With the Fourth of July close, I thought, “What makes us a great nation?”… MORE
Category Archives: Opinion
WJBC Forum: The Declaration of Independence
This Saturday, people will gather in parks for cookouts, to play outdoor games, and in the evening watch fireworks displays.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Don’t take marriage for granted
June 21st would have been my grandparents 70th anniversary.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Fighting hate with love
Last week Not In Our Town organized a community wide prayer vigil at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church for the nine people killed at the Mother Immanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Traveling young
Some years ago in the late seventies, I had an elderly customer suggest that if I had the desire to see the world, I should not wait for retirement to do so.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Irish Picnic in the Park
Since it’s still about nine months too soon to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, why not have a picnic to celebrate all things Irish?… MORE
WJBC Forum: Unprecedented precedent
By David Stanczak The great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes observed that, “It is revolting to have no better reason for a rule of law than that so it was laid down in the time of Henry IV. It is still more revolting if the grounds upon which it was laid down have vanished…… MORE
WJBC Forum: The character of our community
People who call Central Illinois home certainly feel the intangible spirit of this place. Let’s call it our character.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Learning how to drive again
As I share this with you, my fifteen-year-old daughter, who now has her driver’s permit, is taking behind the wheel driving courses at one of the local driving schools.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Understanding labor terminology
With Governor Rauner’s agenda, there are some terms showing up in the news that might be worth a refresher.… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…