LETTERS

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FROM A 10-YEAR-OLD

I am writing here today to talk about the Illinois State Museum closing. I am writing on behalf of myself, my family and the people of Illinois.

It is unfair to the people to close down our museum. This is not the governor’s museum; this is our museum. I will always remember my little brother laughing as we dug the fossils or played in the jeep or built the mammoth skeleton. I just want to say that I have grown up studying from that museum and learning about whatever I wanted to know. When I wanted to learn something, I always wanted to go to the museum. I want my brother to grow up with that museum, too. To think someone had to carve the totem pole outside, make molds of those dinosaur bones and make the clay statues for hours just so it can go to that museum. I love studying the history of the state that we live in and the Native Americans. That museum has taught me so much. It has helped my dream of becoming a scientist. Now I also want to do this, change the world, fix things that aren’t right.

The Candlelit Vigil is not going to be my last visit to the museum. It was not my final goodbye; it was a see you later. Lilian Franklin, age 10 Springfield

PINCHING PENNIES

Regarding the lack of funding for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, consider this idea inspired by the March of Dimes charity drive of the 1960s. Pennies for Lincoln! Set out donation containers, involve schools, make it national. Insist on penny donations. Most people dislike pennies. They would not begrudge the amount. We all likely have a drawer or bowl with some pennies rattling around like paper clips. Best of all the penny has the man’s picture on it. Let the pennies go directly to the ALPL to be dispersed by the people who do the work of defining Lincoln for us by what he left behind. Good luck ALPL. Sue Anderson Springfi eld

AMERICANS FIRST

Regarding your article in the recent Illinois Times about well educated immigrants coming to the United States with work visas (“Visa flap could affect thousands of immigrants,” Patrick Yeagle, Oct. 8), one key question left unanswered in your article, which I think is very relevant is – are they here as a cheaper alternative to Americaneducated workers?

People with huge school loan debts who are able to do the same jobs as foreign students/ workers are intentionally being left out of the job market by companies who would rather offer those jobs to workers they can pay much more cheaply. Supposedly, many companies are allowed to hire foreign workers if and only if they cannot find equally qualified Americans to fill those positions. In fact, I recently learned of a company (don’t know who) that simply fired many of their well-paid American staff only to have them replaced with foreign employees. We’ll see if there will be any repercussions.

I am not at all against wellqualified foreign workers coming to the U.S., but I assert we should take care of our homegrown first, particularly the ones who paid major school loans to get their educations. Bob Smet Springfi eld