Chicago Public Square returns in full force Monday. Meanwhile, as ever, check the Square Facebook page around the clock for breaking news and commentary.
■ No Facebook membership required; just tap the X alongside the nagging “See more on Facebook” pitch.
■ Today, for instance, you’ll find—among many other posts—columnist Eric Zorn’s denunciation of “those who are bleating that it would be ruinously chaotic and divisive for Biden to step aside”; Mary L. Trump’s call for a new revolution; Lyz Lenz’s Dingus of the Week; and updates on Chicago’s NASCAR weekend.
But now, here’s a special Independence Day-flavored news quiz.
■ Get more than 6 of 8 questions right to best your Square columnist’s score.
Next, it’s readers’ turn to respond to Wednesday’s Square:
■ ‘The closure of factories for offshoring has decimated my hometown, my old neighbors, and really made things hard on a lot of my family.’ Karl Schuster writes: “I do take issue with the stenographic reporting concerning the reasons for John Deere’s layoffs. … It would have been worthwhile to include a link with more than one perspective, such as this reporting from The Guardian. The union says the jobs aren’t being eliminated but rather moved to Mexico. … This additional context gives the reader a better idea of what’s actually going on—certainly more so than just reporting execs’ justifications for eliminating jobs.”
■ ‘If that was happening to my father … I would immediately be taking him to the hospital.’ Sharon Duffy on the president’s health: “It is very sad that this man does not appear to be properly taken care of. Everyone has their ‘agendas’ and a man who is sick is being taken advantage of.”
■ ‘Streets need to be safer for bicyclists, but there also needs to be a give-and-take in making them safer.’ A reader who’s asked to remain anonymous contends that “Critical Mass is the least effective way to convince motorists to share the road with bicyclists. The groups ride across the whole road, generally blocking traffic in every direction, rather than single file. It’s infuriating. I … was delayed getting to a destination by 45 minutes in one instance. That is not going to endear anyone to bicyclists and their plight. I would be much more supportive if bicyclists followed the rules of the road, as motorists must. I hate having to guess whether a bicyclist is going to stop at a red light or stop sign.”
■ ‘I loathe those Onion links.’ Barry Koehler elaborates: “They’re so infantile and I’ve never clicked on one, ever. If I did, it was a mistake. It’s just a waste of digital ink. I get that you might want some comic relief and we all miss Keith Taylor and his talent, but I sure wish you’d find something other than The Onion.”
■ ‘Great edition before your holiday break.’ Thom Clark: “You gave me just the right length summary I needed without plowing through the dismal daze of political news.”
Your comments are always welcome here.
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Monday brings a fresh roll call of current Square supporters.
■ Pitching in just $1, once, right now, gets your name atop the list in our next regular edition.
■ Through this weekend, make it $50 and get a free Square T-shirt.