I suspect that nobody noticed that I didn’t do a forum a couple of weeks ago.… MORE
Category Archives: Opinion
WJBC Forum: Keep local politics non-partisan
The McLean County Republican Party recently held a forum for Ward 4 candidates.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Prostate cancer
I am hesitant in discussing my own health situation, but after speaking recently to so many friends, about what seems to be an epidemic of prostate cancer in our community, I decided to share my own e… MORE
WJBC Forum: Main Street
Main Street in Normal is a frequent path I take – either to stop at one of the many businesses or as a means to get elsewhere.… MORE
WJBC Forum: More safety needed in college neighborhood
Main Street in Normal is a frequent path I take – either to stop at one of the many businesses or as a means to get elsewhere.… MORE
WJBC Forum: The Shanachie
In the olden days in Ireland, the shanachie, or storyteller, was a revered and honored figure.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Renner v. Benjamin v. City Council
The only positive thing about Tari Renner's electronic meltdown last week is that it's given people something else to talk about besides the cold February weather.… MORE
WJBC Forum: Unions, Black History, and Gov. Bruce Rauner
How are unions, black history, and Governor Rauner related?… MORE
WJBC Forum: Gov. Rauner can’t just change laws
Governor Rauner is certainly shaking things up in Springfield, particularly with his decision this past Tuesday that state workers represented by a union no longer have to pay for union representation… MORE
WJBC Forum: Black History Month
February is Black History month, but this recognition only began in 1976.… 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…