Kirk will make Illinois a safer place

As a father of two small children, I am always concerned about keeping my family safe. I support Mark Kirk because I believe he will take on crime in a hard-nosed but pragmatic fashion.

Rudy Giuliani was right on target when he pointed out that Alexi Giannoulias' only experience related to crime was handing out loans to some of his favorite Chicago criminals. Giannoulias sure fits the bill as a corrupt politician typically found in the state of Illinois. What is less known is our reputation as a hot spot for organized crime extending to youth and gang membership. In fact, in terms of number of gang members per capita, Illinois ranks No. 1.

Mark Kirk is the only candidate in the senatorial race that has addressed this with a “real plan." Kirk teamed with Giuliani to support legislation that would establish an anti-gang task force with corresponding regional teams. This regional approach would ensure that local communities have the resources needed to fight a very serious local problem. That's the difference in this race. Kirk is about out-of-the-box thinking paired with experienced and responsible leadership. His competitor in this race is simply about empty rhetoric.

Frank Klarich

Hoffman Estates