LETTERS
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WHY VICTIMS SUE
Bishop Thomas Paprocki [see “Holy warrior,” by Bruce Rushton, Dec. 8] claims that child sex abuse victims sue bishops because of the devil’s influence and because “the most effective way to scatter the flock is to attack the shepherd.” He’s dead wrong.
Victims sue bishops because they continue to ignore and conceal child sex crimes despite having immense power to prevent child sex crimes.
Go to Bishop Accountability and check out the case of Fr. Henry Willenborg, accused of molesting a Quincy girl. The normally outspoken Paprocki refuses to say anything about that case or reach out to others Willenborg may have hurt. Barbara Dorris, outreach director Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests St. Louis
NOT THE TIME
After reading the guest opinion by Sheila Stocks-Smith: “Now’s the time to get involved in local politics,” I have to disagree. Although liberal Democrats have bankrupted Illinois, I do not think “now is the time” for Sangamon County to switch from conservative Republican leadership, which can be proud they have kept spending in check.
If you want to change course, look at the Springfield school board. The Springfield school board is now controlled by a group of liberals elected by unions pushing the board into capital spending, which will soon lead to yet another need to raise local property taxes. All this at a time when teachers are given a “generous” 1 percent or 2 percent increase in their wages.
Voters will not even get to vote on this increased capital spending because it is cloaked as a needed “health and life safety” issue. The question not being asked is, why do the unions dump so much money into the campaign funds of school board members? Now is the time to keep local government in the hands of conservatives who support taxpayers, not special interests who control the liberals that Sheila wants to elect. Jerald Jacobs Springfield
LIGHTEN UP, AARON
I do not understand how writing on the sidewalk in chalk, which washes away with a little water, could be considered vandalism. There are some shops that write messages in chalk on sidewalks outside their place of business, and I do not believe any of them have been cited for vandalism.
If Occupy Springfield would like to write messages in chalk outside of Recycled Records, rest assured we would not complain or ask the police to become involved. From everything I have read, the folks representing Occupy Springfield have been respectful to everyone and have gotten along well with the police. I think the Springfield Police Department should tell U.S. Representative Aaron Schock to lighten up, and that these are a good group of folks just trying to express an opinion, not vandalize downtown Springfield.
Mark Kessler Recycled Records Springfield
