pritzker who issued at least 41 consecutive disaster proclamations related to COVID-19 between 2020 and 2023, and over 100 specific executive orders tied to the pandemic. These orders included stay-at-home mandates, school and business closures, mask requirements, and vaccination mandates for certain workers.

Pritzker’s unilateral rule in Illinois disqualifies him from making public complaints about kings, fascists, and tyrants in America.

Moreover, his repeated attempts to redefine and paint political opponents as “Nazis” is getting very old.

Pritzker and his allies want the public to believe that “Nazis” are on the right side of the political spectrum. They are being deceitful. The National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi) was organized to advance socialism. They advocated big government policies, putting them on the left side of the political spectrum. Think "Medicare for all," "universal Pre-K," and "universal free college," among others. Sound familiar?

The governor doth protest too much, methinks.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

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Letter to the Editor |
MIT Replaces Harvard as Top U.S. College Destination

Dear Editor,

For decades, Harvard University was synonymous with academic prestige, but the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has recently surpassed it as the top university in the U.S. MIT’s commitment to intellectual rigor and meritocracy has redefined higher education, while Harvard’s reliance on legacy admissions and non-academic factors has undermined its academic credibility.

Harvard’s admissions policies prioritize legacy status, recruited athletes, and wealthy donors, admitting around 25% of students who lack exceptional academic qualifications. These practices are increasingly seen as unfair, diminishing Harvard’s reputation and aligning it with privilege over merit. Additionally, internal issues like declining applications, financial struggles, and controversies—including its mishandling of antisemitism and the resignation of its first Black president over plagiarism—have damaged its image further.

In contrast, MIT’s meritocratic admissions process ensures that only the most academically accomplished students are admitted, making it the top choice for the highest achieving students. Studies show that 72% of those accepted to both MIT and Harvard choose MIT, reflecting its growing appeal. MIT graduates earn higher starting salaries than those from Harvard, and its focus on technical expertise and problem-solving prepares students for today’s job market.

As Harvard’s legacy admissions continue, its brand is increasingly seen as a liability, especially in industries like tech and finance, where employers favor MIT’s rigorous academic standards. While Harvard’s prestige fades, MIT’s emphasis on innovation, intellectual curiosity, and academic excellence positions it as the future leader in higher education.

John Hoffman, Founder
Oliver Scholars
New York, NY

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Letter to the Editor |
Legalizing prostitution in Illinois undermines public health

Dear Editor,

Some Illinois state lawmakers plan to introduce a bill to legalize prostitution in the Land of Lincoln. This proposal would expunge past criminal arrests and conviction records.

Taking advantage of the super-majority in both chambers, these Democrats want "private choices" about the use of one's body to be a civil right protected by law. This flawed thinking will only increase incidents of rape, assault and murder.

Prostitution is inherently immoral. It objectifies and exploits those involved as consumable products, instead of human beings made in the image of God. Moreover, it empowers the criminal underworld, fueling the demand for sex trafficked victims - including children.

At a time when sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are increasing, state lawmakers are foolish to promote an industry dedicated to sexual promiscuity. For two years in a row now, public health officials have issued warnings about the sexually transmitted virus, monkeypox, predominantly spread among gay and bisexual men. Is HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, and HPV no longer a concern? Prostitution exacerbates these diseases.

A chief task of our legislators is to promote the public health. Legalizing prostitution would undermine this priority by spreading disease and fostering a culture that objectifies human beings as merely sexual outlets to be purchased. Sadly, it will contribute to rising rates of family dysfunction and breakdown.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

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Letter to the Editor |
Will Illinois lawmakers heed Oregon's failed experiment

Dear Editor,

In 2020, Oregon voters decriminalized possession of small amounts of almost every hard drug. Progressives campaigned in support of this ballot measure, insisting that their state should help treat addiction rather than punish it. The measure passed with 58 percent support.

Now, Oregon's governor has declared a drug emergency, as overdose deaths have been climbing year after year and Democratic lawmakers who first pushed to decriminalize drugs are admitting it isn't working.

Even The New York Times acknowledges that it is out of control, saying in a recent article, “Portland used to be known as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. But in recent years, the city has been struggling with widespread fentanyl use on its streets, which has led to an increase in homeless encampments and crime.”

Writing in Newsweek, former Presidential drug policy advisor Kevin Sabet says that even while the declaration of a "state of emergency is a step in the right direction, more must be done to undo the harm..."

Will Illinois lawmakers, including self-styled "libertarians," heed this experiment gone awry? Public policies have consequences. Decriminalization leads to more overdose deaths, more crime and more public drug use.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

Letter to the Editor | Pritzker back grandstanding for media attention

Dear Editor,

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is back grandstanding for the news media, complaining about the immigration crisis trickling up to Illinois.

In October, Pritzker sent an open letter to President Biden begging for federal tax resources to deal with the so-called “asylum seekers” being bussed to Illinois. Not once in his appeal did Pritzker ask the administration to shut down the border or reinstate the successful “Remain in Mexico” policy of the Trump Administration.

This month, Pritzker paid the Austin American-Statesman newspaper to publish another open letter, this one addressed to Texas Governor Greg Abbot. Referencing the freezing temperatures of a typical Illinois winter, Pritzker pleads for mercy, pointing out that many lives are vulnerable to the cold weather.

Ironically, not one word was written to Biden about the critical need to secure the border. Wouldn’t it be nice to see an open letter in the USA Today in which Pritzker could appeal to the Biden Administration for serious enforcement?

And while Pritzker laments the lives at stake because of the season’s “dangerous winter storm and subzero temperatures,” there is not one mention of the tens of thousands of American lives being destroyed by fentanyl and other deadly drugs flowing into our cities.

If Gov. Pritzker were serious about this crisis, he’d speak out about the dangers of open borders and the failure of the executive branch to uphold federal immigration laws to protect the citizens of this great nation.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute

Letter to the Editor | Thanks to the Democrats, the borders remain wide open

Dear Editor,

In his letter to President Biden, Governor Pritzker complained about the “refugees” being bussed to Chicago from Texas and how federal aid hasn’t kept up.

Pritzker rightly points out that the situation is “untenable.”

Immigrants are sleeping in police stations, airports, and temporary shelters, making Chicago bureaucrats scramble to provide food, clothing, and medical care — putting a greater strain on already limited services.

Instead of enforcing border security and upholding the legal process, they are spending gobs of tax dollars for the basic needs for tens of thousands of new arrivals.

While Democrats continue to parrot the “we are a Welcoming City” mantra, taxpayers are expected to pay the price for billionaire Pritzker’s generosity to those future voters who are intentionally skirting the U.S. immigration process.

USA Today reports about 2.2 million without a health exam or criminal background check have crossed the border so far this year. Those numbers have risen to about 8,000 per day. And it’s expected to get worse.

Thanks to Democrat policies, the borders remain wide open. Yet they want us to believe that big government and more tax dollars are the solution. Don’t believe them! They are failing the American people on so many levels, including upholding their oaths of office.

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Action
Mokena, IL

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